Geico!

Whoever heard of a gekko making itself famous?

Well, certainly, Gekko did!

The Geico Gecko was born of a Screen Actors Guild strike that prevented the hiring of live actors. After an initial appearance in 1998, the mascot officially debuted during the beginning of the 1999 television season. Those early commercials pleaded with viewers to recognize the difference between the car insurance brand and, well, a gecko. In fact, the whole campaign was inspired by individuals commonly misspelling or mispronouncing “Geico.”

Back then, the Geico Gecko had a posh British accent and was voiced by Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer. As years passed, a more casual Cockney accent was adopted to color the little green mascot as friendlier and more approachable — the spokeslizard next door, if you will.

The Gecko has appeared in hundreds of commercials for the brand and even released a book,  You’re Only Human: A Guide to Life, in 2013.

Amazing!

Have a great week!