The GEICO Gecko Publishes a Book
GEICO Gecko’s First Book “You’re Only Human: A Guide to Life”
Richmond, Va., April 23, 2013 – Today, the GEICO Gecko, who has served as the company spokes-character for years, unveils his debut book: “You’re Only Human: A Guide to Life” (Workman; $11.95).
The 164-page paperback covers topics of interest to the Gecko, including tattoos, flossing, fedoras and haikus, to name a few.
“Workman approached our long-time advertising firm, The Martin Agency, about 18 months ago inquiring if the Gecko had ever thought about writing a book,” said Ted Ward, GEICO vice president of marketing. “Response to the Gecko has always been overwhelmingly positive, so we thought, ‘Why not?’ Clearly he has always had a lot of thoughts that we couldn’t squeeze into a 30-second commercial. That’s why this book idea seemed like a no-brainer.”
But writing all those pages didn’t come easy, which led to this insight– “If you get writer’s block, doodle. If you get doodler’s block, write.”
While it took teamwork, the Gecko gives special thanks to Steve Bassett, The Martin Agency creative director on the GEICO account.
"This book took me deep into the psyche of this beloved advertising icon,” said Bassett. “And it really made me think. Like when he asks, ‘Why don’t psychics ever win the lottery?’ You’ve got to admit, that’s a great question.”
