I was driving home tonight listening to the radio and another insulting Geico commercial came on.
I went something like this:
Mother: What is wrong with my son Doctor?
Doctor: I’m sorry Mrs. Johnson but I am afraid that your 3 year old Johnny has a rare and potentially fatal form of childhood leukemia but I do have some good news.
Mother: What is it doctor? Do you have a cure?
Doctor: No, but I just saved 15% on my car insurance by calling Geico.
Ok, the commercial wasn’t exactly like that but it was pretty close. Geico has a whole series of radio and TV advertisements that share a common theme. The start by giving someone really bad news and then the announcer says “but I have good news, I just saved 15% on my car insurance by calling Geico.”
What sick self-centered fuck thought up this campaign. It’s not funny; it is very offensive. I want to throw something through my radio or my TV every time one of these commercials come on. I will never ever call them or use their web site even if I could save 90% because of these commercials. Way to go ad agency and marketing department.
That is factually incorrect. The Geico commericals are pretty damned funny. I especially like the faux-‘Soap Opera’ spot (I saved! I thought that meant something to you!) and the ‘hair loss’ ad.
See, my heart started racing and I felt a surge af rage when I read your post. It is a conditioned response that they have managed to instill in me. I am going to send them my therapy bills that I will need to purge it from me.
I find it more insulting that they won’t go away. They have violated the comedy law of threes. You should never tell more than three jokes on a single subject in a single act (I can’t recall exactly where I heard that, but I know I did).
The gecko ads were substantially worse.
And don’t get me started on those fucking DiTech ads.
I love 'em! I especially like the “soap opera” one and the “hair loss” one. I got totally whoosed the first time I saw the hair loss one. First of all, I’m thinking, “well, this must be pretty honest 'cause the guy is only claiming a 3% sales increase after his new hair,” while thinking at the same time that it really isn’t very effective or motivational to show a guy only increased his sales 3%.
Then the doc shows up, putting a huge comb in his pocket and I’m thinking, "What bullshit! This clown shows up touting some sort of hair replacement and we’re supposed to subliminally think their hair replacement technique is great that this huge comb would be necessary afterward.
Then the punch line!
I was totally whooshed and laughing out loud at the same time.
Love their commercials, but can’t buy their insurance. They quoted about double what I’m currently paying. I don’t know who they can save money for, but it certainly isn’t me.
Ditto on that here. Not on loving their commercials, but being quoted double what I pay now. Their commercials aren’t nearly as funny as their rate quotes. I have a 20 year clean record, and I’m in the safest statistical demographic. I don’t know who they want to sell their insurance TO. Not low risk drivers, apparently. Guess they gotta pay for all that commerical airtime somehow.
Oooh, I loooove the enzyte commercials, especially the way they are obscure enough to keep children from having any idea what’s going on.
Hate the Ditech ones though. I mean, really really hate!! God that guy irks me to no end. He’s quickly approaching Miss Cleo levels of annoyance with me.
And I too have been completely whooshed by a couple of Geico commercials. Clever stuff, but time to put that particular campaign to rest IMHO.
Hmmm. An interesting law. Which phone company had the ads where the person accepting the call mis-hears the person making the call and comes home with something totally out of place? They were funny the first few times and made me beseark towards the end. If they had adhered to your law of comedy, they would have done much better in my opinion