What’s the message in these? We’ll make fun of you, make you drink nasty crap, and you’ll stillbuy our insurance products?
There was a thread about this a week ago.
I think the point is to get people talking about their commercials. So far it appears to be working.
The message is that Geico thinks that viewers are such idiots that their obnoxious ads will get them more business despite their obnoxiousness. Sadly they may very well be right.
It’s called “humor”. I think the concept is clever.
I still don’t get how making people talk about how stupid you are is supposed to make you buy from anyone.
And, anyways, car insurance is not an impulse buy. The only thing that will convince me to buy from you instead of your competitor is better coverage and/or lower rates.
Yes, you and the whole rest of the world. Congratulations. And if you are looking for lower rates, will you at least check with Geico? That’s all they want you to do. If you never heard of them, you wouldn’t have known to check.
Top of Mind marketing. When most people need to get insurance, they will likely think of a few companies. GEICO wants to be on top of that list. Car insurance is a market that is highly saturated, people generally shop for car insurance when they buy a new car.
By your logic, Coke ads should talk about how Coke tastes good and is cheaper than champagne. GEICO has pounded “15% or more on car insurance” for years, almost everyone knows it.
They spent almost $750 million on ads last year. Buffett said he would spend 2 billion if he could. I think they know what they’re doing.
Some of Geico’s bazillion ad campaigns have been clever and entertaining. To me, this one is just dumb. Of course, I thought Maxwell the pig in the carpool was hilarious.
I’ve been with Geico for years - I’ve checked around and for comparable coverage, there was really no one considerably cheaper. I’m surely not going to change for a couple of dollars a month. I kinda figure if you’re not a big risk, the bottom line with most companies will be very close in cost.
I liked it. The Geico commercial’s message was essentially “We’re good, they’re bad” which isn’t the most compelling argument, whereas the 21st Century commercial makes the valid point of saying “Look, the insurance is pretty much the same, why not go with the cheaper one?” Whether they are pretty much the same coverage or cheaper is irrelevant, it doesn’t insult the intelligence of its viewers like the Geico commercial does.
To build on what has already been said (yes, it’s all about keeping Geico’s name and benefits top of mind when you do decide to shop for auto insurance):
Geico’s been doing (relatively) edgy humor in their ads for years. Some people don’t get the humor. They’re OK with that (and their business model has been working pretty well for them). I can guarantee you that they get letters and e-mails from people who complain about this ad (and their other ads). If they had a huge outpouring of hatred over a particular ad, they might react differently, but overall, a certain, fairly low level of consternation (and, frankly, it’s probably coming from people who have had State Farm insurance for 30 years and will never consider Geico anyway 
) is par for the course when you’re making edgier ads.
Also, they try a ton of different stuff in their ads. The stuff that catches on sticks around; the stuff that doesn’t goes away quickly.
The wit behind this advertising campaign falls short of clever or even funny. It is so lowbrow that the only message conveyed is, “only a retard, or a person with multiple dui’s would be stupid or desperate enough to buy our product.”
And what is up with that male actor who makes that bizarre noise as he giggles nervously? Is that how some people who just tasted something are supposed to respond? It looked more like he loved it than hated it. Bad acting, bad direction, or just a bad script? I’m really not sure.
I didn’t care too much for Maxwell the pig on the skateboard (or whatever the Hell that thing is called) or Maxwell the pig on the zip line.
But Maxwell the pig in the carpool will make me laugh EVERY time I see it. Aside from the whole idea of an actual PIG going “Whee! Whee! Whee!” all the way home, I LOVE Mrs A’s son in the back seat, sitting next to Maxwell. His body language, his facial expressions are PERFECT.
The “taste test” commercials need to be flushed.
~VOW