The insurance company GEICO must have an exceptionally large ad budget: it is almost impossible to escape their onslaught of radio and TV ads, varying between straight, informational "15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance" spots; their edgy, parodic "but there's good news, I just saved a bundle on car insurance" series; the gecko; and the truly hilarious "GEICO.com, so easy a caveman could do it" TV ad, wherein the announcer is forced to take two well-appointed cavemen out to dinner to assuage their enflamed indignation.
"Seriously, we didn't even know you guys were still around," offers the announcer over live piano music.
"Next time do a little research," spits out the caveman on the right.
The waiter arrives. "Gentlemen, are we ready to order?"
"I'll take the roast duck," caveman on the left says, "with mango Salsa."
Caveman on the right hands the waiter the menu back, says "I don’t have much of an appetite," then glares disdainfully at Geico guy.
Classic, and some great acting through the makeup by the "cavemen."
In his email newsletter, NYTimes advertising columnist Stuart Elliott tracked down the names of the cavemen actors, Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber, according to Michele Barker, a spokeswoman for the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., which created the ad.
Phillips' credits, according to the IMDbinclude Hide (2003), for which he was the director, producer and co-author in addition to being a cast member; a part in Sneakers (1992); and roles in TV series Arrest and Trial, Philly and Profiler.
He also has a part in a movie scheduled to be released next year, Unknown, which also has in its cast Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano and Jeremy Sisto.
The credits for Weber include movies The Broken Hearts Club, Coach Carter and Kissing Jessica Stein, and TV series Law & Order, Sex and the City and Six Feet Under. He has a recurring role in the WB series Everwood as a guidance counselor named Chris Beels.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - DrPat
GEICO's had a long run of successful campaigns -- I confess a liking for the lizard-spokesman ads, myself. Have you noticed that the fellow who plays the marketing VP and lizard-sidekick in those ads is also all over in other ads that need a nebbish?
Good job tracking down all the "filmography" for the cavemen...
2 - JELIEL
"Oh Great, a Talking Gecko" - Gidget, the unemployed Taco Bell Dog
3 - Mark Sahm
My lady and I enjoy Geico's pseudo-reality TV ad that goes "But the house was built too small!"
4 - Eric Olsen
Mark, that's the famous "Tiny" ad, which you can air at Martin Agency site (click above)
And thanks DrPat
5 - Matt Paprocki
My lady and I enjoy Geico's pseudo-reality TV ad that goes "But the house was built too small!"
The sad thing is, I was going to watch that show given the ad.
6 - Al Barger
I am deeply offended by these caveman ads, as they mock and belittle the struggles of real disadvantaged minorities who still struggle against callousness and discrimination every day at the hands of the oppressive racist Republican theocracy...
This is now staked as MY moral high ground. I am the alpha male of this territory!!!
7 - Eric Olsen
just don't pee on the pixels
8 - Nancy
Geico may put out entertaining ads, but they SUCK big time as an insurer: go with them, and count on being screwed.
9 - Eric Olsen
makes sense: they spend all their money on ads
10 - Nancy
No, seriously: why do you think they advertise themselves as being the insurer of "good drivers"? It's because as soon as anybody files a claim, they cut them off, even when it's only $5 over the arbitrary "damages limit" they set ($500, BTW - pretty small).
11 - Chris Beaumont
Hmmm. I've used them off and on for a good part of the past 8-9 years, never had a problem....
12 - TJ
Does anyone know if Kanye West had worked something out with Geico to mention them in his son Gold Digger? He also mentions them in another song which doesn't come to mind. I tried googling to find out but couldn't.
13 - April Marie
To answer the above questions No Geico has not worked anything out with Kanye West for a name frop for goodness sakes. Did you guys ever think that just maybe when he was in that bad car wreck Geico was his insurance company and treated him fairly. I swear why do people always have to think in such a negative light. Also as for the comment "why do you think they advertise themselves as being the insurer of "good drivers" ...can you name me one commercial where they specifically say we only insure good drivers? Also as to the comment about they will drop you after one claim also a bunch of bogus bull. The only time that you will be dropped is if you had numerous claim within a small time frame or if it was something serious such as driving under the influence and than you would of had to kill someone. Come on people I know its easy to hate the big bad insurance people, but seriously enough is enough. I know it seems pointless to have insurance and yada yada but your not complaining when you do have that at fault accident and now do not have to shell out 25,000 for someones medical expenses and another few thousand not only for the other persons veh, but if you carry the right coverage your own. Stop being so negative people.
14 - Eric Olsen
do you work for an insurance company, April?
15 - Insider Info
You're right in assuming Geico has a large ad budget. It comes out of Warren Buffet's pocket. He foots the bill for all their advertising. Geico is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. I used to be an agent (called "insurance counselors" by Geico). Geico is actually a 3 tiered company. They have Geico or Geico General for preferred risk drivers (this is usually the only company placement where you get a decent rate). Geico Indemnity is for standard risk, and Geico Casualty is where you pay through the nose. Here are some of the reasons for the high rates:
1)Most insurance companies make their money on investments, so they usually lose money on the premiums they charge. That's fine as long as you have a good economy, but when it starts to go south, so does the company balance sheet. Ask State Farm if you don't believe me. Geico stays in the black by setting their premiums based on their risk. If you've called in for a quote, you know they ask your life history and then some to get the "right rate for the right risk".
