“The Nightmare” is the beginning of a larger campaign that will reach beyond the comedic 30-second spots the brand is known for. The campaign is part of a two-month-long rollout leading up to the Super Bowl. Geico would not confirm whether it plans to culminate its campaign with a Super Bowl ad.
“The first spot clearly (we hope) sets up more narrative to come. Will he participate in the documentary? Will he be allowed to tell his side of the story? And will doing so finally give him the closure he so desperately needs? Spoiler alert: probably not. But you probably won’t guess where this story is headed,” added Dustin Dodd, creative director (art director), The Martin Agency.
The Martin Agency hopes that the campaign reminds people that Geico makes it easy to get coverage for the things you care about, but also creates some empathy for the Caveman.
“We’re hoping people are surprised by these spots. Both because we’re forcing marital drama into the face of primetime football viewers, but also because those viewers might actually feel something after riding Caveman’s rollercoaster of emotions,” said Graham Unterberger, creative director (copywriter) of The Martin Agency.
“The Nightmare” will air a two-minute linear pod takeover on NBC Sunday Night Football Live, as well as a two-minute spot on YouTube Live, along with additional social content and a playlist of legacy Geico Caveman commercials, which will be available on YouTube starting Dec. 23 to reacquaint fans with the character.
