Peter Grosz - Sonic Drive-In Two Guys
Peter Grosz is best known for appearing as the Two Guys in the Sonic Drive-In commercials as part of a duo. He is the "serious character," while comedian T. J. Jagodowski is the "humorous" character. The pair appeared in commercials starting in 2002 and up until 2012, with appearances in 2014 too.
When Sonic decided to undergo a rebranding, the two were replaced by real families despite assurances from executives that they would not be. Lori Habib, the Chief Marketing Officer, said that the duo was a "huge part of our voice" and they would be a "part of our brand going forward," but that was not the case.
Wendy Kaufman - Snapple Lady
Wendy Kaufman was already an employee at Snapple Headquarters when she was chosen by the ad agency Kirshenbaum and Bond to appear in the ads. She would spend her time at the office replying to fanmail, which inspired the commercials. It featured her as "Wendy, the Snapple Lady," responding to customer emails and letters.
Her ads were a massive success, bringing in a lot of sales for the company. After the Quaker Oats Company acquired Snapple in 1994, she was cut loose, and sales plummeted. She was rehired by new owners Triarc Companies, but she left in 2008 after having a contract that was worth nothing, according to her.
Melanie Paxson - Red Robin Lady
Some might recognize Melanie Paxson from her roles on television. She has played Jacylun for "Cupid." Those that watched Disney growing up might recognize her as Doris Madigan on "True Jackson VP" or from the "Descendants" series. She has also appeared in "CSI," "Rules of Engagement," "Happy Family," and "Notes from the Underbelly."
Paxson is also a familiar face because of her work in advertising. She has appeared in commercials for State Farm Insurance, Target, Hotel.com, and Fiber One. However, her most memorable commercial is as the hamburger fan in ads for Red Robin, which is a casual dining burger joint with over 570 branches.
Laurel Coppock - Toyota Jan
When Toyota was searching for the right person to fit the role of an overenthusiastic employee named Jan, they found the perfect fit in Laurel Coppock. She graduated with a bachelor's in Performing Arts from Colby College, after which she trained at the Square Acting Conservatory.
Coppock has also appeared in many other TV shows and movies, though her roles have not been particularly memorable. She has made appearances in sitcoms like Modern Family," "The Office," "2 Broke Girls," and "Arrested Development." On the big screen, she has worked in "Crazy, Stupid Love," "E.Moji" and "Slates." She also has writing credits on the last two.
Charles "Chip" Esten - Carl's Jr.'s Carl Hardee Sr.
Carl's Jr commercial features Charles Esten as the fictional founder of Carl's Jr and Hardee's. He plays a no-nonsense executive who is seen trying to take the brand in a new direction. Esten appears aged in the commercial, with grey hair, a beard, and wrinkled, weathered skin.
In real life, he looks quite the opposite. His handsome appearance has helped him bag roles like the country singer Deacon Claybourne on "Nashville." A role in this ABC/CMT drama inspired him to delve deeper into a musical career. However, he is most known for playing Ward Cameron on "Outer Banks" and appearing on the improvisation show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Angelina Jolie - Louis Vuitton
Oscar-winning actor, director, philanthropist, UN Ambassador, and even part-time teacher Angelina Jolie has donned many caps. It is no wonder that when fashion house Louis Vuitton was looking for the perfect face for their "Core Values" campaign, they reached out to Jolie.
The campaign was photographed through the lens of Annie Leibovitz and featured the "Mrs. and Mrs. Smith" actor in a swamp in Cambodia with a $7,000 Alto bag. Cambodia is special to Jolie because it helped her become a mother when she adopted her son Maddox from there. She donated a large sum of her fees to charity. Other personalities part of the campaign were Bono and Sean Connery.
Paul Marcarelli - Verizon Wireless Guy
While he may now be known for his work with T-mobile, Paul Marcarelli made his name by starring in commercials for its rival Verizon from 2002 to 2011. He made the switch to Spirit in 2016, which later went on to merge with T-mobile. In his newer commercials, he often references leaving Verizon.