2)Geico has stricter underwriting guidelines than most companies. They go back 5 years on driving history instead of the traditional 3 years for most other companies. They go back 10 years for DUI's and suspensions. Company placements and rates are figured by computer, and I don't know anyone in the company that can fully explain why some of the rates come out so high. If the computer goes down, the counselor is not even supposed to tell you that's what happened or they will get in trouble. They just tell you someone will call you back with a rate. One of the principles I had trouble grasping was when they tell you they "underwrite" for certain accidents and "surcharge" for others. I just knew a surcharge cost more. If you have a number of accidents, for example, and 2 or 3 weren't even your fault, they would still "underwrite" for the ones you didn't cause, which means more money out of your pocket. I didn't agree with that, because the way I saw it, another insurance company already hiked up somebody's rate because of those accidents, and now Geico is getting paid as well. I felt drivers were being charged twice for the same accident, and that's one of the reasons I left.
3)More and more insurance companies now charge extra for bad credit. I can sort of see that from a business perspective, but not from the excuse Geico uses; that if you are in bad debt up to your eyeballs, you are distracted in your driving because of the added financial pressure.
4)Certain states pay more because of rampant insurance fraud. Some states pay more because state insurance commissioners mandate that insurance companies charge a fee to recover unpaid traffic fines.
16 - April Marie
Yes I do how could you tell? :)
17 - Mark Sholtes
GEICO, just like every other insurance preys off the bad luck of others, specifically, Us. I have been a customer for over 20 years and still have nothing good to say about them. It sickens me that they spend my hard earned money on these braindead advertisements. All I can say is They just spent a ton of my money on car insurance ad's, and I don't think thats funny.
18 - Eric Olsen
April, it was pretty obvious, but that's okay.
Fascinating info Insider, thanks.
And insurance sucks in general, Mark - it's legal extortion, especialy for car insurance
19 - Rev. Al Sharpton
"Comment by Al Barger on September 28, 2005 01:57 AM: I am deeply offended by these caveman ads, as they mock and belittle the struggles of real disadvantaged minorities who still struggle against callousness and discrimination every day at the hands of the oppressive racist Republican theocracy..."
Amen! Right-on Al! You are one of they few people who have looked through all of Buffet's subterfuge and seen his true insensitive anti-PC feelings towards minorities today. The caveman ad is just one of many by him. The ad people at Geico are mainly minorities much the same way malt liquor companies hire minorities to focus on their demographics. In this case its probably just CYA in case people like Al file a class action suit. Hasn't any one even seen the hidden meaning behind the tradeword "gecko" yet? Jeez! I guess you'd have to be wearing a black man's moccasins to see, huh? "Gecko" is the sub-standard English verbal corruption of the word "Geico". Much the same way a African-American tongue-tied pugilist (i.e. boxer) would mispronounce it! Wake up America. The "theocracy" Al Barger speaks of is quite real... not just over-sensitive black people complaining!
Why would Buffet do this? When you have $$$ today you can do whatever the heck you want. Look at Tycho, Enron, Arthur Anderson (aka Accenture), etc. Why not a little "racist humor" mixed in with your capitalism to secretly amuse your fat-cat white racist buddies like Mr. Bush?
"WARREN BUFFET HATES BLACK PEOPLE!"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffet
Rev. Al Sharpton
20 - Eric Olsen
thanks Rev Al, I seriously considered voting for you after seeing you on SNL
21 - April Marie
You people are just plain silly. Warren Buffett does not hate black people. Quit running off at the mouths (or keyboards) in this matter. And quit taking things so personal. I happen to have met Warren Buffett and he is an awesome guy. As for the remark regarding GEICO taking your "hard earned bucks" and using them for there commercials. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Your money, not one cent, is spent on those commercials. SO chew on that for awhile. Geico does not racial profile. I mean what the hell they were cavemen not "black" men or "hispanic" men. Cavemen, no matter how much you feel "sorry" for them no longer exist get over it. And as for the term "even a caveman could it" was only meant to intend that when cavemen did exist there was no technology and they wouldnt know what it is they were using. But that it was just so simple to get a quote online "that even a caveman could do it", without any knowlege of technology. I think some people need to get a life and quit trying to find the negative in things.
22 - Derrick S. Murray
You guys have to be kidding. The Geico commercials are hilarious, end of story! Cavemen have nothing to do with minorities, what's the matter with everyone???? I'm black and race is the absolute last thing I'm looking for in Geico's caveman commercials! Hasn't any ever seen the "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" bits on SNL? If a caveman can get a quote anyone can! Don't you all get it? Stop starting trouble and go have a drink or something. Please don't blow the humor in these commercials by pulling the race card. GET OVER IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
23 - Eric Olsen
totally agree Derrick, thanks: sometimes a train going into a tunnel is just a train going into a tunnel (or insert your own potential metaphor)
24 - Mark Sholtes
Forgive me... But as April so kindly pointed out,
"As for the remark regarding GEICO taking your "hard earned bucks" and using them for there commercials. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Your money, not one cent, is spent on those commercials. SO chew on that for awhile.
I chewed, and now I wonder where the monies that Should be going towards the ad budget are actually going?? Anyway, just another big business looking out for the little guy...
The commercials were funny the first few times... but enough already.. every 30 minutes??? If Mr Buffett needs something to spend money on, I have a 92 Explorer that needs tires...
25 - Eric Olsen
Mark, good point about the ubiquity factor: not sure at what point repetition crosses over the line into annoyance. Also, at a certain point the observer says, "Damn, they must spend a lot on advertising, hmm," which is actually what generated this post