Whenever commercials are on television, most people happily change the channel. Although there’s this big tradition of them being the most hated part of watching the telly. There are some ingenious commercials that not only made people want to watch them but have shaped generations of people.
We are about to re-visit some of the biggest successes in advertising. Though being a commercial actor is in no way similar to being a Hollywood star, these people tend to disagree. How did these people get the role, and how much were they paid to get their faces on national television? We are about to find out!
Undisclosed Salary, Snapple, 1993
Her story is so unique, as she wasn’t aiming to become an entire company’s spokesperson. Due to her character and whit, Wendy Kaufman was forever dubbed as The Snapple Lady. Her commercials were responsible for raising Snapple’s yearly income from $24 million per year to $750 million!
Replying to the company’s fan mail, was something that Wendy did before the commercials were even a thing. Some brilliant minds from Snapple’s advertising company thought it’d be good to have her do that for the commercial, and the rest was history!
$50,249 - Red Robin, 2014
Before the Red Robin commercials, Melanie Paxson had undertaken numerous projects. However, arguably, through the very commercials, she got the big break that she so much deserved. Paxson's said to have earned a $50,249 salary through them, on top of a $600K net worth. Of course, she’s acted in other commercials, but being a burger-lunatic did the trick for her.
Her high-pitched voice and her incredible acting skills landed her in countless Red Robin spots and dubbed her as the Red Robin lady. Paxson is 47 years old, married, and has a daughter. In 2019 she even played in the Descendants 3 movie as the Fairy Godmother.
$250K, Pine-Sol, 1993
Ever since 1993, the entire advertising campaign of Pine-Sol has been based on Diane Amos’s contribution. She’s been the company’s spokesperson happily, since then. When she’s not filming spots, Diane is a stand-up comedian. She’s as funny on stage as she is on camera.
Diane is said to be getting paid about $250K for her collaboration with Pine-Sol. Her total fortune is as high as $2.5 million by now. Before she even started acting, Diane took part in many TV games, like The $10,000 Pyramid in 1986.
Undisclosed Salary, GoDaddy, 2013
A job well done according to an advertising company is when the spot gets people to talk about it. In 2013, that was exactly the case for GoDaddy, whey they hired Jesse Heiman for their ad. What was so genius about the spot, was that he had to kiss the supermodel, Bar Rafaeli.
The company did have a gigantic profit after the commercial aired. What’s more incredible is that Jesse Heiman got discovered. He’s 41 years old, and even before the spot, he was an extra actor. Heiman has a $900K net worth and has been in over 100 movies and TV shows.
Undisclosed Salary, Wendy's, 2012
We can’t exactly say how much Morgan Smith-Goodwin was earning by being the spokesperson in Wendy’s. She has a $3-million fortune. What many people don’t know about Morgan, is that she had to dye her hair orange to get the part, but to be fair, she was perfect.
Since she stopped collaborating with Wendy’s, Morgan has moved on to create her series, that aired in 2018, Whitney and Britni. She is now getting ready to act in the Messiah series in 2020. One thing’s for sure, by playing Wendy’s girl, Morgan was able to jumpstart her acting career.
Undisclosed Salary, Old Spice, 2010
To be fair, Isaiah Mustafa was always charming, but it wasn’t until the Old Spice commercials when he got to show off about it. His commercials arguably make for advertising brilliance. Mustafa was able to jumpstart his career in acting and get quite a lot of fans in doing so.
Even though how much he was earning for the spots is not known to the public, his fortune is at $5 million. In 2019, not only did Mustafa partly revisit his Old Spice days making a commercial with Kevin Hart, but he also played in It Chapter Two.
$35K, Sonic Drive-In, 2004
The Sonic Drive-In commercials did seriously help T.J. Jagodowski’s career as an actor. Just to be safe, we are talking about the guy on the left. They’ve become famous as a duo for their silly car-conversations while eating food from Sonic.
T.J. is an improv teacher at the iO Theater. He has been dubbed as one of the greatest improvisers out there. As for his salary from the commercials, some say it is as high as $35K, so why wouldn’t he be happy about it? T.J. is now the owner of a $300K fortune.
Undisclosed Salary, Target, 2009
She had taken up acting gigs here and there, but what turned Maria Bamford’s luck, was landing a role in the Target commercial campaign in 2009. Maria has often talked about how hard it was for her to begin her acting career. However, she can now proudly say that she makes $20K a night on a stand-up show.
