At first when I read about how the Geico Gecko had been included into popular YouTube vids I thought: "That's kinda interesting".
But then when I looked at the actual clips I realized they've just tried to capitalize on existing internet talent. Not a bad idea, but when the talent and clips are old (read outdated) how is that relevant?
Remember the Numa Numa Guy... barely (nearly 3 years old by now). Same with Noah who took a picture of himself every day for 6 years.
I applaud them for using the iconic Gecko in a subtle way and not trying to 'own' or change the entertainment value of the clips. But seriously, why not look at the up and coming videos and talent on YouTube and integrate with the 'next big thing'?
Probably because there's no sure why of knowing what's going to be the next big thing? Although there are ways that will help you track how quickly certain clips are gaining popularity - YouTube's "Rising Videos' is one way.
So the agency decided to rather go with clips/talent that had existing credibility. Not bad, but could've been better if the objective is to try to insert themselves into pop culture.
Kudos to the client for not trying to overtly brand or place sales messaging on the clips.
Here are some of the clips, in case you haven't seen them:
