Commercial

Here we have another excellent commercial from Geico. As with the other “testimonial” commercials, the scene is one long shot of a “real person” and a celebrity. The real person and the celebrity, Steve O’Dell and Joan Rivers, respectively are sitting in front of what the viewer is lead to assume is Steve’s garage in a pair of run of the mill lawn chairs. It’s a little messy and one can see a grill and a bike, complete with training wheels. Steve is dressed in a grey t-shirt and jeans and what might be a class ring. Joan Rivers, on the other hand, is dressed glamorously and well made-up. Steve tells the story of his father’s hijacking at knifepoint and how impressed he was with Geico’s sensitive handling of the situation. Joan Rivers adds commentary aping herself and the criticisms of her numerous plastic surgeries. The only sounds in the commercial are the voiceover that starts begins and ends the segment, Steve’s narrative, Joan’s commentary and outdoor ambient noises like birds and wind. One of the most interesting parts of this commercial is that Steve O’Dell is probably telling the true story of his father’s carjacking and how he switched to Geico and saved more than 600 dollars. However, what the view is most taken with is Joan Rivers and her particular brand of comedy and Steve’s story falls to the wayside. The commercial is finished with the slogan, “Geico: real service, real savings”. What I think is particularly appropriate about Joan Rivers taking part in this commercial is that the viewer contrasts Steve, who looks like anybody’s father, and Joan, who is quite possibly one of the least “real” people around, thanks to all the plastic surgery she’s had. She’s well dressed, talking about Benihana, nicely juxtaposed with Steve and his garage while he looks like he’s going to mow the lawn before grilling some hamburgers for dinner for the family.