A talking gecko. Angry cavemen. The guy who played Mini-Me, doing the birthday dance.

Geico's eye-catching TV ads have spawned a loyal following and even some imitators, with spots populating video-sharing sites like YouTube.

But what does any of this have to do with selling car insurance?

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THE CAMPAIGNS

Geico is in some ways turning conventional advertising strategy on its head by running an array of diverse campaigns all at the same time, rather than coming up with one strong storyline and hammering it home. The gecko is still everywhere even as the cavemen spots are becoming a narrative. Meanwhile, the celebrity testimonials have tapped everyone from "Austin Powers" actor Verne Troyer to Little Richard.

The firm says the ad blitz has helped turn it into the nation's fastest-growing insurance company.

"Being a company that's primarily a direct-response company, we don't have agents pounding the pavement drumming up business," says Ted Ward, Geico's vice president for marketing.

"We sort of let our advertising dollars be our agents for us."

Ward wouldn't reveal Geico's ad budget, though TNS Media Intelligence estimates the firm spent a whopping $400 million on advertising in 2005 — and spending was up another 20 percent in the first nine months of 2006 on-year.

"Their numbers are directionally right," is all Ward will say about the reported figures. Insurance firms in general are "very, very active" ad spenders, he says. "All of the significant players are out there spending significant amounts of money, is the best way to say it."

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THE CRITICS

But, big bucks don't mean a coherent message, says branding expert Rob Frankel, author of "The Revenge of Brand X."

In his view, advertisers have forgotten how to use ads to craft a marketing strategy that builds a business and its brand.

"Sadly, the last two generations of advertising — specifically the creative people — have focused way more on entertainment and media than on the actual purpose of advertising, which is to communicate a compelling message quickly to prospects in the shortest period of time," he says.

It's a trend that started in the mid-1970s and has accelerated in our multimedia age, he adds.

Sure, the Geico ads are funny. But, funny "is not how people make their decisions," he says. Consumers should instead hear "some claim why Geico should be the only choice for you."

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THE FANS

Others disagree. Edward Estipona, president of the Estipona Group in Reno, Nev., says the ads do have a clear message. Like Frankel, Estipona has no connection to Geico.

While talking cavemen and the lot "may not have anything to do with insurance per se, I think the message of what they're saying is: That we are an easy alternative, that you can go on the Internet, that it's inexpensive, that it can get you cheaper insurance," Estipona says.

"With advertising nowadays, it's not like advertising from the '60s when you just told it how it was," he adds.

"Nowadays, you have to entertain. Many times in a 30 second spot, you spend 20 seconds of that TV spot on entertainment and you spend really 10 seconds of it getting your message out."

Geico's advertising firm, the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., says entertainment is indeed a type of strategy.

"Likeability in advertising is actually a real motivator for people to connect with a company," says Steve Bassett, a senior vice president and creative director at the agency.

And, the scattershot approach reaches out to as many people as possible with fresh approaches all the time, he adds.

"I think it would be a mistake to do the same joke, the same kinds of jokes over and over again," he says.

"I think they wear out quickly."

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Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.

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