Commercials are very important in how a brand will attempt to boost its sales. Brands have to be very smart in casting the people for their commercials because they will play a big role in getting the product 'across' and generate earnings. While a lot of advertisements these days are mostly watched on the digital platform, people just saw commercials mainly on TV back then. Did you ever wonder what had happened to the people who starred in very popular commercials decades ago? Well, it's your lucky day because we have here some of the most familiar commercial faces and we'll tell you where they are all now.

Pepsi - Late 1990s - Lives A Normal Life

Hallie Kate Eisenberg is best known for being the young girl who starred in a number of commercials for Pepsi back in the late 1990s through the early 2000s. Appearing in the commercials brought her so much popularity and she was later able to start making money through movie appearances. Some of her most popular roles were on How to Eat Fried Worms, The Miracle Worker, and The Goodbye Girl. Eisenberg left the acting scene in 2010 to pursue her studies. These days, she lives a normal life and hasn't made an acting comeback. A fun fact about her is that she is the sister of actor Jesse Eisenberg.

GoDaddy - 2013 - Pursuing Acting

Jesse Heiman gained popularity back in 2013 when he appeared in the Super Bowl commercial of GoDaddy. The advert became quite memorable because he was the nerdy guy who got to share a kiss with the beautiful Bar Refaeli. Danica Patrick, who is a race car driver, is just watching the two the whole time. Prior to appearing in the commercial, Heiman has been building his acting portfolio since the early 2000s. You might have seen him on American Pie 2, Chuck, and The Big Bang Theory. Heiman has two upcoming TV movies titled Artista Obscura and Thank You for Your Patients.

Dell - 2000 - Co-Founded A Wellness Company & An Indy Folk Band

Ben Curtis is the guy you would have seen in numerous Dell commercials back in the early 2000s. Curtis later got fired from being a Dell spokesperson after he got arrested for allegedly buying drugs. Curtis eventually avoided being bankrupt by pursuing acting and he is best known for appearing on Law & Order, We Are The Hartmans, and the off-Broadway production of The Crusade of Connor Stephens. Today, Curtis co-owns SOLFUL LLC which is his very own wellness company. He is also one of the founders of the DIRTY MAE indy folk band.

 

Apple - 2006 - Author

Way before Apple's advertisements were all about futuristic videos that highlight the features of each device, their promotions actually involved some actors. In 2006, the Get a Mac campaign of Apple aired and it starred actor Justin Long and John Hodgman. Hodgman was basically the man who played a human PC. Despite playing a PC, Hodgman admits he has been a Mac user since the 1980s. These days, Hodgman increases his net worth through his career as an author and his most recent release was the 2017 book titled Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches.

Pine-Sol - 1993 - Pursuing Acting

Pine-Sol is known for its wide range of home-cleaning products and Diane Amos is the woman you see appear in numerous advertisements for the brand. Amos is commonly known as the Pine-Sol Lady and she first did the commercial for the brand back in 1993. Her contract with Pine-Sol lasted for more than two decades so you can only imagine how big of a salary she was able to get from her 'acting.' Amos also does work as a stand-up comedian and actress. In 2018, Amos appeared in a movie titled Guitar Man.

Snapple - Early 1990s - Pursuing Acting

Wendy Kaufman became popular for being the spokesperson for the juice and tea company called Snapple. Kaufman was actually an employee of Snapple and she developed a habit of answering the fan emails that were sent to the company.  When it was discovered that Kaufman was doing such a thing, she was later offered to star in a number of advertisements for the company. Kaufman's ads boosted the company's earnings from $23 million to a whopping $750 million in just one year! She does acting work these days and reportedly, she will appear in a new movie titled American Criminals.

Orbit Gum - 2006 - Pursuing Acting

Vanessa Branch became very popular back in 2006 when she started appearing in commercials for Orbit Gum. People knew her for the catchphrase, "fabulous!". She was the Orbit Gum girl for four years and actress Farris Patton replaced her in 2010. Branch is also known for her acting work; in fact, some of you might have seen her in three Pirates of the Caribbean movies where she played the role of Giselle. Branch's latest roles were on American Satan and Silent Kingdom - both in 2017. Branch is also a model and she was on H Magazine's cover in 2013.

Slim Jim - 1990s - Pursuing Acting & Voice Work

Demetri Goritsas was the guy who was acting like a complete lunatic in a number of Slim Jim commercials back in the 1990s. Goritsas was widely popular for his "eat me" catchphrase. The commercial might not have been liked by everyone but it was definitely memorable. Goritsas eventually embarked on an acting career and is known for the roles he had on Everest, Modus, and Baddiel's Syndrome. Goritsas is also making money through working as a voice actor. In 2018, Goritsas did voice work for the video game called Overkill's The Walking Dead and he appeared in an episode of Ransom.

