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GEICO: Commercial Auto & Business Insurance
THE ASK AT A GLANCE March 2026 – How we broke through to Small Business Owners to increase awareness & consideration of the GEICO Commercial Auto offering? A category that only celebrates the pains of…
GEICO: Commercial Auto & Business Insurance
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
March 2026 – How we broke through to Small Business Owners to increase awareness & consideration of the GEICO Commercial Auto offering?
A category that only celebrates the pains of being a small business owner.
No one speaks to what tradeowners’ work means to them.
What their craft feels like beyond stress and confusion.Where owners often fly under the radar without proper Insurance.
Because Insurance is an aspect of the business they dread dealing with,
which takes them away from the passion that got them into the trade.And right now, blue-collar work has shed its stigma and become something white-collar workers dream of.
The satisfaction comes from the tangible, hands-on results.But Insurance isn’t tangible. It’s a forced invisible requirement.
How do we demonstrate that working with GEICO has the same satisfying feeling as their trade’s hands-on results?Campaign Idea
Feels as Good as…
It just feels good to save on your commercial auto insurance.
How good? We’re glad you asked.In classic GEICO humor, the Gecko highlights how satisfying workplace wins feel.
CDs: Ken Marcus & Sean Riley
GCD: Justin Harris
ECD: Fabio CostaCreative Brief
Our Challenge
SBO’s Doubt the Insurance Category
The Category highlights the stress SBOs are under, but doesn’t create a true understanding of what their work means to them. SBOs trust GEICO, but they doubt the Category and often fly under the radar without proper coverage.
Small Business Truth
Satisfaction comes from their crafts’ tangible results
Skilled trades offer a different way of thinking about life and relating to the world. As a byproduct of AI backlash, the trades are becoming an increasingly Instagrammable profession, with influencers fueling a resurgence through sharing the “oddly satisfying” in action.GEICO’s Role
Working with GEICO has the same satisfying results.
Unlike their work, Insurance doesn’t have a clear, immediate result. Insurance isn’t tangible. You can’t see or touch it. But with GEICO, the payoff can feel just as satisfying as their craft. The perfect cut. The seamless fit. With 30 customizable coverage options, it’s easy for SBOs to get savings on the exact coverage they need at the right price, all in one place.It feels good to achieve that same satisfying feeling.
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GEICO: Commercial Trucking Launch 2025
THE ASK AT A GLANCE March 2025 – How did we launch a new Trucking line of business for GEICO in the Commercial category? Results: Trucking growth was so successful among owner-operators that new policy…
GEICO: Commercial Trucking Launch 2025
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
March 2025 – How did we launch a new Trucking line of business for GEICO in the Commercial category?
Results: Trucking growth was so successful among owner-operators that new policy intake must be slowed for the next two years.
CREATIVE BRIEF
Trucking Challenge
Currently, there is little trust in GEICO as a leading Trucking Insurance provider. We haven’t yet earned a reputation with our Commercial Trucking Insurance offering.Consumer Truth
Their insurance goes beyond protection; it opens doors to their livelihood.
The wrong insurance can cost them jobs. If they don’t have the shipper’s or freight broker’s preferred insurance, they won’t get the job. This puts limits on a career that embraces the nomadic spirit.Messaging Audiences:
Concrete Cowboys: These long haulers live life on the road, independently hauling across long distances and proud of their self-sufficiency. But they are an insular community that is mostly unrecognized for their contributions to our everyday lives.Local Haulers: These are local truckers (100-150m range) who haul various cargo (from lumber to gravel for new roads to coal for industry) or even box truckers delivering local goods. They feel they’ve gamed trucking but are not recognized as real truckers by the community.
Strategy
GEICO means serious business.
We need to show GEICO is serious and committed to our Trucking offering to build a reputation. The easiest insurance option for truckers to confidently take the reins of their business.Creative Concept
Legendary Truckers
Truckers are the backbone of this country. At GEICO, we support these everyday working legends with everything they need to take control of their business and their bottom line. So let’s celebrate these hardworking men and women like the true legends they are.
