The Gecko's current appearance. The GEICO Gecko, real name Martin, is the primary mascot of GEICO and its commercials. He is an animated gecko with a Cockney accent, and has been voiced by various voice actors over the years.

After purchasing a majority of GEICO's shares in 1996, Berkshire Hathaway began a huge national advertising campaign for GEICO - which actually stands for Government Employees Insurance Company. The acronym was often mispronounced as "gecko" so marketing rode that wave and in 2000, the gecko character was born.

As of 2007, Jake Wood, an English actor and comedian was the voice of the GEICO gecko. In current commercials the gecko's accent is more working-class Cockney (a typical London accent), perhaps in an effort to further "humanize" him.

The Gecko was thought up because Geico was often pronounced as gecko. The icon of advertising started selling insurance in 1999 and was inducted to the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame six years later, in 2005. Since then, he has become one of the most well-known advertising icons because of his relatability.

The GEICO Gecko® made its first appearance during the 2000 television season and quickly became an advertising icon.

Back in 1999, Geico debuted its brand new mascot: The Geico Gecko. But not for the reasons you may think. That year, a Screen Actors Guild strike prevented advertisers from using live actors. That was a big problem for Geico as the insurance company was about to roll out a big new television campaign.

I mean lizard, GEICO's iconic mascot topped the rankings in terms of fame and lovability, which isn't surprising since the British Cockney-accented gecko started it all. Introduced in 1999, the mascot has since become the most recognizable aspect of many of the insurer's commercials.

Living with his immigrated Hispanic mother and spending his life in Los Angeles, Gekko is fluent in both English and Spanish, seamlessly alternating between the two languages during conversations with his mother and Reyna, as seen in his reveal trailer.

David Hulin (born 1975) is a British born Animation Director and VFX Director based in New York, best known for creating iconic animated characters such as the GEICO Gecko, Post Office Ants (UK), Nigel the Xyzal Owl, The Lactaid Cow, as well as creatively leading many other iconic campaigns for Fedex, GE, Pepsi, M&Ms, ...

noun,plural geck·os, geck·oes. any of numerous small, mostly nocturnal tropical lizards of the family Gekkonidae, usually having toe pads that can cling to smooth surfaces: the largest species, Gekko gecko, is sometimes kept as a pet.

Specifically, GEICO targets males and females ages 24-64, and appeals to customers with humor and wit. GEICO's method of conducting business- through direct sales over the phone and via their Web site- is a key distinction in the auto insurance industry.

Remember the commercial that pitted the Chihuahua against the Gecko in a spokesanimal audition? The GEICO Gecko's real name is Martin, named after the advertising agency that created him. This character is so beloved that GEICO is working hard to protect his good name.