This spot affirms that GEICO insurance can cover homes, cars, motorcycles, even accordions. You’ve heard of dueling banjos. Well this charmingly offbeat commercial gives us dueling accordions, pitting a squeezebox-playing woman passenger in a car against a male who’s in the sidecar of a motorcycle, playing the instrument to his heart’s content. While the woman ends up victorious, everybody wins with GEICO coverage.
Aptly titled “Accordion,” this spot was directed by Ulf Johansson of Smith and Jones Films for The Martin Agency.
Credits
Client GEICO Agency The Martin Agency Danny Robinson, CEO; Jerry Hoak, chief creative officer; Ashley Marshall, executive creative director; Neel Williams, group creative director; Kim Nguyen, Kate Placentra, creative directors; David Gibson, associate creative director/copywriter; Jennifer Yi, associate creative director/art director; Melissa Wiseman, sr. studio artist; Judd Burnette, design director; Heather Collier, executive producer; Liza Miller, sr. content producer. Production Company Smith and Jones Ulf Johansson, director; Philippa Smith, exec producer; Mark Berg, producer; Andrzej Sekula, DP. Editorial Cut+Run Frank Effron, editor; Ramon de Souza, cutting assist; Brian Mulvey, sr. producer; Amburr Farls, managing partner. VFX Framestore Kamen Markov, VFX creative director; Karch Coon, Jonathan Jobin, VFX supervisors; Eric Rosenfeld, VFX shoot supervisor; Elaina Brilliantes, Noah Catan, Em Hackley, Christopher Halstead, compositing; Amanda Harris, Matt Dobrez, Flame finishing; Antara Ghosh, Nathan Zankich, design; Callum McKeveny, Benjamin Walant, Menelaos Peristeridis, DMP; John Dimare, FS VFX editor; Alexia Paterson, sr. producer; Madison Bullock, production coordinator. Telecine Company 3 Jean-Clement Soret, creative post lead; Matthieu Toullet, sr. colorist; Edwin Elkington, sr. producer. Music Tempest Original Music and Sound Ian Jeffreys, exec producer; Aaron Kotler, Mike MacAllister, executive creative directors; Michael Levey, accordion showdown. Sound Design & Mix Heard City Mike Vitacco, sound designer & mixer; Jackie James, exec producer.
Peter Thwaites of The Corner Shop directed this film for healthcare company Abbott that shows what it’s really like to live with diabetes--including the constant judgment, shame and guilt.
The film is the cornerstone of Abbott’s new global initiative called “Above The Bias” out of agency VML Chicago, which is driving awareness about the health impact common misconceptions and bias about diabetes can have on people living with the condition.
Thwaites said, “What initially drew me to this project was the chance to create a visual metaphor for the weight of other people’s opinions--something we all carry, whether we realize it or not. The suit we built to physically weigh down our actor became more than just a prop; it shaped his performance, making the emotional burden feel tangible. Tonally, I wanted to ensure the message felt earned without becoming overly sentimental, allowing the actor to start from a grounded place and gradually reveal the impact of that weight.”
Healthcare company Abbott--known for its medical technology, nutritional products and pharmaceuticals--surveyed more than 2,600 people living with diabetes across eight countries, including the U.S., to help inform the campaign and bring to life the realities of living with the condition. Research found that nearly 70% believe there is stigma associated with their condition; almost 25% have avoided sharing their diagnosis with family or friends out of embarrassment or concern; and 40% have skipped or missed a doctor’s appointment due to shame or stigma.