Hero Spots (Full 360 Campaign)
Truck Stop
NanaCDs: Ken Marcus & Sean Riley
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GEICO: The Gecko Rides with You
THE ASK AT A GLANCE March 2026 – How we elevated our distinctiveness and grew emotional resonance among Motorcyclists who live the lifestyle (Cycle Cultural Fiends)? Or the Gecko gets his first motorcycle. CREATIVE BRIEF…
GEICO: The Gecko Rides with You
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
March 2026 – How we elevated our distinctiveness and grew emotional resonance among Motorcyclists who live the lifestyle (Cycle Cultural Fiends)?
Or the Gecko gets his first motorcycle.
CREATIVE BRIEF
Our Challenge
Become the first-choice insurer for Cycle Culture Fiends.
Progressive leads the pack, outspending GEICO and touting its claim of being the #1 motorcycle insurer. While they just talk at the community, there’s an opportunity for GEICO to show we’re a meaningful part of it.Consumer Truth
While it’s a classic symbol of independence, motorcycling fosters meaningful bonds among riders.
The ride for Culture Fiends is their way to connect with others. For them, riding isn’t just a way to get around; it’s their social world, their heritage, their personality, and what they hold dear.“The motorcycle community is my family and riding is my passion. I always ride in charity rides and runs because it’s who I am.”
“Almost as important as the ride is the place where we get lunch and talk about the ride, everyone shares what they saw and how it was.”
– GEICO Focus Groups, Cultural FiendsGEICO’s Role
Go Beyond the Bike, and Celebrate the Ride.
While others celebrate the feel of their bikes and the unique styles of their hogs, we focus on the stories these motorcyclists define themselves by. With licensed motorcycle specialists who speak the language of riders and 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service, we keep Culture Fiends on the road: so they can chase more miles, make more memories, and share more stories with their community.Creative Idea
The Gecko Rides with You
There’s something special about hitting the open road with others who share the same love for two wheels. Where the stories you share give meaning to the rides. And when you’ve got GEICO, you’ve always got someone riding by your side.
The Gecko gets his first motorcycle (and wears biker leather).
Giving the Gecko his own bike lets him share real rider stories and credibility: he’s out there, making the same on-the-road decisions. Without his own motorcycle, he keeps himself in observer mode, not rider mode. It starts to feel like he’s not truly one of them if he’s just a passenger. This puts him truly out there by your side, feeling and experiencing the same things the motorcyclists do.
Creatives: Eli Reece & Ben Cochran
CDs: Dustin Dodd & Graham Unterberger
ECD: Fabio CostaShare this: Tweet -
Nike: Swoosh 1
THE ASK AT A GLANCE November 2023 – How we launched Nike’s first baby shoe at Footlocker. CLIENT CHALLENGE We need a campaign and activation to launch the Swoosh 1 at Footlocker. Nike is a…
Nike: Swoosh 1
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
November 2023 – How we launched Nike’s first baby shoe at Footlocker.
CLIENT CHALLENGE
We need a campaign and activation to launch the Swoosh 1 at Footlocker. Nike is a leader in style but lags in infant footwear innovation. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve innovated for early walkers. ‘Empowering Adults’ turn to Nike for style, but not as a trusted source for products honed to early walkers and information on child foot development.CREATIVE BRIEF
AUDIENCE CHALLENGE
When people think of Nike Baby Shoes, they think of a miniaturized version of their Nike. The Footlocker crowd decks out the same Nike for everyone in the family.“People come in, and they want matching shoes for their kids. They’ll have one for their whole family… All rocking the same kicks. It’s why we’re sold out of the Air Force Ones. They’re on back order.” – Kids Foot Locker Employee (Ekin)
An audience that has sought out style over function.
INSIGHT
Littles (Babies/toddlers) will only wear these shoes for a very limited time (a new shoe every 2-4 months), the shortest time of any Nike shoe they’ll ever wear. However, that limited time is critical for developing gait, posture, and balance.THE WAY IN
The first shoe made for ‘The Limited Time.’
Showcase the minimal shoe use time as the benefit. Starting a lifetime of movement. This is the first Nike shoe specifically designed for only the baby’s first few months of walking, and it is the first Nike to receive the AMPA seal.CAMPAIGN CONCEPT
It Starts With 1.
Introducing the Nike Swoosh 1, designed for first steps and beyond.The Disruption
THE ONES
The Most Exclusive Shoe. Only for certain people.
Tease the launch of Swoosh 1 by claiming it’s the only Nike shoe that can only be worn for a few months and by a specific type of people.The Reality
The Nike Swoosh 1 helps little kids, and their little feet move beyond baby steps and into a lifetime love of movement and possibilities. It starts with 1.THE ACTIVATION
Truth: When babies learn to walk, one thing is sure: They’re also learning to fall. On average, they fall 17 times an hour. That’s more than professional athletes.A store built only for THE ONES.
A store that showcases everything that goes into the Swoosh 1. A store designed only for littles where they can move beyond the fall.
- Category : Activation, Campaign, Strategy
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GEICO: All About You
THE ASK AT A GLANCE February 2026 – How we shifted perception of GEICO with the campaign All About You? Creative Brief Our Challenge While the category optimizes for price, families judge value by how…
GEICO: All About You
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
February 2026 – How we shifted perception of GEICO with the campaign All About You?
Creative Brief
Our Challenge
While the category optimizes for price, families judge value by how quickly and confidently life gets back to normal. And that gives us a space to uniquely own.
Consumer Truth
When something disrupts their lives, people wish insurance would simply handle it. Instead, it turns into another drawn out process they have to manage.“You feel like you’re just one of the 1000s of people on the insurance plan.” – Daniella
“Do not tell me two days and then it turns into two weeks.” – Daisy
“When you get transferred, it feels like nobody owns the problem.” -David
“You just want one person to handle it, not five departments.” – Kim
“Those things are long and drawn out… it’s already truly stressful… time consuming.” -DeborahGEICO’s Role
Use GEICO’s service strength to reset expectations from basic cheap car insurance, showing we can take care of complex insurance moments and reduce disruption for families when it counts.Creative Idea
All About You
Life has a way of becoming all-consuming. Whether it’s a small claim, a breakdown, a rate hike or something small like a fender scratch, you end up waiting, haggling, holding, budgeting and battling, and suddenly this minor insurance matter takes over your whole life.
GEICO stops that spiral with fast claims, superior care, and real human support that puts you first, so it stays all about you, not what went wrong.
ACDs: Blair Seward & Elizabeth Daniels
CDs: Ryan Rabb & Allie Nordstrom
ECD: Fabio CostaShare this: Tweet -
GEICO: Star Treatment
THE ASK AT A GLANCE October 2025 – How we leveraged celebrity talent to express our new brand platform “It Feels Good to GEICO” for the NFL season? How GEICO Leverages Celebrities (Codifying the classic…
GEICO: Star Treatment
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
October 2025 – How we leveraged celebrity talent to express our new brand platform “It Feels Good to GEICO” for the NFL season?
How GEICO Leverages Celebrities (Codifying the classic GEICO playbook)
1. Beyond Star Power: GEICO has typically used celebrities as humorous, unexpected cameos rather than as the face of the brand, never hinging campaigns on one person’s star power alone. They are folks with unique personalities and can drive cultural relevance or cache, when given the spotlight.
2. Out of the Shadow: Our past celebrity choices have skewed toward recognizable but not overly polished personalities huge in current pop culture—figures who can play off GEICO characters or drop into comedic setups without overshadowing the brand itself.
3. Brand Over Endorsement: GEICO doesn’t rely on celebrity endorsement credibility; instead, the humor and relatability stick, keeping the brand message central.
Examples:
Little Richard: A foundational pioneer of rock and roll famous for his flamboyant, high-energy performances and unique sound but used decades after his heyday.
