Comedy pilot based on Geico ads

ABC, which is developing a series of  Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project.”Cavemen” will revolve around three pre-historic cavemen who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live in the modern World.

Project, from ABC TV Studio, was authored by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the “Caveman” ads — as well as other Geico commercials (think the english-speaking gecko, and the reality TV spoof “Tiny House”).

Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Cassady, Will Speck and Josh Gordon are exec producers. Speck and Gordon, commercial directors are on board to also direct.

The ”Cavemen” pilot is based on the Geico ads that promote the insurance company’s Web site as so user-friendly that even “a caveman could do it.” The spots follow cavemen in modern settings, reacting with offense to the belittling and insultanting slogan. In one of the 30 second spots a Geico spokesman apologizes and takes the Neanderthals out to dinner.

The caveman commercials were created through the Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency. Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber play the cavemen in the Geico spots; no word if they’ll make the transformation to the pilot TV project.