Memorable
Effective
Style
Heart or Humor
Execution
In this post, we look at the ad “Running of the Bulldogs” by GEICO. We’ll review this piece of video advertising and give it a rating out of 10 for memorability, effectiveness, style, humor, and execution. Check out our scores to see what we make of this insurance company’s latest attempt at social video marketing. The advert was created by the advertising agency The Martin Agency Inc.
Memorability – 7 / 10
The ad is part of a campaign targeting the online video sharing space. It’s one of a number of videos planned by GEICO to fill their social video channel. There are parts of the clip that is funny enough to linger in the minds of young adults and the dogs go some distance in appealing to young mothers. It is impossible to remember a brand if you don’t know what it stands for. Very little content in the ad tells viewers what GEICO actually does which makes it easy for viewers to disengage right away.
Effectiveness – 7 / 10
People who have never heard of GEICO will not understand the message very clearly, The ad features no explanation of what the brand supplies and this cripples it’s effectiveness as an awareness piece. The objective of this video is evidently to be a call to action provoking people to visit the subscriptions page and watch more content. The “random vids” line mentioned at the end of the clip is a clear indication that for the producers, views and engagement are the big picture here. To this end, the ad seems to have succeeded in providing content that is funny enough to make you curious to see more.
Style – 7 / 10
Interesting scenes from the beginning combine with humor that is easy to understand giving the clip an attractive pull. Great sound effects and a convincing performance from the lead character are a big plus. The scenes are cut fast to keep the viewer’s attention and the use of slow motion to add to the humor is complemented by strong videography throughout. The ad is attractive to watch over and over.
Heart or Humor – 8 / 10
Filled with comedic “gags” which will hit the targeted adult segments well. It’s principle design is to be seen repeatedly, and a good level of attention has been applied to ensuring the key features of the clips are re-watchable. Bulldogs and Spanish traditions have nothing to do with care insurance, but the point of this video is to be effective at gaining views more than relating to any particular part of the brands services. The humor seems strong enough to gain shares from a wide audience.
Execution – 7 / 10
Good production value in the setting, the videography, and the script show that this video was built with a larger than average budget. The message might not be as clear as it could be, but the key objectives of the campaign have been met with focus. Good humor and a likable leading character plays huge roles in making the ad suitable for repeat viewing. Could the word “auto” or “car” be mentioned at least once in the script somewhere? Perhaps. Will a lot of people feel tempted to click through the GEICO video channel? Yes, we think so, and that’s the name of the game here.