In Verizon, his most famous line was "Can you hear me now?" when he played the Test Man character. He had a characteristic appearance wearing a gray Verizon jacket and horn-rimmed glasses. His appearance as Test Man fascinated the audience, and Maracarelli appeared on Entertainment Weekly's list of one of the most intriguing people of 2002.
Nicole Randall Johnson - DriveTime Girl
Nicole Randall Johnson is most known as a regular cast member for "MadTV." She joined in 2005 and was the third Black female cast member. She frequently played recurring characters Ka-son, a customer service representative, and Darrell, a man desperate for women's phone numbers. The "Key and Peele" star also did impressions of Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, and Randy Jackson for the program.
In 2013, she was hired by DriveTime to star in their DriveTime Girls campaign. She featured alongside comedian Katie Crown, and they both played the role of mobile credit approval agents who helped people other automobile dealers had previously rejected.
Colin Ferguson - Maytag Man
Maytag decided it needed an overhaul on its "Maytag Man," which is why in 2014, they selected Colin Ferguson to be the new Maytag Man. The Character is a human embodiment of all the company's applications, from dishwashers to washing machines.
The original repairman was goofy, but Maytag decided they wanted to rebrand the character as a more macho person. Team 180, the creative agency behind the new ad, described the "Eureka" star as "physically and personality-wise better represented the machine." Creative director Louie Calvano described the "Then Came You" actor as a masculine man who looks like "he has strength and experience to him."
50 Cent - G Unit Sneakers
In 2003, Rapper 50 Cent entered the style game by releasing his line of clothes and accessories in collaboration with Ecko Unltd. Ecko was said to be handling the merchandising and marketing of the products while the "In da Club" hitmaker retained complete ownership of the brand.
This allowed 50 Cent to end briefly end the partnership with Ecko in 2008, though they reunited again for a Spring 2009 collection. The collection can be shopped online and has, since its first launch, grossed $100 million in sales. Founder Marc Ecko compared this collaboration to the team-up of basketball star Michael Jordon and Nike to create Air Jordons.
Vince Shlomi / Vince Offer - ShamWow Guy
Vince Shlomi's way of pitching innovative products has been described as "smooth-talking condescension" by Seth Stevenson of Slate. His first ad came with selling an absorbent towel that he had named "ShamWow." He had discovered the product at a flea market and went on to visit the factory in Germany that manufactured the product.
Initially, the product claimed to absorb 20 times its weight, then 12 times, and finally ten times. A Consumer Report test found that the ten times claim was accurate; the others were not. Since then, Shlomi has advertised other products such as kitchen utensils, Slap Chop and Crank Chop, lint roller Schticky, and cleaning agent InVinceable.
Tim Leigh Williams - Trivago Guy
Despite being American, Tim Williams's most memorable work has been for the German media. He has starred in TV shows "Samt und Seide" and "Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten" and the German movie "Labyrinth of Lies." His work in the United States includes "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," and "Strong Medicine."
Williams has also done commercial work for Trivago, a site that compares the different pricing at hotels. Trivago is a German company, though an American owns most of the stakes. When Williams was first aired as the Trivago guy, he trended on Twitter because of his good looks. Trivago went with the "Ninja Assassin" actor because they thought he was "real, approachable, and genuine."
Beyoncé - "Queen Bey" in Pepsi
Beyoncé has been a Pepsi spokesperson since 2002, but it was in 2013 when she signed a deal to expand on their decade-long relationship that left everyone wide-eyed. Considered one of the biggest celebrity endorsements, Beyoncé was allegedly paid $50 million for Pepsi to use her likeness on its products. The "Halo" hitmaker would also design merchandise for the company.
The deal came on the heels of the upcoming release of Beyoncé's new eponymous album, to promote which she was expected to star in a new Live for Now global TV ad. She has also previously appeared in four adverts for the popular beverage.
Stephanie Courtney - Flo from Progressive
Stephanie Courtney has appeared in over 100 commercials for the insurance company Progressive. She plays Flo, an owner of an imaginary store selling insurance where she pitches policies to customers. Her character gained immense popularity, leading to Progressive launching, tempting people with an appearance alongside her.
