WASHINGTON, D.C., February 21, 2012 – What do a lot of federal employees and the GEICO Gecko have in common? They have a great sense of humor and good comedic timing. This year GEICO is proving that point by sponsoring D.C.’s Funniest Fed® competition, a standup comedy contest for federal employees in the D.C. area.
Auditions for the competition will take place March 4 and March 11 at the Riot Act Comedy Club in D.C. Elimination rounds will begin May 2 and continue through June at the Virginia State Theatre, with the finals taking place on June 22 at the Lincoln Theatre in D.C. The two winners (one experienced and one novice) will receive $500 prizes and the title of D.C.’s Funniest Feds. For complete rules and to apply to audition, go to the Funniest Fed website.
The GEICO Gecko may have been a source of inspiration for this latest GEICO sponsorship. "As much as I like saving people money on insurance, I also like having a laugh," the Gecko said. "If I were a federal employee, I might even have a go at doing some standup myself. It’s a jolly good idea, mates."
"We think it is time for people to pause for a moment and have a good laugh," said Deedre Daniel, GEICO’s director of federal and partnership marketing. "Considering GEICO’s long history with federal employees and our company’s reputation for having a good sense of humor, we love this partnership."
Funniest Fed®, which debuted in 2007, is the brainchild of Naomi Johnson, a federal employee of 10 years who also performs standup comedy.
"I got the idea after I kept running into federal employees who either had experience doing standup or had always wanted to do it," Johnson said. "There are some really funny feds out there, and this competition is their chance to get in front of a crowd and show that they can freeze our pay, but they can’t freeze our sense of humor."
All federal employees and active or retired military personnel are eligible to compete. Prior experience in standup is not necessary, as participants will be able to compete either as "experienced" or "novice" entrants, depending on whether they have more or less than three years of standup experience.
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 11 million private passenger customers and insures more than 18 million vehicles (auto & cycle).
GEICO's online service center helps policyholders take care of policy sales, policy changes, claims reporting and to print insurance ID cards.
GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for boats, life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.
For more information, go to www.geico.com.
