Behind GEICO’s Largest Creative Push Ever

This summer, GEICO heard the phrase ‘go big or go home’, and took it one step further. Launching the largest creative slate in the brand’s history, over the past few months, it's released eight new campaigns across seven lines of business, including auto, home, boat, motorcycle, RV, renters, and two commercial auto segments for truckers and small business owners.

Aligning with the brand’s ‘Get more with GEICO’ promise, the slate of work signals a return to big, bold, creative thinking. Honing in on the importance of value across every facet of insurance, the brand uses humour to meet audiences where they really are, whether it’s in a restaurant, at home, or even on a boat.

Of course, the Gecko, GEICO’s enduring brand mascot, makes a return too. Conceived by longstanding creative partner The Martin Agency, he made his advertising debut in 1999, and was named the brand’s official spokesperson in 2004, before starring in a 15-minute-long documentary, ‘The Legend of the Lizard’, for Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.

Combining the Gecko’s familiarity alongside a refreshing, customer-first point of view, the work highlights the power of leveraging a recognisable brand icon to empower marketing for today’s audiences. “GEICO has always had a knack for subverting expectations or making novel observations about the world,” explains Tom Perlozzo, senior director of marketing, brand and creative at GEICO. “So, while we leverage our heritage and familiarity in a disarming way, we’re always looking to lean into modern tensions and find new opportunities to surprise our audiences.”

To dig into the work (which encompasses 60 spots for TV, streaming and online video; 54 social ads; and 50 audio executions) in more detail, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot caught up with Tom, alongside Sialoren Spaulding, senior director of marketing, brand and creative, at GEICO.

^{Above: Senior directors of marketing, brand and creative, at GEICO, Sialoren Spaulding and Tom Perlozzo}

LBB> Summer 2025 has been a busy one for GEICO! Why was it the right time to unveil your largest-ever creative slate?

Tom> We’ve always had the customer at the heart of our business, so this year, we really wanted to expand what it meant to create for them, their unique needs, and their sensibilities. A typical auto or home insurance customer could differ wildly from a first-time renter in their twenties, or a retiree who travels the country in their RV, so we really focused on getting to know them better and unlocking insights that made the work speak directly to them.

LBB> Now that all of the work is live, do you have an idea of how well it has performed and how consumers have responded to it?

Sia> An early read on results is showing strong in-market performance across the funnel for all lines of business. Some of our most heavily weighted ads are topping the charts for the insurance category over the last year.

LBB > As a brand with an incredible advertising legacy, and such a well-known icon in the Gecko, how do you strike the right balance between a sense of familiarity that consumers recognise, and creating work that feels new and fresh for today’s audience and market demands?

Tom> GEICO has always had a knack for subverting expectations or making novel observations about the world. So, while we leverage our heritage and familiarity in a disarming way, we’re always looking to lean into modern tensions and find new opportunities to surprise our audiences. Take the latest ‘Low Key Big Deal’ campaign for auto insurance, for instance, where you see the Gecko alongside a dogfluencer (a relatively recent phenomenon) showing up on the street together.

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LBB> When it comes to how your brand is perceived, what’s the goal? How do you want the brand to show up in people’s minds and lives, and what’s your north star?

Sia> Culture. For our brand to be successful, we need to continue to not just shape culture, but be invited into it. Most people hardly ever think about insurance… or want to. And it’s important that when they do, they think about us – and positively. Our work plays a big role in ensuring that happens.

LBB> Can you share more about the decision to opt for a customer-first POV? How does this enhance the narrative, and does it help the work to resonate across multiple platforms?

Tom> The beauty of anchoring the work in strong consumer insights is that we can tailor the expression of our overarching creative idea to the unique needs of each channel while maintaining a consistent and compelling story.

LBB> The work intersects with seven different business lines, how do you target specific consumer groups through separate campaigns, and appeal to different audiences such as Auto vs Home?

Tom> We worked really closely with our counterparts in marketing and the business to get to know our customers on a much deeper level across products. We’re going beyond demographics and really looking at their lifestyles: the tensions, motivations, interests, and needs that resonate most with their life stage.

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LBB> The work hones in on the importance of value and helping customers get more out of their insurance experience – why was this such a significant focus for the work, and what insights inspired this?

Sia> This category has been telling customers for decades that they can’t have it all when it comes to insurance; they have to choose between low rates or a great experience. This body of work is about showing people that with GEICO, you can get more.

LBB> You’ve created an incredible amount of content for TV, streaming, OLV, social and audio. What goes into creating such high volumes of assets?

Sia> There’s no way around it – producing work at this volume takes incredible effort both internally and externally. It takes a significant amount of trust, a little bit of faith, and a whole lot of love for the craft.

LBB> How did you collaborate with your long-term creative partner, The Martin Agency, to bring the work to life? This partnership has stood the test of time; what makes it work?

Sia> Like any good client-agency relationship, our partnership is built on mutual respect, strong communication, fierce collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of exceptional creative work on both sides of the aisle.

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LBB> You’ve got a lot to choose from, but which pieces of work from this whole slate are your favourites and why?

Tom> It’s hard to pick our favourites, but there’s a few consistently rise to the top:

For auto insurance, ‘Bag Check’ is a standout among the ‘Low Key Big Deal’ campaign. There’s a lot to enjoy and think about each time you watch. How did the Gecko fit those cosmetics into the bag? Why does he need them? Does the security agent enjoy this a bit too much?

Our GEICO ‘Subconscious News’ campaign for renters insurance was rooted in such a powerful pain point for our customers (that GEICO could help alleviate!) that we knew upon first presentation, it’d be a hit!

The ‘Legendary Truckers’ campaign for commercial auto was just as insight-laden, but the execution depended so heavily on performance that securing buy-in required a lot of imagination and a little bit of faith. It’s a testament to the talent (and singing abilities) of The Martin Agency’s creative team, and the trust in our collective creative relationship, that this work made it to market!

Sia> And who doesn’t love a good juxtaposition? Our boat and RV work – that compares home you to boat or road You – was fun to shoot and even more fun to watch.

LBB> After such a big creative undertaking, what’s next for the brand, and the Gecko?

Tom> We set a few records in the first half of 2025, bringing more work to market than ever before, on the fastest timelines in brand history. But, if you think that’s something, just wait until you see what GEICO and The Martin Agency have in store next!

LBB> Do you have any advice for marketers in looking to tell big, ambitious brand stories?

Sia> The ambition to do something big and bold starts with your ability to recognise an idea’s potential. If you can find that, then your job is to evangelise and excite those around you who can help bring it to life. You need to find the right partners, trust the process, and sometimes, take a leap of faith.

LBB> Lastly, what’s something about the brand that we might be surprised to learn?

Tom> Most people are surprised to learn that the Gecko has no name!