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Princess and the Frog for Geico
 November 11, 2009 7:00 am
…because I always think of car insurance when I’m watching a Disney feature. (Thanks, Jon Reeves) 37 comments posted in Advertising, Disney 
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I’m not gonna bash this, because Disney wants as many folks to see this film as possible. All things considered, It’s all good.
That. Is. The. Weirdest. Movie Tie-in.Commercial. I. Have. Ever. Seen.
What next? The farting firefly in a Beano commercial?
this was a horrible idea
Sounds like they don’t cover frog-transformation related accidents.
I guess you don’t recall when the pink-haired Esurance girl promoted the new Star Trek movie by wearing a science officer’s blues and flashed the Vulcan salute.
Kind of a smart idea to have the frog on the computer. It would have been terrible if they had animated him standing with the gecko. I thought it was funny cause he’s a flat 2d character, what better way to present him, but on a flat screen.
No one can say this film was under marketed. If it doesn’t do well in theaters, Disney will surely be left scratching their heads. “We even did Geico commercials!”
How long until Geico starts using mind invasion advertising? They’ve done practically everything else.
Taste aside – I actually think its pretty smart … tieing in with one of the cutest, funniest and iconic characters on television right now in an attempt to generate some good will for the upcoming feature.
What’s with the hate for this commercial? Logic does not even COUNT in marketing ideas.
Wow! Does the connection between these two things seem just a little forced to anyone? Disney has lent their characters to just about every product imaginable but this might be one of the weirdest ones yet. I still laugh when I see the Winnie the Pooh frozen ravioli at Target.
I’m actually surprised the Geico gecko hasn’t had his own series like Ernest or Cavemen. Then again I guess Cavemen is the reason why the Geico gecko doesn’t have his own show.
Jeffrey: Don’t laugh. They’re full of honey, acorns and thistles.
I had think for a moment before I realized the commercial’s point: It’s parents that have the money to bring the kids to see the movie. So it may make sence to make a commercial that would appeal to parents. Like how Mrs. Incredible did some commercials for detergent. But still, I don’t know if cars are important or not in “The Princess and the Frog”. Maybe Lightning McQueen should be doing this commercial?
I think the contrast in animation styles is hilarious. The frog looks sooooo over animated next to the gecko. Or the gecko looks under animated depending on your taste.
Is that CG lizard watching a pirate copy of the Princess and the Frog?
You know, just because it really sticks out to have a gecko with a thick accent doesn’t mean it’s not annoying as hell. The dreams I have of taxidermying that gecko….
So you’re all shocked that a movie is being promoted with a product tie-in. I think that one works well enough.
Disney gave up fast-food tie-ins a few years ago. This is a step up. The product is neither fattening, nor unhealthy nor worthless.
I wonder what the financial arrangement is for something like this? Who pays who for this convergence of brands? And how do they judge its success?
So now even ads have ads in them? Where did everything go so wrong?
I honestly can’t stand Geico commercials. they’re just too odd for my taste. They’ve come up with some lame brained ideas over the years, but this takes the cake. No thank you!
Princess and Frog will be marginally successful. Nothing stellar. And even if by some miracle it does gross 200 million or more it will still be called a flop”
We can’t win.
And if anyone is interested, i made a Flash cartoon that slams Geico.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp-7ydGLCak
Thats cute !!
Oh look, they’re promoting the movie in any way imaginable. To adults who have money and may even have kids. Kids they can take to the movies. What could they be thinking!?
The subtext of the Geico commercials is that their human employees are either clueless or jerks. The lizard saves their bacon every time in no little part because he’s sole keeper (and chief fan reptile) of their smarmy corporate heritage.
I like this. Actually, I used to love it when the new Disney characters appeared elsewhere. It made it look like they had lives outside of their “home.” Impressionable, weren’t we.
The frog animation looks great. I’m still looking forward to this movie.
It could’ve been funnier. Maybe instead of having the frog, they could’ve used the alligator instead, or the firefly. They would’ve been better choices for comedy and interaction in my opinion.
I hope this doesn’t become anything like the overwhelming marketing for Bee Movie, maybe it’s just my own impression but I felt that movie was so over-marketed I didn’t even want to see it!
I think this is a smart tie in. Parents usually need car insurance, so here’s a way for Disney to market durning more adult-geared programming.
You know, it’s really tiring reading comment after comment on all these posts, when the overwhelming tone is cynical, hostile, and reactionary. I mean, really. Do we have to be contrarian about EVERYTHING? Look, I’m as woefully unhappy about the state of things these days as anyone here, but dammit, I feel like a lot of people here just look for reasons to bash something. Any reason will fly, no matter how trivial.
Come on. Lighten the hell up!
‘The lizard saves their bacon every time in no little part because he’s sole keeper (and chief fan reptile) of their smarmy corporate heritage.’
Which is why i despise the advertising industry in general, and Geico in particular.
Just looks like good business to me.
Advertising can be a little insidious, granted, but it certainly keeps a lot animation people employed.
That aside, I think the animation of the Gecko in these commercials is consistently great. It’s well observed, acted, and restrained. Some of the best character animation on US TV at least!
Obviously the Gecko was the closest thing they could get to a frog so they ran with it. I’ll bet they considered the Budweiser frogs and then thought “Gosh, maybe we shouldn’t put beer and Disney together?”. So all things considered, it could be MUCH worse.
I giggled. That’s as far as I went.
It’s not a bad idea, as Geico’s running gag is being the solution to all sorts of unrelated problems, but it could have been more clever.
As someone who grew up with the obnoxious and nightmarish costumed “McDonald Land” commercials, the gecko is pretty unoffending.
I will give ten dollars, American money, cash, to anyone who sics a pit bull on that friggin’ gecko.
I would’ve liked it if it didn’t feel so forced and put together at the last minute.