actor Will Arnett Geico's new ads pair a celebrity with the gecko mascot for first time. By Adrianne Pasquarelli. Published on May 08, 2023. A new series of Geico spots include actor Will Arnett reluctantly teaming up with the brand's gecko mascot.

And his name is Will Arnett. The GEICO gecko has been featured in ads for more than 20 years. The long-running ads for the Chevy Chase insurance giant come from the creative minds of Richmond's The Martin Agency. Chevy Chase insurance giant GEICO has found a rival for its longtime gecko mascot.

Did the GEICO “caveman” – a popular character in the insurer's ad campaigns – go extinct? It turns out, the actor behind the caveman character is now an English professor at the University of Southern Indiana.

The idea for the Gecko grew from a creative session at GEICO's ad agency, the Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia. The name "GEICO" was often mispronounced "Gecko," and as the brainstorming began, a quick doodle of a gecko appeared.

About The Virtual Influencer The GEICO Gecko, the most uncommon of creatures, is uniquely adapted to help people save money on car insurance. The GEICO Gecko quickly became a force to be reckoned with in the advertising world and was voted America's favorite advertising icon in 2005.

Back in 1999, Geico debuted its brand new mascot: The Geico Gecko.

1936 – GEICO is established by Leo and Lillian Goodwin.

Jake Wood According to IMDB, Jake Wood, a British actor, is the current voice for the gecko - who is known to some as Martin, but that is questionable, at least according to a response from GEICO on the lizard's name.

1936 – GEICO is established by Leo and Lillian Goodwin. 1948 – Investment banker Lorimer Davidson joins the company and expands its pool of investors. 1951 – Columbia University business student Warren Buffett makes his first purchase of GEICO stock.

The idea for the Gecko grew from a creative session at GEICO's ad agency, the Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia. The name "GEICO" was often mispronounced "Gecko," and as the brainstorming began, a quick doodle of a gecko appeared.

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.