GEICO Asks: ‘Who’s the Funniest Fed?’ in D.C. Standup Comedy Competition Starting in March

What do a lot of federal employees and the GEICO Gecko have in common? They have a great sense of humor and good comedic timing. This year GEICO is proving that point by sponsoring D.C.'s Funniest Fed® competition, a standup comedy contest for federal employees in the D.C. area.

Auditions for the competition will take place March 4 and March 11 at the Riot Act Comedy Club in D.C. Elimination rounds will begin May 2 and continue through June at the Virginia State Theatre, with the finals taking place on June 22 at the Lincoln Theatre in D.C. The two winners (one experienced and one novice) will receive $500 prizes and the title of D.C.'s Funniest Feds. For complete rules and to apply to audition, go to the Funniest Fed website.

The GEICO Gecko may have been a source of inspiration for this latest GEICO sponsorship. "As much as I like saving people money on insurance, I also like having a laugh," the Gecko said. "If I were a federal employee, I might even have a go at doing some standup myself. It's a jolly good idea, mates."

"We think it is time for people to pause for a moment and have a good laugh," said Deedre Daniel, GEICO's director of federal and partnership marketing. "Considering GEICO's long history with federal employees and our company's reputation for having a good sense of humor, we love this partnership."

Funniest Fed®, which debuted in 2007, is the brainchild of Naomi Johnson, a federal employee of 10 years who also performs standup comedy.

"I got the idea after I kept running into federal employees who either had experience doing standup or had always wanted to do it," Johnson said. "There are some really funny feds out there, and this competition is their chance to get in front of a crowd and show that they can freeze our pay, but they can't freeze our sense of humor."

All federal employees and active or retired military personnel are eligible to compete. Prior experience in standup is not necessary, as participants will be able to compete either as "experienced" or "novice" entrants, depending on whether they have more or less than three years of standup experience.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. GEICO handles auto insurance coverage for 10 million private passenger auto policies and insures more than 17 million vehicles. GEICO has special rates and discounts for most government employees.

In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for life, boats, homes and apartments is available through the GEICO Insurance Agency. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.

As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.