GEICO Gecko Tour of Zoos and Aquariums to Visit Houston Zoo March 1- April 30

GEICO and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) make their next tour stop March 1- April 30 at the Houston Zoo as part of a nationwide conservation campaign featuring a live gecko exhibit, the GEICO Gecko and a series of animated television commercials.

Among the featured geckos are the giant day geckos, one of the largest of all geckos, which are native to Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands. The GEICO Gecko costume character will appear at the zoo every weekend.

“We are proud to support the work of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums,” said GEICO Chairman Tony Nicely. “Our Gecko has proven to be a powerful spokescreature for our insurance products. Now he’s taking on an additional assignment to help promote the wildlife conservation work done by zoos and aquariums across America.”

Along with GEICO’s Vice President Rynthia Rost-Buccine and Assistant Vice President Joe Jordan, several state and local officials are previewing the exhibit on February 28. Among those expected to attend are representatives from Governor Rick Perry’s office, several Texas state representatives, Houston Mayor Bill’s White staff, Houston city council members and Houston educators. The preview will also showcase proclamations from Governor Perry and Mayor White declaring March “Wildlife Conservation Month” in Texas.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Rost-Buccine. “We are happy to lend our Gecko’s brand power to support the AZA’s global wildlife conservation efforts. We hope our current ad campaign featuring the Gecko and AZA zoos will educate the community about the importance of conservation.”

The three-year partnership between GEICO and AZA will take the traveling GEICO Gecko exhibit to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide. At each stop GEICO will make a contribution to wildlife conservation. GEICO will also be a lead sponsor for AZA’s Earth Day Party for the Planet™.

AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy noted, “The power of the GEICO Gecko to reach the public combined with the power of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to reach 157 million visitors every year is a winning combination. We are grateful that GEICO has made such a major commitment to wildlife conservation.”

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. www.geico.com