Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle

Admittedly, I've been waiting to use that phrase for some time now. But Coolzor gave me a great excuse today by pointing out the rising popularity of cavemen in advertisements. He points us to the Homo Wranglerius in the Wrangler print campaign for Basic Cut jeans. The implied message, I assume, being that these jeans are a less refined counterpart to Wrangler's other denim styles. Predecessors as it were. Interesting. But is this the best use of our prehistoric friends?

Geico, on the other hand, drives it home with the "so easy a caveman could do it" campaign. The initial spot came out of left field, and they did an excellent job of building on the story with the "airport" spot. These commercials seem to get funnier as they age ("I'll have the roast duck with the mango salsa"). They've chosen great stories, comical situations and clever visual contrasts to build a great storyline. The topper came today when I discovered the latest spot done up Fox News style. A must see.

I love the simplicity and tone of the Geico campaign. It's a bit self-mocking, and they've all but eliminated the suggestive gecko from the scene (much to my relief). They drive the point home, are memorable and build the brand effectively. Exactly what a good campaign is intended to do. It has even inspired spoofs. Always a good indicator of success. Now that's putting the cavemen to good use.