Mashability.

To start, two truths:

1. People like to laugh. It feels good. It releases endorphins. It's contagious in a good way.

2. People generally do not like to watch commercials. Ignore me if you like, but it's true. Given the option, they will channel surf or DVR through.

Here's where humor can make all the difference in getting your message heard. And I'm talking real humor; not contrived, inside, marketing humor. Stuff that's funny instinctively to people watching who don't want or expect to laugh while you're trying to sell them something.

In fact, there's an audience that not only watches funny commercials, but takes unsolicited liberties and mashes them up to create their own versions, then sends them around to friends or posts them on YouTube, their blogs, etc. Sometimes this sort of action borders on copyright infringement, but nevertheless, it's a compliment to the creators and brand, itself.

Geico has been delivering against the same strategy for some time now - all it takes is a short, painless call or online submission and you can save $ on insurance.

Clearly, a marketer committed to making its audience laugh. As well it should be - this is, after all, insurance. A product you pay for with hope of never having to actually use. And the minute you're forced to use it, is the minute your premium goes in jeopardy of increasing. Really, there's nothing funny about any of it. It's a necessary evil.

But when it comes to advertising, Geico puts on a funny face and aims to position itself as the user-friendly insurance brand -- the least offensive of the options; cheap and easy.

If you must (and you must), why not give Geico a try?

What I like about their latest spots, particularly the one that features Abe Lincoln (below) is its mashable potential. The way they stretch the punch line til the very last second - it keeps me engaged. Not just a funny one-liner, cut to product, but 30 seconds of funny. The footage seems authentic. It's something you want to keep watching. And then, share.

If an insurance company can go beyond getting a chuckle, to getting an active viewing, to getting their ad shared, to getting their ad mashed up and manipulated in a good way, they've done good in my book.

Now all they need to do is deliver on their money-saving promise. Let's hope they can.

Mashable and ON STRATEGY.