In total, Maria has a $300K net worth. She’s been incredibly open about her mental health struggles and has even joked about it in her shows. Maria is married to Scott Marvel Cassidy since 2015. In 2020 she will work with the What’s Your Ailment series.
$2 Million, Dos Equis, 2007
He’s a meme, charming and most importantly, a good actor. When Jonathan Goldsmith began working for the Dos Equis beer, he was able to raise the company’s sales by over 15%. At his peak, it is said that the company was paying him up to $2 million yearly.
However, Jonathan Goldsmith was eventually replaced. He’s now making commercials for the Astral Tequila company since 2017. Jonathan Goldsmith was an actor all his life, and arguably his greatest project has been working on these commercials. In 2018, he was in Mama Mia! Here We Go Again.
$1 Million, T-Mobile, 2010
She started her career as a model at the age of thirteen. As a grown-up, she was able to become a spokeswoman for the T-Mobile company. Carly Foulkes, while working with T-Mobile was being paid as high as $1 million per year.
She might have stopped collaborating with them as much since 2013, but Carly still has a $3 million net worth backing her up. As for her signature pink and white dress or pink and black biker clothes, they’re probably somewhere in her wardrobe. Carly is 31 years old and in 2018 she did participate in the Collapsing Scenery: Modern World short video.
$1 Million, Toyota, 2012
She started in the business by being an assistant to Curb Your Enthusiasm back in 2007. Fast forward some years later, and Laurel Coppock became famous for being the Toyota girl in the company’s funny commercials. As it turns out, she even gets paid about $1 million per year to wear her red polo shirt.
Although selling cars is a great job, in Laurel’s case, pretending to do so pays better. She does have many other comedic projects on the run, like the Titled Sketch Project. but the Toyota spots have been an amazing tool in her career reaching such heights.
Undisclosed Salary, AT&T, 2013
Speaking of genius advertising campaigns, Beck Bennett has had the chance of being the face for one. In 2013, just around the time when he was able to join the Saturday Night Live cast, he did get hired as the spokesperson for AT&T’s commercials, alongside a distinct group of children, of course.
Beck might have stopped doing the commercials now, but his fortune has did skyrocket through SNL. He’s said to be earning around $300K per year. Add that to his AT&T income, and we can easily suppose that 2013 was a good year for Beck’s pockets.
Undisclosed Salary, Orbit, 2010
She made a name for herself by being the Orbit Gum Girl. Farris Patton did make a fortune through the commercials. By being a spokeswoman for the company, Farris was able to create a $1.3 million total worth. She also made her vlog on YouTube with her husband, Jimmy.
Farris, although not British, plays the British mouth-cleaner in the commercials. She has been doing so since 2010. On top of that, Farris was on Jimmy Kimmel Live on various roles. She has also worked as a model, on top of working as an extra on various TV shows.
$3 Million, Verizon Wireless, 2001
Through Verizon Wireless Paul Marcarelli did manage to become famous as the Can You Hear Me Now guy from the company’s ads. He began his collaboration with the company in 2001 and stayed there up until 2011. At his highest point, it was reported that Marcarelli was earning up to $3 million per year from the commercials alone.
Marcarelli, however, had many projects at the time. He chose to end his collaboration in 2011. Marcarelli did start a production company in New York called Mobius Group. In 2016, he did sign with Sprint to be their spokesman. Marcarelli is now proud to say that he has a $10 million net worth.
$1 Million, Allstate Insurance, 2010
In 2010 the world got introduced to Mr. Mayhem’s character through Allstate Insurance’s advertising campaign. His ability to wreak havoc on people’s houses was so incredible. Not only is Dean Winters still the company’s spokesperson, but he’s also getting paid $4,750 for a single spot.
Upon adding it all up, one will find that Winters is now earning about $1 million per year. While his fortune is as high as $5 million, he’s also moving forward with his career as an actor. In 2020, Winters will be playing in the film Lost Girls.
Undisclosed Salary, Maytag Corporation, 2014
He was born in Montreal, Canada back in 1972. Colin Ferguson began his career as an actor taking minor roles in various series. The single part for which he’s most recognized is the Maytag man. These awkward commercials have gotten him recognized ever since he started, in 2014.
Although it’s hard to estimate how big exactly his salary is, Ferguson is now said to have a total fortune of $8 million. On top of the commercials, Ferguson has also begun accepting jobs elsewhere. In 2019, he did play at Christmas in Montana movie.
