The Sue-Happy Gecko is Back!
Nice little post from AdJab today (courtesy of James at the InsureMe Affiliate Blog) about GEICO. Apparently the lizard-loving company's pants are in a bunch over a radio ad run by New York's Tri-State Consumer Insurance Company.
[...] the Tri-State Consumer Insurance Company, is running a sixty-second radio ad which features a gecko very similar to the Geico gecko telling listeners about great car rates. Unfortunately, before the gecko can really say anything, we hear the sound of a car running over him and another voiceover telling us that Tri-State has great rates without the superfluous cartoon characters.
Now GEICO has filed a suit against Tri-State, saying that the radio ad confuses consumers into thinking their gecko mascot is affiliated with Tri-State.
Man. GEICO must really think consumers are stupid. Not that we haven't heard the consumer confusion song and dance before.
Comments
I would have to agree that Geico really pushes the envelope in attempting to protect their mark. I know they have also been extremely zealous in prohibiting affiliates from merely bidding on the term Geico via Google. Courts have ruled that placing the mark in the advertisement does cause consumer confusion; however, the courts did not make a decision whether confusion arose by simply bidding on the term. I’m expecting that Geico will be dragging someone into court in the near future in an attempt to tie up loose ends. That Gecko could use a good spanking. This is causing way too much “jibber jabberâ€Â. Or, perhaps this is what Geico is really after.
Posted by: The Sage | May 4, 2006 03:18 PM