Even Geico seems embarrassed in this one

On the next step of his "epic journey" (their words) across America, the Geico Gekko finds himself being honored in a "parade for the veterans" (a parade for the veterans which seems to be taking place in Anytown, USA circa 1966, by the way.) 

The Gekko seems genuinely uncertain at the idea of horning in on a parade for people who actually went off and fought and risked their lives for their country.  Well, we can hardly blame him, can we?  On the one hand, we've got what looks like surviving members of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, men who as boys left their moms and dads, picked up guns, and went off to save the world from Fascism.  On the other hand, we've got a cartoon lizard with an Australian accent.

And yet- the Gekko IS being honored in this parade, which is of course staged by Geico.  It's not a REAL parade, it's a mirage invented by an insurance company and using old men and about thirty extras as props to sell that insurance.   The "veterans" (wouldn't it be awful if they were REAL veterans, asked to "star" in this ad?) are just part of the joke, the mask used to justify a blatant attempt to link a FUCKING CAR INSURANCE COMPANY to Patriotism.

All this is supposed to be funny, somehow.  Can someone explain how to me?  Is it the In Your Face attitude of Geico in exploiting the soft spot most of us have for our fellow countrymen who were willing to risk everything?  Is it the huge, blatantly obtrusive Gekko float, which dwarfs the actual human beings who AREN'T in the business of selling us something?  Help me out here, please.