Geico's advertising from The Martin Agency is consistently funny, but the company rarely has a giant viral hit. That changed this summer, though—and the big winner wasn't a gecko, a caveman or a pig. It was a camel.
The insurer's "Hump Day" spot, which broke in May, has earned 15 million YouTube views, more than every other current video on Geico's YouTube channel combined. (The ad also has the obvious though still peculiar distinction of being shared on Wednesdays vastly more than any other day.)
Given the success, it's not surprising Geico and Martin are trotting out the motormouthed mammal once again, in one of two amusing new cinema spots urging people to silence their cellphones.
The camel—who is named Caleb, apparently—is in fine form as he patrols the aisles of a movie theater in the new 40-second spot, munching on people's popcorn and loudly looking for people who are talking on their phones. (In fact, Caleb is the most obnoxious creature in the room, but let's ignore that.) In the end, he spots co-worker Mike (aka, "Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike") from the original spot and convinces him to end his phone call, since the movie is starting.
The second of the two spots stars the gecko, the longtime Geico mascot, and plays off the vintage "Let's all go to the lobby" singing-concessions video from the 1950s. This is hardly the first parody of that old classic, but it's a good one, as the snacks all get on their phones when they're off camera—and get a light admonishment from the gecko as a result.
The new spots are part of a deal brokered by Horizon Media with NCM and Screenvision. It includes cinema-lobby advertising.
CREDITS
Client: Geico
—Spot: "Camel Cinema"
Client Credits: Geico
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Manager, Broadcast Production and Agency Relations: Amy Hooks
Marketing Planner: Amy Ruddell
Marketing Coordinators: Tom Perlozzo, Katherine Kalec
Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Senior Vice President, Group Creative Director: Steve Bassett
Vice President, Creative Director: Wade Alger
Senior Vice President, Art Director, Creative Director: Sean Riley
Senior Copywriter: Ken Marcus
Vice President, Agency Executive Broadcast Producer: Molly Souter
Agency Producer: Samantha Tucker
Agency Junior Producer: Emily Taylor
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Vice President, Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Supervisor Parker Collins
Account Coordinator: Allison Hensley
Project Manager: Emily Masters
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Wayne McClammy
Director of Photography: Giles Dunning
Executive Producer, Managing Partner: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer, Director of Sales: Dan Duffy
Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura
Producer: Rachel Curl
Production Supervisor: Colette Findley
Editing Company: Makenzie Cutler
Editor: Dave Koza
Assistant Editor: Patrick Blumer
Editorial Producer: Evan Meeker
Visual Effects: The Mill
Executive Producer: Jared Yeater
Producer: Colin Blaney
Visual Effects Supervisor: John Leonti
2-D Lead Artist: Randy McEntee
3-D Lead Artist: Jeff Lopez
3-D Artists: Ajit Menon, Cody Chen, Justin Burton, Sam Crees, Sandor Toledo, Sean Curran
Colorist: Fergus McCall
Audio Post, Sound Design: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer: Jeff McManus
Media: Horizon Media
—Spot: "Lobby"
Client Credits: Geico
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Manager, Broadcast Production and Agency Relations: Amy Hooks
Marketing Planner: Amy Ruddell
Marketing Coordinators: Tom Perlozzo, Katherine Kalec
Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Senior Vice President, Group Creative Director: Steve Bassett
Vice President, Creative Director: Wade Alger
Senior Art Director: Adam Stockton
Senior Copywriter: Justin Bajan
Vice President, Agency Executive Broadcast Producer: Molly Souter
Agency Producer: Emily Taylor
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Senior Integrated Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Vice President, Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Supervisor: Parker Collins
Account Coordinator: Allison Hensley
Senior Project Manager: Emily Masters
Production Company: Framestore
Director: David Hulin
Head of Production: Jonathan Shipman
Executive Producer: James Razzall
Senior Producer: Graham Dunglinson
Junior Producer: Antonio Teixeira
Producer: Paul Middlemiss
Visual Effects Supervisor: Seth Gollub
Editing Company: Whitehouse
Editor: Trish Fuller
Assistant Editor: Matt Schaff
Executive Producer: Lauren Hertzberg
Producer: Alejandra Alarcon
Telecine: Company 3
Colorist: Tom Poole
Original "Lobby" Animation, Trailer: Filmack Studios
Music: Beacon Street Studios
Animation, Visual Effects: Framestore
Visual Effects Creative Director, Supervisor: David Hulin
Executive Producer: James Razzall
Visual Effects Producer: Antonio Teixeira
Audio Mix Company: Sound Lounge
Engineer: Rob Sayers
Executive Producer: Vicky Ferraro
Audio Recording Studio: Rainmaker Studios
Sound Engineer: Jeff McManus
Media: Horizon Media