I use the term “Art” very loosely since I’m referring to sitcoms. Another gem from the mental floss blog and The Washington Post reporting that a pilot based on the GEICO Cavemen has been ordered by ABC.
I’ve been a fan of the GEICO Cavemen ever since the first spot, partly because it seems to be such a softer, more sophisticated sell than most “lowest rates guaranteed” insurance spots. I respect a company that can make fun of itself, especially a company whose industry is notoriously boring, or at the very least not inclined to humor.
This news however begs a few questions:
1) Even though this isn’t unprecedented, is this a good thing that advertising is crossing over so fully into entertainment? Now that product placements are ubiquitous, could this just be the natural evolution (sorry I couldn’t avoid it) of the relationship between what we want to watch and what we have to watch?
2) Will this hurt or help GEICO’s brand? My immediate reaction is that any publicity around or about their brand will definitely help. But will watching the fictitious victims of GEICO’s ruthless speciesism (it’s a word trust me) backfire in the long run? (waaaay over-thinking it alert!!)
3) Who really cares? Besides Advertising junkies like myself that is.
A show based on the caveman? Maybe GEICO is “reinventing the wheel”. If it fails, I think this could be the last of the caveman – which may have run its course anyway.