And I love all of them. But then again, I don’t drive.
I used to love that one, but then Lady Z pointed out the incongruity of the ending. To wit:
“Having him say ‘woman’ is wrong. A man like that would have said, ‘I was one lucky gal’ or ‘I was one lucky dame.’”
And every since then that’s all I can think about when I see it.
You’re all wrong, the funniest caveman ad is the airport people-mover: no one-liner necessary, just his double-take and look of consternation… that cracks me up every time.
Also… Erin rocks.
I have doubts that this is a good idea. What is clever for a minute or two in a commercial may not translate to a full show. Just look at the abysmal record of SNL skits that went to full-length movies. OK, we can probably find some that are good, but it doesn’t take much looking to find so many that are bad.
I’ve only seen it once, and in the past couple of days.
Agreed on both counts.
The part of the “people mover” commercial that kills me is the caveman in the poster ad. Take a good look at him next time - the pose and expression are priceless.
I’m pretty sure that the caveman in the poster ad is the same guy who takes Mango-Salsa and Not-Much-of-an-Appetite to lunch in the upscale restaurant.
A great subtle joke in that one: he is carrying a squash racquet, the sport of Niles and Frazier Crane. That is one sophisticated caveman.
Like they did in that one commercial?
He’s currently unavailable, training to race the iditarod pulling Calista Flockhart.
If Andy Warhol is right, the cavemen are at 14:55 on the fame-o-meter. I predict an epic crash-n-burn here…
My favorite is the caveman TV-debate one.
Caveman: First of all, I’m not 100% in love with your tone right now.
Host: Tone aside, historically you guys have struggled to adapt.
Caveman: (sarcastically) Yeah, right. Walking upright, discovering fire, inventing the wheel, laying the foundation for all mankind. You’re right, good point. Sorry we couldn’t get that to you sooner.
Other Guest: Sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side the rock!
Caveman: (sigh of frustration)
Only possible because they discovered fire, though.
More on this project from the commercial writer, whose tongue appears to be firmly jammed in his cheek.
An article in yesterday’s WSJ talks about how the idea for the “Cavemen” came about.
I may be in the minority, but even when Geico’s “Caveman” campaign debuted some time ago, it may have made me smirk or chuckle, but it never elicited the kind of humorous reaction a genuinely witty advert or sitcom normally does. I get it, everyone makes fun of the caveman and his frustration at coping with life and being taken seriously in the modern world. The joke wasn’t particularly funny or designed to have the kind of legs to stand on for more than a minute, so I’m shocked it’s lasted this long at all. The joke is already well past the point of being beaten to death, but I guess we can beat it a little more. The show’s concept sounds cute, I admit, but the strangled route they’ve taken to get it greenlit is more than a little stupid. There’s no accounting for taste in sitcoms though, so it’ll either be a big success or a giant flop.
I thought the gecko was much funnier in the advert comparing a free insurance quote to getting free pie and chips. It’s pie … and chips … for free. Personally, I say Geico ought to give up insurance and become a production company and start with a show for the gecko. Seems like marketing is more their forte than insurance anyway. I got a quote from them once for my late-model Mazda and it was far and away the most obnoxious number I’ve ever seen. I said I had a Mazda, Geico, not a Maserati. What am I saving 15% on, exactly? And how much of that absurd premium goes to your obnoxious advertising campaign budgets? I can’t imagine those “Caveman goes golfing” spots during the Super Bowl went for much less than a few million. What a bunch of jags.
You know, I’m not a huge fan of the caveman commercials – they’re OK, but nothing I’d coming running into the room to watch* – but I remember thinking the first time I saw one, “That guy playing the caveman is really good.”
RR
*although the speakerphone line is a killer
We have perfectly opposite taste, because I get a kick out of the cavemen but I wanted to strangle that damn little gecko when the pie and chips commercial came out. He is cute but I can’t stand his voice and his spots haven’t been funny for years (I don’t recall him talking in the early ones so maybe that is a factor.)
We can agree on their rates, though. My wife shops insurance all the time and Geico has never even been in the ballpark of the other companies. We don’t understand what this “Save 15%” line is all about.
Is it my imagination, or does Peter Graves give a little “Nailed that one!” nod at the end?
There’s even a movie trailer spoof put together from out takes and action/drama shots. Heh, it’s purported to be by “Furlined Productions”.
In addition to the aforementioned California Raisins, I can think of one character who started out in commercials, then went on to star in both a TV series and a whole series of movies:Ernest P. Worrell, as portrayed by the late Jim Varney.