TMC
11-17-2022, 10:45 PM
https://www.nickiswift.com/1107112/what-the-geico-caveman-is-up-to-today/
BY ALANI VARGAS/NOV. 17, 2022 2:19 PM EST
Using one's acting abilities to promote major corporations may not be every aspiring thespian's dream, but commercials can be a fruitful and impactful path to take. Stephanie Courtney, who plays Progressive's Flo, has acted opposite Jon Hamm and become a staple for Halloween costumes, while numerous actors have put away some serious cash for ads. Courtney, for instance, was worth around $5 million, according to a 2015 report from Forbes.
Some commercials have a hook that just sticks. It's why Flo is still popping up on TV screens or why popular catchphrases run for decades. It's why the Geico Gecko is still trying to convince us we could save 15 percent or more by switching insurance. But before the Gecko became the primary pitch person for the company, there was the Geico Caveman. Anyone who remembers a time before streaming took over our television screens likely remembers these ads, featuring cavemen offended in one way or another by Geico's slogan: "So easy a caveman could do it." These ads, which first debuted in 2004, were so successful that they were honored at the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2008 (per NBC News (https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26843150)). The TV spots inspired a short-lived and bizarre television series (more on later).
A number of actors portrayed the various Geico Cavemen over the years, including McManus Woodend, who took on caveman duties for years after landing the gig in 2009. Now, he's moved on to a new gig — and the pivot is arguably quite surprising.
BY ALANI VARGAS/NOV. 17, 2022 2:19 PM EST
Using one's acting abilities to promote major corporations may not be every aspiring thespian's dream, but commercials can be a fruitful and impactful path to take. Stephanie Courtney, who plays Progressive's Flo, has acted opposite Jon Hamm and become a staple for Halloween costumes, while numerous actors have put away some serious cash for ads. Courtney, for instance, was worth around $5 million, according to a 2015 report from Forbes.
Some commercials have a hook that just sticks. It's why Flo is still popping up on TV screens or why popular catchphrases run for decades. It's why the Geico Gecko is still trying to convince us we could save 15 percent or more by switching insurance. But before the Gecko became the primary pitch person for the company, there was the Geico Caveman. Anyone who remembers a time before streaming took over our television screens likely remembers these ads, featuring cavemen offended in one way or another by Geico's slogan: "So easy a caveman could do it." These ads, which first debuted in 2004, were so successful that they were honored at the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2008 (per NBC News (https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26843150)). The TV spots inspired a short-lived and bizarre television series (more on later).
A number of actors portrayed the various Geico Cavemen over the years, including McManus Woodend, who took on caveman duties for years after landing the gig in 2009. Now, he's moved on to a new gig — and the pivot is arguably quite surprising.