Thirty Thecond Thespians
Actors Deserve a Break
Although we might poke a bit of fun, this is one area where we will show some mercy in our relentless pursuit of mediocrity above stupidity. Actors often work hard for little reward when it comes to commercials. Some do such a good job with it they actually elevate the product and for some of those rare few, they actually become stars themselves in the process.
It will be impossible to give all the thespians that perform so courageously in commercials their due credit. There is simply not enough time or space in this blog to do that, but we will attempt to illuminate some of the faces you’ll recognize but have never heard of. We’ll also highlight some of the famous names in the business who appear in or lend their voices to, commercials today.
Commercial Stars
| MAC vs. PC | |
Arguably, the “Get a Mac” campaign from Apple using two characters to cast a stereotype of Mac users versus PC users (that look like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs no less) and the differences between them, is the most successful ad campaign Apple has ever run. It remains one of the most popular and memorable ads among all computer users in the U.S. |
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You’ve probably seen on him on The Daily Show on Comedy Central, but did you know he’s a pretty smart guy on top of that?A graduate of Yale, he’s written a book, The Areas of My Expertise, plays the clarinet and viola AND has been a Mac user since the early days. |
While many people remember him from the movie Dogdeball, do you recall his first role in 1999 as Brandon one of the geeky followers in the movie Galaxy Quest?Today he remains one of the busies rising stars in Hollywood having worked on NINE motion pictures in 2009 alone. |
| PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE | |
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Unless you don’t watch television, it’s pretty hard to miss those Progressive Insurance commercials. And when you do see them it’s pretty hard to miss Flo, the helpful clerk/cashier/customer service person. All the spots with their white color pallet, borrow the format (see 12 types of ads) of shopping for car insurance like you would buy a toaster in a store at the mall. |
| VERIZON WIRELESS | |
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Who among us hasn’t at one point in time called out the famous words, “Can you hear me now?“The man behind the spectacles who first delivered that line has also become famous. Paul Marcarelli, as Verizon’s Test Man, was once voted the most intriguing man of the year by Entertaintainment Weekly back in 2002.
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So does he make a fortune to go along with his fame? Not really. Stars in Commercials
Famous Faces
- Activia – Jamie Lee Curtis
Famous Voices
- Coleman Commercial – Sam Elliot
- Nasonex bee – Antonio Banderas
- Hyundai – Jeff Bridges
- Florida Orange Juice – Tom Selleck
- Simply Orange – Donald Sutherland
- Go Rving – Tom Selleck
- Snickers – Sally Kellerman
- Craftsmen Tools – Kevin Costner
Seen or heard anybody famous on your TV in between Friends reruns? Feel free to share at stupidcommercials@yahoo.com