DJ Khaled: Famous for being a hype man, executive producer, and label head known for his signature brand of positivity, self-belief, and celebration of success
Dikembe Mutombo: NBA Hall of Fame defensive superstar, famous for his shot-blocking prowess, iconic finger-wag celebration
Tag Team: American hip-hop duo known almost solely for their 1993 single “Whoomp! (There It Is)”Creative Brief:
Prove “It Feels Good to GEICO”
A new twist on our successful advertising property “Testimonials.” We will use lauded professional athletes (or notable personalities) combined with regular people to demonstrate that whoever you are, GEICO treats you like a star. In this twist, the regular people translate for the celebrities.Insight
Whoever you are, you need and want to feel like you are getting special treatment.Creative Idea:
Star Treatment
Fame comes with perks. But when it comes to insurance – stars, athletes, and everyday people all want the same thing: a company that puts them first. Like GEICO does. Whether you’re a lauded professional athlete or just a person who needs insurance, GEICO treats you like you’re a star.
CDs: Dustin Dodd & Graham Unterberger
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GEICO: It Feels Good to GEICO
THE ASK AT A GLANCE November 2025 – Create a New Brand Platform: How we reasserted what has always made GEICO different, challenged the industry that’s gone transactional, and made people fall in love with…
GEICO: It Feels Good to GEICO
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
November 2025 – Create a New Brand Platform: How we reasserted what has always made GEICO different, challenged the industry that’s gone transactional, and made people fall in love with GEICO all over again?
Brand Strategy
GEICO is a victim of its own success. The Gecko and “15 minutes can save you 15%” forever changed the category.GEICO Perception Challenge
People believe GEICO is a starter insurance, only good for cheap car insurance with funny commercials. How do we make them feel more than that?The category has run away with our playbook, but people aren’t sticking around with any brand. It has become a widespread annual habit to search for a cheaper policy.
50% increase in the cost of car insurance since 2021.
8/10 American drivers say insurance prices are unaffordable.
57% of customers are shopping around for a new insurance plan.The Truth is people feel a lot of feels about insurance. And it’s rarely good.
Feel alone. “Insurance never feels like they’re fighting for me. It feels like I have to fight them.”-Gabby
Feel unloved. “I’ve been with mine for years and they’ve never offered me anything.” -Catherine
Feel cold. “You’re calling scared and they’re reading from a screen—it’s cold.” -Brandi
Feel rushed. “They always rush through the claim but never explain what’s actually happening.” -Tyler
Feel forgotten. “Every time I call, it’s like starting over. They don’t remember me or my claim, and it’s exhausting.” -MateoWe need to challenge the transactional nature of the category by showing people what it feels like to be a GEICO customer.
Revisiting our history:
GEICO was founded with a simple but radical idea: Put people first.
While others kept business hours, GEICO led the way with 24/7 service. In the 1980s, GEICO introduced a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year telephone service for claims, sales and service. This people-first model remains today, though adapted for a more digital world and experience.
While others treated digital as an afterthought, GEICO put policies in people’s hands. Fifteen years after launching its first website, GEICO became the first insurance company to provide the ability to not only get a quote online but buy a policy right from your iPhone or Android mobile device.
While others sold fear, GEICO famously humanized the category in advertising. From a talking gecko to cultural humor and real-life stories, GEICO made insurance approachable, entertaining, and emotionally resonant—redefining what it means to connect with consumers.
Imagine what would happen if we gave people reasons to feel something good from their insurance company?
Brand Platform
It Feels Good to GEICO
ECD: Fabio Costa
Group Strategy Director: Andrew Augeri
Strategy Director: Sean Boutchard
Strategist: Andre Harrell
Strategist: Charlotte BryantShare this: Tweet -
Chime: The Million Dollar Bet
THE ASK AT A GLANCE March 2024 – How we saved the spirit of generosity: Chime needed a social activation they could use to spread understanding of their new brand purpose. CHIME’S PURPOSE Unite Everyday…
Chime: The Million Dollar Bet
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
March 2024 – How we saved the spirit of generosity: Chime needed a social activation they could use to spread understanding of their new brand purpose.