AT&T - 2013 - Acting & Voice Acting

You might recognize Milana Vayntrub for being the woman who played salesgirl Lily Adams in a number of commercials for AT&T. Vayntrub's family struggled financially when she was growing up and it was her work as a commercial model that really helped them a lot. Vayntrub starred in commercials for Mattel Barbie when she was younger. These days, Vayntrub gets her earnings through acting and voice acting. You might have already seen her in shows like Californication, ER, and This Is Us. In 2018, she did voice work for Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors.

7Up - 1999 - Pursuing Acting

Orlando Jones started appearing in a number of commercials for 7Up back in the late 1990s. A very popular advertisement of the company that Jones starred in was the Show Us Your Cans advertisement. Prior to his rise to fame as the man in the 7Up commercials, Jones had already been known for starring in the first two seasons of MADtv. Jones later continued pursuing acting and it earned him a lot of money. Some of his most popular roles were on Sleepy Hollow, Evolution, and Double Take. Jones' latest role is in the TV series American Gods which began in 2017.

Sony PlayStation 3 - 2009 - Pursuing Acting

Jerry Lambert started pursuing acting in the late 1980s. Aside from acting work, he also found himself working as a commercial model. In the late 2000s, Lambert played a fictional executive from Sony in a number of Sony PlayStation 3 advertisements. The commercials were successful but Sony reportedly brought Lambert to court back in 2012 after he starred in a commercial for Bridgestone that showcased a Nintendo Wii. Lambert is still into acting these days and his most recent roles were in the TV series Life in Pieces and American Housewife.

Kinder - 1973 - Now Working As A Cameraman

In 1973, after his mother took him for a photo shoot, Guenter Euringer didn't exactly think he would become the face of Kinder chocolates for three decades. His identity was only revealed recently after his autobiography, The Chocolate Child was released in Munich. The book helps shed light about his secret life as the Kinder boy and now at 42, he says he works as a cameraman. Guenter reminisced about him with his mother in southern Germany where she also worked as an advertising agent. Thanks to her mother, his dazzling smile and face became the cover of Kinder, helping them sell millions of boxes all those years!

Isuzu - 1986 - Acting From Time To Time

From 1986 until 1990, David Leisure became a familiar face as the lying pitchman in a number of Isuzu's North American commercials. He used a lot of hyperboles to promote the car company. The company must have liked him so much because they got him to do commercials for them from 1999 until 2001, which likely allowed him to strengthen his savings account. Leisure was also blessed with a fruitful acting career and the most popular role in his acting resumé is probably his role on Empty Nest. Leisure's latest portrayal was in the TV movie, Meet My Valentine, in 2015.

Life Cereal - 1972 - MSG Network's Director of Media Sales

John Gilchrist was the cute little boy who melted people's hearts back in the 1970s when he starred in a commercial for Life cereal. Gilchrist played Little Mikey in the advert and he was known for being hard to please when it came to cereals. The commercial was very successful and it reportedly aired for more than a decade. Gilchrist does not model or act these days as he has been making his mark in the business world. Gilchrist has been MSG Network's director of media sales since 2012. We're sure that his position commands a huge paycheck.

Verizon - 2002 - Sprint Spokesperson

The Test Man from the Verizon commercials that aired from 2002 until 2011 was played by a man named Paul Marcarelli. In all the commercials Marcarelli appeared in, he always wore horn-rimmed eyeglasses and a gray Verizon jacket. Marcarelli's Verizon contract only lasted until 2011 and five years later, he became a spokesperson for Sprint which is known for being Verizon's rival company. Marcarelli also grows his fortune in the bank through his work as a producer and screenwriter. He co-founded the production company called Table Ten Films. His 2013 film, Clutter, which he produced, earned the Best Film award during the Harlem International Film Festival.

Target - 2009 - Acting & Voice Work

During the Holiday season back in 2009-2010, Maria Bamford was the woman who starred in a number of commercials for supermarket outlet Target. She played a crazy Target shopper and people really found her very funny. Bamford is well known for her work in stand-up comedy and acting. She makes a lot of money doing voice work for famous animated shows like Adventure Time,  American Dad!, and Bojack Horseman. Bamford's popular acting roles are on Arrested Development and Lady Dynamite. You might have seen her in the 2018 movie, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn.