In 2010, Progressive launched an advert where Flo tells consumers she could "use a little help," encouraging them to participate in a contest to find her new helper. Those interested could upload video auditions to a website, where ten of the best actors would be narrowed down. They would then be reduced to three by public voting. Those three were flown out for live try-outs in Los Angeles with Courtney.
Dennis Haysbert - Allstate Guy
Dennis Haysbert's collaboration with Allstate Insurance Company commercials took inception in 2003. Since then, he has appeared in ads that end with his deep, baritone voice saying the slogans "Are you in good hands?" or "That's Allstate's stand." (or sometimes saying both together).
Haysbert's popularity with the commercials has led to a spot in the Spanish-language Allstate commercials where he says, "Con Allstate, Estás En Buenas Manos." (With Allstate, you're in good hands.) His relationship with the company led to him being honored at the Superbowl when he was chosen to do the coin toss for the LSU and Notre Dame match in 2007.
Morgan Smith-Goodwin - Red from Wendy's
Wendy's Now That's Better Campaign is one of their most successful marketing ploys, which started airing in April 2012. One of the characters right in the spotlight of the campaign is a red-headed girl named Red (yes, creative). Morgan Smith-Goodwin played her. Internet folklore predicted that the girl was a grown-up version of the little girl on Wendy's icon.
Many will be disheartened to know that Goodwin's actual hair color is not the bright red portrayed in the campaign. Instead, she is a natural brunette who dyed her tresses for the campaign. It was the right thing to do because it brought her national attention.
Jay Z - Samsung Galaxy
Jay-Z's collaboration with Samsung for the release of his much-anticipated album "Magna Carta Holy Grail" was part of a broader deal between Roc Nation and Samsung. As part of the deal, Samsung gave away one million free copies of the album to new Samsung users.
Buyers of Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note II models would have access to the album three days before other people could listen. It is alleged that the deal was worth $20 million, with Samsung paying the "Watch The Throne" rapper $5 for each album. On July 4, the release day, Samsung's servers could not deal with the traffic influx!
Beck Bennett - AT&T Guy
Beck Bennett made himself a name with "SNL," but his "It's Not Complicated" series for AT&T commercials got many people to notice him. The comedian played an impassive interlocuter who interacts with children. In more than 20 appearances, Bennet's character touches on what is infinity time infinity and brother-to-puppy changing machines.
The chief marketing officer of AT&T Mobility division, David Christopher, credits Bennet with making the commercial immensely successful. He speaks of Bennet positively, referring to his tone as "deferential" and his comedic timing as "awesome." It has garnered millions of views on YouTube. Bennet's responses to children were charming, some scripted, and some improvised.
Diane Amos - Pine-Sol Lady
Diane Amos has had a long creative relationship with Pine-Sol cleaning agents, having been their ambassador since 1993. Pine-Sol values its relationship with the "Sweet November" star so much that it even has a page dedicated to her on its website. It mentions her work outside of starring as the Pine-Sol lady and her dedication to charity and kindness.
Amos is also known for her work in films and stage plays. She has appeared in the "Patch Adams" and "Sweet November." Many fans were worried that Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe had replaced her after they starred in new commercials in 2020; however, the company reassured everyone that they had not parted ways.
Dean Winters - The Allstate Guy
Allstate chose Dean Winters to star in their commercials as Mayhem. he was created by Leo Burnett Worldwide, based on Mr.White (Harvey Keitel) from Reservoir Dogs. Mayhem sports a characteristic appearance, wearing a black suit, his face scarred, bleeding, and hurt. The script for every Mayhem commercial is the same; an impending disaster is described, and it happens.
Mayhem then compares the scenario to their companies' insurance policies and encourages viewers to buy from Allstate. Mayhem was created to attract a young customer base. Burnett created the character to rival the eager Flo of State Farm. They were successful, winning 80 awards for the campaign.
Isaiah Mustafa - Old Spice Man
Isaiah Mustafa's quick-witted, confident monologues delivered uninterrupted in one take from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign in 2010 for Old Spice were an instant hit. It led to him playing the character in YouTube videos, where he answered questions from celebrities and everyday folks.