CHIME’S PURPOSE
Unite Everyday People to Unlock Their Financial Progress.Results
Over 115 million views and 375 million total impressions (and counting), surpassing all over Chime activations to date, and most importantly, ten lives were changed forever.
CREATIVE BRIEF
CULTURAL TRUTH
Generosity is on the decline.After two record-setting years (2020-2021) for charitable giving, last year (2022) it declined by 10% and is on track to continue declining in 2023. Total charitable giving has fallen only three other times in the last 40 years: in 1987 and back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.
Our Challenge: Can we save the spirit of generosity?
How has generosity shown up in Culture?
Pay-it-Forward Drive Thru Chains: In 2022, they were all about love and sharing what we have to give in hard times.In 2023, they were, at best, a joke (“I think you should leave with Tim Robinson,” Netflix), at worst, a scam to be caught in (Customer scared over $60 order), and those who break these chains are celebrated anti-heroes.
Even the cashiers plead with people not to start them.
INSIGHT
I want to be generous, but I fear being taken advantage of in the process.
People have less, so they’re concerned about themselves, and that’s understandable. They give when they believe they can control the outcome.(The anti-hero who broke the Starbucks chain still tipped the cashier generously).
WAY IN
We still believe that Human Nature is more generous than you think.
Can we save the spirit of generosity, not just by giving away money? Can we go further to inspire ‘community generosity’ to unlock progress?ACTIVATION CONCEPT
The Million Dollar Bet
Chime will empower everyday people to experience how progress feels like through a unique experiment.The Bet: Will everyone choose to be generous and pass progress forward? Or will one person say no?
(The secret: $1 million for the group is on the line.)
Roughly 65% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. But Chime believes that won’t stop them from helping others.
- Category : Activation, Strategy
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Brand Book for Level Lock including Audience Research, Positioning, Product Messaging, Personas with Media Sizing and more.
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
April 2023— Create a complete Brand Strategy for Level Locks.
Brand Book includes:
[Click the slideshow for fullscreen size]
4C’s Positioning
Communications Framework
Brand Purpose (Reversing Simon Sinek)
Messaging Philosophy
Brand Archetype
Personas (Segmentation)
Product ArchitectureResearch Involved:
- Focus Groups with Three Segments (Smart Lock Owners, Deadbolt Owners, Keypad Owners)
- Quantitative Study: Survey to validate positioning, including MaxDiff on Product Benefits
- Audience Media Sizing
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Cutwater
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
August 2022 – We need a full-year creative platform that educates consumers about bar-quality canned cocktails, while giving them clear reasons to believe in Cutwater as the superior canned cocktail brand.
CLIENT CHALLENGE
Only 1 in 10 people know you can get a quality cocktail in a can. As the category leader, we must educate consumers that canned cocktails exist while reinforcing our brand superiority.CREATIVE BRIEF
REAL PROBLEM
There is confusion between hard seltzers and canned cocktails. While the hard seltzer craze slows, it still casts a shadow on canned cocktails. How do we stand out from hard seltzers in the ready-to-drink category?
Sales of hard seltzer declined 5.5% in the last year. White Claw, which remains the top-selling seltzer brand, has experienced a sales decline of 7% this past year. But the market is now saturated with more than 300 hard seltzer brands on shelves.
PRODUCT TRUTH
WE SELL ‘A BARTENDER IN A CAN’
Cutwater Spirits currently has 28 types of canned cocktails available, which is by far the largest selection of canned cocktails on the market. We have canned bartender knowledge. Like a magician giving away the secrets of the trade, Cutwater gives the convenience of bar-quality cocktails with no work involved.THE WAY IN
Now, the world is your bar.
CREATIVE CONCEPT
OPEN THE BAR
CREATIVE
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T-Mobile: Hometown Heroes
The Ask at a Glance November 2020 – Come up with a T-Mobile Uncarrier Move and a Campaign Wrapper that turns heads and resets how people in Small-Town Rural (STR) communities see us. [We want…
T-Mobile: Hometown Heroes
The Ask at a Glance
November 2020 – Come up with a T-Mobile Uncarrier Move and a Campaign Wrapper that turns heads and resets how people in Small-Town Rural (STR) communities see us. [We want to show them they can have it all.]