Dos Equis Beer - 2007 - Doing Ads & Acting Work

Jonathan Goldsmith was the man in a number of advertisements for Dos Equis beer. He was labeled as the Most Interesting Man in the World and he was always around gorgeous women. Goldsmith became a huge hit in pop culture and you might have seen his face in a lot of memes all over the Internet. Goldsmith is still making money by doing advertisements to this day. In fact, he did advertisements for Astral Tequila in 2017. In 2018, Goldsmith appeared in the musical movie, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Pepsi - 1992 - Busy Being A Mom

Cindy Crawford is one of the most successful supermodels in the fashion industry. Aside from all her print and runway work, Crawford was also able to book some commercials and back in 1992, she had a very popular Pepsi ad for the Super Bowl. The commercial featured the newly designed cans of the soft drink brand. Crawford does not work as much anymore but in September 2017, she was one of the iconic supermodels who closed the spring/summer 2018 show of Versace. She is also busy being a mother to her kids Kaia and Presley who are pursuing modeling as well.

GEICO - 2004 - Acting & Producing

GEICO is an auto insurance company which had a caveman in a series of its commercials. John Lehr was the actor underneath all the caveman prosthetics. Lehr had shared once that transforming himself into the caveman took three hours! These days, Lehr has a very successful career in show business and he gets to do both on-screen and behind the camera work. Lehr is one of the creators of shows like Quick Draw, Jailbait, and 10 Items or Less. He will be appearing in an upcoming TV movie titled The Tingle.

T-Mobile - 2010 - Appears In Short Films

Carly Foulkes is best known for being the beautiful girl that starred in T-Mobile's commercial for their myTouch 4G phones. She was either wearing a summer dress or a biker outfit in the commercials she starred in. She started working with the brand in 2010 but her contract only lasted for three years. These days, Foulkes is known for her modeling work but it seems like she needs a stable job that will earn her a big salary. Foulkes appears in short films from time to time and her most recent appearance was in 2018's Collapsing Scenery: Modern World.

Dr. Pepper - 1963 - Promoting Her Book

Back in the 1960s, Donna Loren a.k.a the Dr. Pepper Girl was known for being a spokesperson of the popular drink. Loren appeared on print ads and commercials for the brand but she would also promote the drink on TV and radio. Loren also got earnings from being a singer and she had a popular single titled It Only Hurts When I Cry. She also appeared in episodes of Batman, Dr. Kildare, and The Monkees. In 2017, Loren released a book titled Pop Sixties: Shindig!, Dick Clark, Beach Party, and Photographs from the Donna Loren Archive and she continues to promote it to this day.

Subway - 2000 - Serving Prison Time

Whenever you're craving for a good sandwich and you do not want to spend that much, we're sure Subway is one of your go-to places. Jared Fogle is the guy who served as a spokesperson for Subway.  Interestingly, he shed a total of 245 pounds just by eating some subs from Subway. The commercials that he did for the famous sandwich brand reportedly amounted to more than 300 so his stint would've tremendously grown his fortune in the bank. Sadly, Fogle's world came crashing down in 2015 when he got imprisoned after been found guilty of possessing underage obscene entertainment material.

Psychic Readers Network - 1997 - Died At The Age Of 53

Most of you would recognize Youree Dell Harris for being the "psychic," Miss Cleo. Harris was the woman who did the pay-per-call service for the Psychic Readers Network.  She was presented as a Jamaican psychic who can tell you your fortune but this was apparently all a lie. In reality, Harris was from Los Angeles and the Psychic Readers Network got sued for their fraud and deceptive advertising. Harris, however, was never sued. In 2016, she passed away due to colon cancer. She was 53 years old at the time of her death.

Nike Air Jordan - 1984 - Living A Peaceful Life (As A Billionaire)

Michael Jordan remains one of the biggest names in the history of basketball. Jordan's athletic career already made him such a wealthy man but booking endorsement deals just made him even wealthier. Jordan is well known for his Nike Air Jordan deal which started way back in 1984. To this day, his shoes are still popular and being sold. Even if Jordan has been retired since 2003, he still earns from the royalties he has from the deals. Jordan's net worth as of today is estimated to be at a whopping $1.65 billion.

The Progressive Corporation - 2008 - Pursuing Acting & Stand-Up Comedy

The Progressive Corporation is the car insurance company which had a salesperson named Flo who starred in numerous commercials. The character was played by actress Stephanie Courtney. Before finding success in her career, Courtney struggled financially and she even worked in catering just to avoid bankruptcy. These days, she has been blessed with a busy acting career and she also does some stand-up comedy. Courtney is known for her roles on Cavemen, Mad Men, and The Heartbreak Kid. In 2018, Courtney was seen in three episodes of the show, The Goldbergs.

