HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 14, 2006 – Brenda Coates, administrative assistant in the High Point University office of Community Relations, exemplifies the meaning of a loyal customer in her new starring role in Geico’s latest round of famed TV commercials.

Replacing the beloved gecko in the TV spot, Coates austerely recalls her experience with Geico and proclaims her new-found appreciation for the company while musician Burt Bacharach tickles the ivories beside her.

It all began when she was rear-ended in traffic by a Geico customer. In a letter to the company, she said she was so impressed by the service and efficiency she received while handling her claim that she switched insurance carriers. It was that favorable honesty that landed the High Point citizen on the glitzy small screen after a phone call from the corporate headquarters asked if she would like to participate.

"I felt like a star," says Coates. "Everyone treated me like I was the most important person on the set. It was the thrill of a lifetime."

The company sent two first-class tickets for Coates and her daughter to fly to Hollywood for a 4-day luxury adventure. During the day-long shoot on the set, Coates had her own private trailer, personal assistant, and team of hair and make-up stylists.

The commercial currently airs on local networks nationwide, plus cable outlets like TNT, CNN, A&E, CMT, The Hallmark Channel, Discover Channel, and Animal Planet.

While Coates innocently avoids any comments about upcoming roles on the small screen, her grin certainly widens each and every time someone recognizes her on the HPU campus and beyond.

At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people. HPU is a liberal arts institution with approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 countries and 44 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report 12th among comprehensive universities in the South and in the top 100 nationally. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 33 minors and five graduate-degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference.