Sometimes When We #ThrowbackThursday…

We’ve made it to Thursday, and shows of appreciation are in order!

When I set out to put together this Throwback Thursday article, my original choice for this week was a giant commercial block, but unfortunately, it was blocked. Go figure – my block got blocked. So, of course I scrambled a little going through the block, which didn’t really have anything noteworthy or capable of standing out. As commercial block, it worked, but nothing was singularly sensational.

However, I did wind up finding this gem mixed in with the other commercials, and it felt like the perfect fit to ease us into the day before the end of the week.

Today’s commercial comes from 2003, and is a company that proudly boasts a certain percentage of savings on the product they sell, and have been doing so since 1936.

Back in 2003, and important question was asked…of why people love the GEICO Gecko.

Seriously, it’s an important question.

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A GEICO employee (who looks alot like the dad from Small Wonder) answered:

“He’s just terrific, and he’s brought a reptilian sense of balance to a business that was missing this from our warm-blooded employees.”

But how does the GEICO buyer feel about the Gecko?

Find out when you click play!

Apparently, saving 15% (or more, don’t forget that important detail!) is worthy of a sappy, Adult Contemporary ballad and blowing dandelions in a field with the Gecko.

Honestly, I always think this singer (Dan Hill) really is gonna “break down and cry” during this song.

GEICO has been around since 1936, but it was only with the introduction of the Gecko in the early 2000s that I actually had heard of them. I assumed they were a new company with a name that did sound alot like “Gecko.” I even remember the days before the Cockney accent, when Kelsey Grammer was the original Gecko voice, proclaiming “This is my final plea: I am a gecko, not to be confused with GEICO, which could save you hundreds on car insurance. So, STOP CALLING ME!”

The Gecko’s name is Martin (named for the advertising agency that created him), and he was first seen in commercials beginning on August 26, 1998. His appearance in the commercials came as the result of the Screen Actors Guild strike that year, which prevented the use of real actors as spokespeople.

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These days, he’s far from the prissy tones of Fraiser Crane, and has a Cockney accent. He received a redesign in 2005, and he is still impressing people with his knowledge of GEICO to this day.

Though the commercials have not since featured sappy love songs to show appreciation.

And there you have it, the ultimate show of appreciation – praise, dandelion dust, and ballads to show it!

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Have a great Throwback Thursday!

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