Old Spice reached Mustafa again in 2011, and he starred in another campaign, Mano a Mano in el Baño, alongside Fabio. His 2014 ads had him rubbishing other hygiene and care products for men; instead, he encouraged viewers to invest in OldSpice. Mustafa even joined hands with Terry Crews, of "White Chicks" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" fame to star in a campaign together.
Vanessa Lynn Branch - The Orbit Gum Girl
Vanessa Branch had already worked in media as a model appearing in Elle and Harper's Bazaar when she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She was cast as the British "Orbit Girl," a role she played for eight years spanning 45 ads. Her catchphrase was "Fabulous."
She has an equally fabulous appearance in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series, where she played a character called Giselle. The Miss. Vermont 1994 has also appeared in Chinese language movies and was last seen in a short film released in 2017 called "Silent Kingdom." She has also made appearances in TV shows that include "CSI: Miami," "Criminal Minds," and "Days of our Lives."
T. J. Jagodowski - Sonic Drive-In Two Guys
The other half of the "Two Guys" in the Sonic Drive-In ads is T. J. Jagodowski. He was an improvisational performer and comedian before he decided to work in marketing. He and Peter Grosz were featured in ads from 2002 to 2012 and 2014.
After the Sonic marketing department took their adverts in another direction, fans were worried that it was the last of the "Two Guys" skits, but they were reassured that Jagodowski and Grosz would always be part of the Sonic family. The duo also appeared together in the 2006 movie "Stranger than Fiction." Jagodowski was honored with the John F. Kennedy Award in 2019.
Jake Wood - Geico Gecko
While Jake Wood is best known for his work on the soap opera "EastEnders," those that have paid special attention to his voice might recognize it from elsewhere. He is none other than the famous GEICO Gecko, featured in commercials for the insurance company. The Martin Agency created the reptile with CGI by Framestore, led by animator David Hulin.
While first voiced by Kelsey Grammar and then Dave Kelly, Wood was eventually brought on board and became the most memorable voice. By 2017, the lizard had appeared in 145 commercials and even had an interview with Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former United States President Bill Clinton, in its accomplishments.
Katherine Crown - DriveTime Girl
Katherine Crown, A Canadian voice actress, had many credits on her portfolio before DriveTime Stint hired her to work in their commercial in 2013. She had before voiced Izzy in "Total Drama," Fin McCloud in "Stoked," and Izzy in "Skatoony." She had even lent her voice to "Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse."
Her 2013 commercial with Drivetime had her starring alongside Nicole Randall Johnson. The campaign was called "DriveTime Girls." It featured the duo as peculiar-acting agents who saved the day for potential car buyers by preventing them from being rejected by dealers. The ad ran until late 2014. Since then, she has also worked on "American Dad" and "Amphibia."
Milana Vayntrub - Lily Adams, AT&T
Milana Vayntrub has quite the story; being born in the Soviet Union, she turned to act after she migrated to the United States as a child. Those who pay attention to the ads on their television screen would easily recognize her from AT&T commercials. She essayed the role of a saleswoman called Lily Adams for three years between 2013 to 2016. She reprised the role again in 2020.
She has also expanded her filmography, having gotten a recurring role on "This Is Us," playing playwright Sloane Sandburg. Marvel fans may also be able to recognize, perhaps not her, but definitely her voice as having voiced Squirrel Girl in "The Marvel Rising" franchise.
Maria Bamford - Target Lady
Maria Bamford's Target commercials stand proud in her list of achievements. The comedian was featured in ads for the department store giant during the 2009 to 2010 Christman season. In the commercials, she portrayed an overzealous shopper who was determined to be the first at the checkout line.
Since her stint for Target, she has gone on to appear on Season 3 of Louis C.K.'s "Louie." Bamford has also starred in "Arrested Development" as Debrie Bardeaux, Tobias Fünke's love interest, a role she first started playing in Season 4. in 2016, she entered a deal with Netflix where she helped them produce "Lady Dynamite" a show based on her life, though she did not write the episodes.
