Martin Agency rolling out new ads for GEICO [Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.]

Dec. 24--Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Charlie Daniels, Elmer Fudd and the Waltons are joining a lizard and a crew of cavemen as pitchmen for insurance giant GEICO.

A new series of GEICO ads debuting Monday are the latest for the insurer created by Richmond-based The Martin Agency.

The campaign, called "Rhetorical Questions," is the fifth story line in GEICO's current rotation. It joins the Gecko, Cavemen, "Talking Accidents" and Kash.

The four new spots play off the insurer's tag line. They each begin with an investigative reporter-type looking into the camera and asking in a dramatic tone, "Could switching to GEICO really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?"

The question is answered with a question. In one ad, a nurse tries to measure retired football legend Ed "Too Tall" Jones. The question is, "Is Ed 'Too Tall' Jones too tall?"

In another spot, a director tries to correct cartoon character Elmer Fudd's inability to pronounce the letter R and is accompanied by: "Does Elmer Fudd have trouble with the letter R?"

Steve Bassett, Martin's creative director on the GEICO account for the past eight years, said the agency always is looking for ways to keep the brand's messaging original.

"We need to keep refreshing the work," he said.

David Urban, a professor of marketing and interim business school dean at Virginia Commonwealth University, said it's imperative for a brand to keep coming up with new ideas and campaigns if it wants to be remain effective.

"People have short attention spans when it comes to advertising, and they are bombarded by ads from multiple media every single day," he said. "People are more likely to remember ads that they think are funny. However, any joke gets old after it is retold over and over again."

GEICO's new story line was created to emphasize savings, Bassett said.

Each of the four current stories has a separate purpose. The Gecko reinforces the brand, the Cavemen the ease of using the insurer, "Talking Accidents" its claims service and Kash the savings.

GEICO launched Kash -- the stack of money with googly eyes -- a year ago, and Bassett said there is a possibility it could be phased out next year, though no final decision has been made.

The Shockoe Slip ad shop counts Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut and the American Cancer Society among its clients. It is ranked as one of the top advertising agencies in the country.

Last year, the Cavemen, which were introduced in 2004, were inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame.

Bassett said regardless of how entertaining the new ads are, the story line ultimately will be judged by its ability to push traffic to the insurer's Web site and call center.

Response is the ultimate judge of the work, Urban said.

"Creativity and humor are great, but if people think an ad is creative and funny, and it doesn't achieve the client's marketing objectives, then the ad didn't work."

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Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or LLLovio@timesdispatch.com.

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