Undisclosed Salary, ShamWow, 2007
He is known as the InVinceAble man after his successful infomercials on TV. Vince Offer has advertised anything from the ShamWow towel to the SlapChop kitchen appliance. He was born in Israel back in 1955 and eventually became one of the highest-paid commercial pitchman and spokesman out there.
Even though we don’t know what his salary for the commercials was, he now has a $2 million fortune all for himself. Vince was married to Melody Claire Mandate from 2014 up until 2018. He has also created in every way The Underground Comedy Movie in 1999.
$2 Million, Progressive Insurance Company, 2008
In 2008, Progressive Insurance Company came up with the idea for a character for their commercials. By 2014, Stephani Courtney, the lucky person who got to portray her, had already appeared in over 100 commercials as the company’s spokeswoman. She’s now said to have a $2 million annual income.
On top of acting as the Progressive woman, Stephani is also a comedian. As it turns out, she’s been playing in The Goldbergs since 2018. In 2019 Stephani did voice a character in the Green Eggs and Ham series. Overall, she has a $6 million fortune.
Undisclosed Salary, Life Cereal, 1977
Life Cereal has probably created one of the most notable commercials ever, as it used to air for a bit over 12 consecutive years. As a commercial, it was pretty plain and simple. What made it unique though, was Little Mickey, the stubborn kid with a difficult taste that surprised everyone when he liked the cereal.
John Gilchrist, the child actor we see on the picture, had the chance of playing little Mickey when he was just 3.5 years old. It’s unclear how much he was paid for the commercial. Since 2012, John has been working as a director do sales for MSG Network.
$20K, Trivago, 2012
In 2012, Trivago introduced us to their guy, Tim Williams. He was hired to make a simple ad, explaining the website. As it did turn out, Williams still has the Trivago gig to the day. It’s safe to speculate that he’s earning anywhere around $20K for each spot. His total fortune is at $5 million.
Williams, however, has had quite the career outside commercials. He’s incredibly famous in Germany for his acting. Williams has played in German series and movies dating back to the early ‘90s. His latest project was the film Ballon in 2018.
Undisclosed, Tang, 1966
In the ‘60s, Tang started a marketing campaign based on their collaboration with NASA on their space programs. Tang was sent to space for the astronauts to drink in their Gemini missions, and they also featured that fact on their successful ‘60s commercial.
As a result, Tang’s income skyrocketed itself. However, years after the commercial first aired, Buzz Aldrin, who was on that very space mission, said he never really cared for Tang. No matter what, this commercial did help make Tang into the billion-worth company it is today.
Undisclosed, Atari, 1982
Even though Atari has not been doing great in the modern market, it used to be the best video game company back in the day. Not only was it creating original content on its games, but the company is also responsible for some of the best gaming consoles ever made.
We Have The Vision advertisement from 1982 is one of the greatest examples showing how great of a company it once was. It was filmed around the same time when they released the Atari 5200 console, which broke sales records. They are still around to the day, just not as amazing as they once were.
Undisclosed, Monster.com, 1999
During Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, the viewers around the States were amazed in a very different way than what they did expect. That was when the Monster.com commercial first aired. It did show kids telling us what they want to do when they grow up, but instead of fancy and grand dreams, they were all low achievers.
The commercial was filmed by the Mullen Agency in Boston. It eventually did receive numerous accolades for it. As for Monster.com, given that the commercial was released the same year as its founding, it went on to do great. Nowadays, it makes almost $1 billion a year.
Undisclosed, Google, 2010
It’s not like Google to self-promote. After all, without ever advertising, Google has created a legacy for other smaller search-engines to follow. Not to mention that the company’s name is even made into a verb when it comes to such things. Everyone was surprised to see Google launching its first-ever advertisement on TV in 2010.
Super Bowl is a great marketing opportunity for all companies. It's an expensive investment as well, as it can cost up to $3 million for a 30-second spot. In 2010, Google presented the world with their Parisian Love spot. On top of being incredibly simple, it was also overly heart-warming.
Undisclosed Salary, E*Trade, 2017
For almost as long as it’s existed, E*Trade has created a tradition in funny advertisements. Starting from the baby ads in 2008, moving on to the most recent ad campaign with the Don’t Be Mad catchphrase. It is the very first ad they did with that slogan called the Yacht Life.