Patrick Warburton - National Car Rental
Patrick Warburton is a voice easily recognizable from his vast body of work. He is Joe Swanson on "Family Guy," as King Agamemnon in "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," and as Kronk in "Emperor's New School." National Car Rental chose him to star in their commercials for their "Be the Boss of You" campaign in 2015.
Warburton has worked in commercials frequently. He has collaborated with Carrier Corporation, American Express, Apple Inc, Horizon Air, NAPA, Souplantation, and even Honda. He has done these while also making appearances in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," as General Rick Stoner, and in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" as Lemony Snicket.
Orlando Jones - 7-Up
Orlando Jones has his 7-Up ad to thank for many of his memorable projects. The soda company hired the "MADtv" star in the late '90s to feature as a spokesperson in many amusing adverts. One of his ads featured him in a T-shirt with Make 7 Up Yours printed on it. This piece of clothing became increasingly popular and 7-Up partnered with Spencer Gifts to sell it.
After 7-Up, he got his late-night talk show called "The Orlando Jones Show." He made appearances in "Girlfriends," "Everybody Hates Chris," and "The Evidence." Jones has also made his way on the big screen and starred in "Double Take" and "Evolution."
Valerie Bertinelli - Jenny Craig Program
Valerie Bertinelli has been a great presenter and actor, as evidenced by her two Emmy Awards. Her acting credits include "One Day at a Time" and "Hot in Cleveland," but her presenting skills on Food Network made her the most famous. Some people might know her as the ex-wife of Eddie Van Halen, co-founder of the legendary rock band Van Halen.
While on Food Network, she endorsed the Jenny Craig program, which focuses on weight-loss management and meal plans, in 2007 and made appearances in several of their commercials. In 2022, she published her memoir "Enough Already," where she regrets the decision. She says she was part of the "problem" contributing to a toxic diet culture.
Brad Pitt - Chanel No. 5
Chanel No. 5 has long cemented its status as a luxurious and iconic perfume, though there have been differing opinions about its scent. When the company wanted to market the women's fragrance from a fresher perspective, they brought in Oscar-winning actor Brad Pitt.
The black-and-white advert features the "Fight Club" star reciting a dramatic monologue. The man behind the camera, in the director's chair, was Joe Wright. Wright has previously directed ads for Chanel featuring Keira Knightley and has also directed the film "Anna Karenina." Saturday Night Live parodied the commercial featuring Pitt, but we're sure the "World War Z" star had the last laugh because he allegedly pocketed $7 million for the feature.
Carly Foulkes - T-Mobile Girl
Business Insider journalist Laura Stampler has described Carly Foulkes as "one of the most recognizable brand spokespeople." This wasn't easy for the Canadian actress because her predecessor was Catherine Zeta-Jones. She started appearing in ads for T-mobile in 2010 wearing a pink dress and gained recognition for her character.
But in 2012, T-mobile thought she needed rebranding, and hence came the character "Alter Ego" featuring Foulkes as a leather jacket-wearing biker girl. In a statement, the company said that this was supposed to represent the "speed and capabilities" of their 4G network and their new role focusing on "challenging the status quo and taking bold steps in the marketplace."
Angela Sarafyan - Cingular Umbrella Girl
While Angela Sarafyan has many notable works in her resume now, she initially tasted fame when she was featured as the "Umbrella Girl" in Cingular Wireless adverts in 2006. Before that, she had appeared in the "Stronger" music video for hitmaker Britney Spears. Her other music video appearance includes Vance Joy's "Lay It On Me."
Since then, she has starred in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2," "Lost & Found in Armenia," "A Beautiful Life," "The Promise," and "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile." Her most notable character is Clementine Pennyfeather in HBO's "Westworld." Pennyfeather is a host in the fictional town of Sweetwater.
J.K. Simmons - Farmers Insurance Group
Farmers Insurance Group knew what they were doing when they tapped in legendary actor J.K. Simmons to appear in their commercials. Many people would recall him as the agitated, furious reported J. Jonah Jameson from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. However, he has reprised the role in other Marvel works, including MCU's "SpiderMan" series starring Tom Holland.
