So this is a prime example of the Geico "gecko" campaign for the insurance company. Overall it seems that Geico advertising strategy is to get people to love the little gecko and his accent, all the while he will be spouting off information about how great the insurance is. This really seems to be ineffective to me because compared to the other companies Geico is not exactly taking control of the market. Their commercials do a lot of branding but do not further any knowledge of why Geico is better than some of the other leading brands like State Farm or Allstate. Also there is no clear "call to action" so people will feel no need to go investigate the product until they find themselves really needing insurance.
There may be no doubt that when you think insurance you think Geico, but for many consumers that is not enough because as soon as you think Geico you will also think about all the other ads that are just as memorable and offer more examples of services or what will be covered. So what should Geico be doing?
The Gecko is cute and memorable and everyone knows what company you are talking about when you hear about the gecko so he should stay on as a part of the marketing campaign. These ads need to lose the office/business atmosphere that most viewers wont be able to relate to and instead take this gecko and put him out doing the things that  people will want to be doing, in vehicles they want to be insured.

A new commercial might look like this:
The Gecko is riding in a fast convertible on a windy and high cliff road. Various things fall in his way or fall towards him, but he dodges them like a champ and ends by driving right off the cliff and landing perfectly safe on a lower road. While the Gecko speeds away a voice over tells the audience that "the gecko always knows he is safe on the road, and with geico you can be too." All the while "bad to the bone" is playing in the background.

Getting to know the product...

So last friday I was out on my longboard enjoying the nice beautiful weather and also seeing about trying a few new tricks. I was enjoying the ride quite immensely when I came to a spot that I very much enjoy because of the technical difficulty and the amount of speed it gives you. I was trying to execute a very sharp turn and also slide my wheels so i would look cool. I did not succeed... in fact I crashed and banged myself up a little. I was upset to say the least. I consider my self a very good longboarder and love speed and hairpin turns and just the thrill of it all.

A few hours later I was walking by the same spot and to my excitement I saw another person on a longboard rollin around the streets. I thought to myself "he isnt gonna try anything cool... no one is cool like me around this area." Then to my amazement I saw him go down the exact same spot I crashed in, doing a better trick than i was failing at, and all of it in front of some passing ladies! UGH! I was and still am very upset about it. It was like a massive slap in the so called skills I thought I had. 

This  experience has brought me two things though: a renewed desire to push my longboarding to new and exciting levels, and also a thought about what this product is really all about and how as a consumer I think I could be comvinced to buy this product. 

  Seeing is believing, and while I have seen the trick that I was outdone by on the internet and in other videos before I have never really seen it done in person. This moment had me thinking that if this one trick has me so worked up and so excited about my sport then how can I translate this to an advertisement?  I think one way would be to take this exact scenario and just film it. Show a kid trying and trying to do a hard trick on a standard shaped not very awesome board. Then when he has given up and feels defeated another person rolls up does a better trick and while they are doing it there is a shot of the bottom of the board where we see the company name, followed by the second rider riding away with a smile. I think giving people the fantasy that the board is what will make them a better rider, even though it's basically false, will get them looking at the board they ride and up and to the stores to buy new and "better" boards! Making the company money and furthering the sport as a whole.