In addition to the trailer, the Gecko and Caveman will take over Geico’s Instagram and TikTok, engaging with the trailer and walking down memory lane with two distinctly different points of view. Raab said the Gecko will be as humble and deferential as ever and may share a few relics and keepsakes from his life.
“Caveman will be as salty as always. He has his own TikTok and Instagram handles, but like any caveman, he’s not quite savvy with social media. But he’ll be angrily commenting on everything,” said Raab.
The Gecko documentary
“Legend of the Lizard” details the 25-year history of the Gecko, with special appearances and interviews from the Gecko’s best friend, his high school basketball coach, co-workers, stars from the brand’s legendary “Hump Day” commercial and the Caveman himself.
Graham Unterberger, creative director and copywriter for The Martin Agency, clarified that the Caveman has never actually worked for Geico.
“He’s just been this unwilling participant, so that dynamic was really fun for us. And you’ll get to see more of that in the documentary, as well … we get a little bit of backstory on him,” said Unterberger.
Even though they were dealing with fictional characters, the team wanted to make it seem like the Gecko was a real character with a backstory, friends and colleagues.
“We did try to keep it all as real as any reverent documentary about a savant in their field,” said Dustin Dodd, creative director and art director at The Martin Agency. “You’ve seen a documentary about (Steve) Jobs. You’ve seen a documentary about Michael Jordan. They’re the best in their field. What about the best insurance spokesperson in his field?”
The documentary promises something for even the most hardcore Geico advertising fan, including appearances by lesser-known characters and other Easter eggs.
Neither the brand nor the agency would confirm if there will be an in-game spot during the Super Bowl, but the agency did say that some spots will be dropping on game day, including another with the Caveman.
“It’s been really fun for us to tell a story with multiple mediums. Geico is known for 30-second spots. But I think these two-minute pods leading into the long-form, leading into spots that will all link together, it’s just a much deeper way to tell stories. So I think we’ll be exploring that in the future,” said Raab.