In the commercials, he appeared as Professor Nathaniel Burke of the imaginary institute, the University of Farmers. He has done a series of commercials starting in 2010. The campaign was developed by David Smith. An interactive website was even launched to promote the campaign, with Simmons as the gruff Professor Burke teaching agent.
Catherine Zeta-Jones - T-Mobile Girl
In 2002, Catherine Zeta-Jones signed up to become an ambassador for T-mobile. She was allegedly paid $10 million yearly for the deal and became the highest-paid celebrity endorser that year. John Stanton, then head of T-Mobile'S North American operations, described the Oscar-winning actress as the "tour de force" to help deliver T-Mobile's GET MORE message.
Commenting on the endorsement, Jones said that she was "excited" to be working with the company as part of their wireless communications technology because she believed it enhanced human relationships if they could easily stay in contact and reach out to one another. T-Mobile added that the "Chicago" star brought international appeal, intellect, and style to the company.
Jonathan Goldsmith - Most Interesting Man
Neither Elon Musk nor Warren Buffet, the title "The Most Interesting Man in the World," belongs to character actor Jonathan Goldsmith. He was featured in ad campaigns for Dos Equid beer starting in 2006, where he played a debonair older gentleman. These campaigns had him reciting a monologue that was equal parts amusing and shocking.
He played the role in these campaigns until 2016, when the last ad showed him going to Mars. "The Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign ended two years later in 2018. Goldsmith became an Internet meme after starring in those commercials. Even better, he was invited to meet President Obama after his fame and was even parodied on Saturday Night Live by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Gillian Vigman - Jack's Wife
Gillian Vigman is a familiar face in the world of advertising, having worked with Swiffer, United Airlines, Esurance, and Real California Milk. The screengrab above features her in an advertisement for Jack in the Box, an American fast-food chain. Vigman joined MADtv comedy sketches, appearing first in Season 8.
Vigman has also appeared in other roles on television; these include "Scrubs," "Parks and Recreation," and "According to Jim." Her most significant roles have been a main role on "Sons & Daughters" and recurring roles on "New Girl" and "Suburgatory." On the big screen, she has made appearances in comedy films like "The Hangover" series, "Step Brothers," and "The Kings of Summer."
Demetri Goritsas - Slim Jim Guy
Demetri Goritsas has grown beyond his Slim Jim campaign days. He played a character whose catchphrase was "Eat Me!" encouraging consumers to take a bite of the spicy-flavored snack. Those ads that featured him dancing were on TV screens in the '90s. Since then, Goritsas has found other work that has helped him grace our screens.
He has been featured in "Baddiel's Syndrome," "Modus," and "Torchwood" series. He has also worked on several feature films. His most notable works include the 1998 critically acclaimed film "Saving Private Ryan" where he played Parker alongside Tom Hanks. He also appeared in the 2019 film "Radioactive" and the 2015 film "Everest."
Hallie Eisenberg - Pepsi Girl
The acting bug bit Hallie Eisenberg when she was very young. Not surprising since her brother is Jessie Eisenberg, who has been featured in "The Social Network" and "Zombieland." She gained recognition for appearing as the "Pepsi Girl" in a series of ads, where she would ask for Pepsi and would express anger when given its arch-rival Coke.
Hallie went on to work in some feature films, making her debut on the big screen with "Paulie." She played supporting roles in "The Inside Man" and "Beautiful." Hallie even performed on stage when she appeared for the first time on Broadway in 2010. She ultimately decided to take a break from acting to focus on her education.
Andrea Rosen - Staples Office Supply
In 2006, Andrea Rosen, Brian Posehn, and a canine named Sally were featured in ads for Staples. It featured them in an office setting as they turned to look at the audience and talk to them about stationery. That is not the only credit in Rosen's advert's filmography. She has also been featured in campaigns for Yoplait and New York Lottery.
Rosen is a comedian and has performed live group and solo performances in the Brooklyn circuit. She has also featured in the movies "The Ten," and "The Baxter." She has even worked with the famous children's television channel Nick Jr. and created a show "Take Me to Your Mother," for them.