Just by seeing the props in this single 30-second commercial it’s safe to say that it cost them a lot. It was worth it, however, today, the company has almost $3 billion in revenue. In 2019, they changed their CEO, to Michael A. Pizzi.
Undisclosed Salary, Doritos, 2011
We’ve already gone through how pricey it is for a company to air a commercial during the Super Bowl, however, that has never stopped them from doing so. Doritos have created a legacy with funny-dog advertisements, and the Super Bowl XLV in 2011 was no different.
In the 30-second ad, that cost them $3 million to air, we can see the guy taunting the pug for a single Dorito. Once it starts running towards him, the actor closes the door, only to have it slammed on his face. The Pug Attack commercial was a hit and had loads of people laughing.
Undisclosed Salary, Snickers, 2010
It’s no wonder how Snickers have become one of the best-selling chocolate bars worldwide, not with those advertisements of theirs. In 2010, some genius in their advertising company thought of the idea to have Betty White herself play in the ad. The result was amazing.
Even though they reportedly had to pay around $4.6 million to have it aired, the company benefited greatly from it. It also started the You’re Not You When You’re Hungry campaign. As far as Betty goes, the money she got for the ad was probably nothing compared to her $75-million fortune!
Undisclosed, Budweiser, 2002
This one is probably one of the most respected advertisements out there so far. Just two months after the 9/11 attacks, Budweiser chose to pay its respects as a company making a tribute ad. They had to get special licenses to film it, and the result was amazing.
The ad follows a carriage with horses making their way to New York City through the snowstorm just to respectfully bow upon its sight. They only aired the commercial once during Super Bowl XXXVI and a remake of it on 9/11’s tenth anniversary in 2011.
Undisclosed, Doritos, 2012
On a lighter note, and back to the Dorito subject, in 2012, they were able to leave everyone with a smile. one of the two comedic advertisements they aired during that year’s Super Bowl was the so-called Sling Baby ad. It only featured two siblings and their grandma, but the results were incredible.
As the big brother teases the little one about the bag of Doritos he’s holding, they come up with a plot to grab them; and so they do. On top of being innovative, the advertisement was incredibly funny. Although the New England Patriots fans weren’t happy that day, it’s safe to say that this ad cheered them up!
Undisclosed, Coca-Cola, 1979
At the time, it was considered as one of the best commercials ever made, and to be fair, it kind of still is. Although this Coca Cola commercial debuted in 1979, it only made headlines when it got played during the Super Bowl XIV in 1980. It did feature a kid giving ‘Mean’ Joe Greene his drink.
Joe Greene not only became widely recognized for this commercial, but he also had a great time with the Pittsburgh Steelers that year. As for Coca-Cola, it remains to the day one of the best-selling soda brands out there. It’s safe to say that they can credit their success to their one-of-a-kind advertisements.
Undisclosed, Volkswagen Passat, 2011
So far, we’ve seen how a good commercial can affect a company’s sales and the people’s perception of it. Volkswagen is aware of that fact. In 2011, they did air one of the most memorable, by far, commercials ever. To be fair, what could go wrong with combining Star Wars and children?
The Force ad first aired in 2011, and the results were incredible. In fact, upon being uploaded on YouTube it became viral in just a matter of days. As far as the child actor, Max Page goes, he got a role in The Young and the Restless. In 2019 he was in Between the Darkness.
Undisclosed, Budweiser, 2015
We have seen how many different companies have based their marketing campaigns on making people laugh. It seems as though Budweiser has based its marketing campaign on a different feeling. We’ve already talked about one of their most memorable sentimental ads, and here’s another one, with a completely different subject.
It’s not uncommon to see puppies, especially Labradors, on ads. Budweiser has a long-standing tradition though of making us cry. In 2015, they aired their Lost Puppy ad, which is the story of a lost puppy being rescued by Budweiser’s signature horses. It was a sequel to their last year’s ad, called Puppy Love.
Undisclosed, Budweiser, 2014
Finally, talking about their Lost Puppy one, we could not have possibly left out the Puppy Love, Budweiser commercial. It debuted in 2014 on the night of the Super Bowl and spread feelings of joy to its viewers. It appears the company has found the perfect way of evoking people’s feelings with Labrador puppies and horses.
The advertisement is about a puppy that befriends a horse. It ends up running away from home to be with its horse friends. The advertisement certainly touched everyone’s hearts and became a hit in a matter of days. Meanwhile, a 30-second ad during Super Bowl in 2014, cost an average of $4 million.