Freecreditreport.com - 2007 - Acting

Eric Violette was the man who starred as the guy with bad credit in the freecreditreport.com commercials. Violette was playing the guitar and singing in the commercial. They did not use Violette's voice for they actually had a guy named Dave Muhlenfeld who provided the singing voice in the commercial. These days, Violette is known for pursuing acting but he has yet to land a lead role in a major Hollywood project. In 2018, he played a paramedic in the show Faits divers and he reportedly has an upcoming short titled XY-24-70: La Planète Fantôme.

GEICO - 2000 - Hosting A Boxing Podcast

Jake Wood provided the voice for the cute gecko you saw in a lot of GEICO advertisements. Wood started doing voice work for the company back in 2000 and he continued to work with them until 2015. Rumors had it that Wood's contract with the insurance company had ended after Wood didn't like the fact that he was getting a salary cut. As an actor, Wood is best known for the roles he has on the TV series EastEnders, and in other series like The Bill (1988-1996), and Casualty (1991-. In 2018, Wood became one of the hosts of the boxing podcast called Pound for Pound.

State Farm - 2011 - Living A Normal Life

The insurance company called State Farm had an advertisement in the early 2010s which managed to become a massive hit in pop culture. Jake Stone was the man who starred as Jake in the commercials and he is widely remembered for his khaki pants. Stone is not a commercial model; in fact, he is actually an employee of State Farm. In 2015, Jake once again starred as Jake in an advert with the coneheads and yes, he was wearing khaki pants. Stone does not really plan on pursuing a career in show business as he likes living a quiet, private life.

Life Call - 1990 - Passed Away Back in 1997

Life Call promoted their emergency alert device through commercials that features testimonials from the elderly. Edith Fore was the woman who starred in those advertisements and she would be best remembered for saying that she can't get up after she has fallen. Fore's testimony was actually real because Life Call had truly saved her life once. Edith's commercials first started airing in 1990 and we're sure she received a very big paycheck for her public testimony. In 1997, Fore passed away at 81 years old but the exact cause of her death remains undisclosed.

AT&T - 2013 - Castmember of SNL

AT&T once had a very popular series of commercials from their It's Not That Complicated campaign. Beck Bennett was the man in the commercials who was interviewing a group of kids about the brand. Since becoming popular thanks to the commercials, Bennett was able to become a part of the main cast of Saturday Night Live. Working as a voice actor also earns Bennett a lot of funds into his bank account. Bennett lent his voice to the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 2 movie that will be released in 2019.

Coca-Cola - 1980 - Started The Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Memorial Scholarship

Mean Joe Greene is a former NFL star who is well recognized for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Greene was able to experienced winning the Super Bowl four times. Aside from his NFL career, Greene also became very popular for the commercial he did for Coca-Cola. The advert aired during Super Bowl XIV and it made people see him as the tough NFL star who is actually a really nice guy. Despite being in retirement, Greene still has a lot of things that keep him busy. To honor his wife who died in 2015, he started the Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Memorial Scholarship in 2018.

Sprint - 1990s - Still Acting

In the late 1980s, actress Candice Bergen became popular for starring in the sitcom titled Murphy Brown. In 2018, Bergen started starring in the reboot of Murphy Brown. During the 1990s, Bergen was not only known for her sitcom but also for being the "dime lady" from the Sprint commercials. The exposure she got from starring in the series of commercials had helped her obtain more notable credits for her acting portfolio over the years. The other popular roles Bergen had in her career were on Gandhi,  Starting Over, and Book Club.

Sonic - 2002 - Acting, Producing, & Writing

Peter Grosz was the actor who is recognized for the commercials he did for the fast food chain called Sonic. Grosz starred alongside T. J. Jagodowski in the "two guys" advertisement. Grosz still does some acting work to this day but he also makes a lot of money through his career as a TV writer and producer. Grosz has worked behind the scenes for shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Colbert Report. His most recent project was 2017's Aardvark and the TV series The President Show (2017-2018) which he produced.

Alka Seltzer - 2013 - Pursuing Acting

Jolie Jenkins was the beautiful girl who starred in the commercial for Alka Seltzer Fruit Chews. The product is what you take when you suffer from heartburn or indigestion. Jenkins has been pursuing acting since the late 1990s and this career choice of hers has been bringing her a stable amount of earnings to this day. Some of the shows Jenkins has appeared in are How I Met Your Mother, Devious Maids, and The West Wing. You can currently catch Jenkins in the show Alexa & Katie where she plays Jennifer Cooper.