Challenge:
We’re not considered in Small-Town Rural communities. Our Ambition is to become THE mobile carrier in Small-Town Rural America. We need to become part of their communities and earn their love & loyalty.BRAND TRUTH: People thrive when we’re all connected.
T-Mobile’s mission and our ambition.BUSINESS (UGLY) TRUTH: Here has never meant here.
We are an urban brand, not from around here. T-Mobile is not seen as a viable option. They are aware but have tuned us out.
Un-carrier Move needs to feel like something they haven’t seen before from us.The Myth
The mythic start-up culture of Silicon Valley is NOT where the most entrepreneurial spirit lives.
The more rural the county, the higher its level of entrepreneurship.Rural entrepreneurship rates are higher than in urban areas, even if we remove farms.
AUDIENCE TRUTH: They are Proud of their adaptations.
They are proud of their work-arounds and ingenuity. This work ethic & resilience is baked into their personal identity and generational roots. This translates into every aspect of their life. They made it work.Strategy
Make Their Adaptive Spirit Thrive.Result:
This consultancy work led to the creation of the “Hometown Grant,” “Hometown Heroes,” and “Hometown Experts” initiatives from T-Mobile.
[Please contact sean@boutchard.com for the Consumer Tension/T-Mobile Solutions and Campaign Wrapper.]
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Amazon Blink
THE ASK AT A GLANCE March 2022 – We need to create Summer-focused digital campaign supporting a month-long promotion for both customers and prospects. The promotion itself is a standard discount on Blink products, ranging…
Amazon Blink
THE ASK AT A GLANCE
March 2022 – We need to create Summer-focused digital campaign supporting a month-long promotion for both customers and prospects. The promotion itself is a standard discount on Blink products, ranging from ~30-39% off depending on the market and the product.
Communication objective: Blink is having a great deal on their already affordable smart security devices that I should take advantage of now so I can best protect my home, loved ones, and pets no matter where I am or what I’m up to.
BLINK BENEFIT
Peace of mind at an affordable price.
For the price of one pro video doorbell from competitors, customers can get five blink devices to cover their whole homes.CREATIVE BRIEF
CHALLENGE:
We need a creative approach to break through customer fatigue while still highlighting the promotion.
This promotion alone won’t spur people to buy. The length of this promotion, along with the parity of an offline 3P party promo, is going to cause customer fatigue. The discount itself won’t have a WOW factor.THE AUDIENCE
Our homes have become our fortresses of safety, but with spring approaching, a new season of travel begins.
Travel is back after a false start. Unlike earlier in the crisis, when we thought it would end with a celebratory boom, the reality was more uncertain and filled with fits and starts. Many say that’s given them a sense of urgency to lock in travel during this window of relative (COVID) calm before it possibly disappears again.But these homeowners have spent the last few years making their homes their sanctuaries. The Home Improvement market size has exploded from 2020-2022.
THE INSIGHT
People want to make up for years of canceled plans, but years of being cautious have lasting effects.
People are making up for lost time and experiences, but the world is still scary. Just as we had time to plan more elaborate vacations, we’re also considering the supplies we might have previously passed over – hand sanitizer and face masks. Years of being cautious have changed our behavior and given us more time to consider precautions to secure peace of mind.THE WAY IN
Keep home safe while you go on absurd adventures.
This summer, spend on adventures, not peace of mind.’ Blink gives you the peace of mind of whole-home coverage without breaking your travel plans budget. Wherever adventure takes you, Blink is here to help protect your home, from cliff diving adventure travel to camping in the backyard. People are dreaming of wild adventures, but worry about home sanctuaries they’ve invested in.CREATIVE
Do-Nut Fear, Blink Video Doorbell is Here
Life is but a Breeze with Blink Outdoor
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