# Commercial Oddities **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318 "2016-07-19T14:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/21 "2016-07-21T16:04:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Sir T-Cups \*\* > What about the [Realtor.com](http://Realtor.com) commercials that use Ty Burrell as their spokesman, but he’s in character as Phil Dunphy from Modern Family? > > Has there ever been a case where a brand used an actual character from a TV show or movie (not the actor wink-wink, nudge-nudgeing to their character) as a spokesperson? This absolutely hilarious Jeno’s pizza roll commercial with a cameo from Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Apparently he did some General Mills commercials in character as well. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEfx9epJKEg) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/22 "2016-07-21T16:06:30Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Has there ever been a case where a brand used an actual character from a TV show or movie (not the actor wink-wink, nudge-nudgeing to their character) as a spokesperson? [Does Fred Flintstone count?](http://adage.com/article/rewind/yabba-dabba-cough-flintstones-shilled-cigarettes/240572/) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/23 "2016-07-21T17:34:15Z")
In the latest spots for Intel, is it Jim Parsons or Sheldon Cooper? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/24 "2016-07-21T18:42:54Z")
I find odd the unrealistic way people eat fast food in commercials. Like the model holding the giant burger in one hand and smashing it into her face, or the people who hold sub sandwiches vertically with one hand and nothing falls out of it. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/25 "2016-07-22T19:43:06Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I find odd the unrealistic way people eat fast food in commercials. Like the model holding the giant burger in one hand and smashing it into her face, or the people who hold sub sandwiches vertically with one hand and nothing falls out of it. Did anyone else but me notice that the burger they’re eating in the Burger King commercial is about three times the size of a real whopper? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/26 "2016-07-22T20:01:11Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > In the latest spots for Intel, is it Jim Parsons or Sheldon Cooper? I would classify this as my “it’s the actor, but he’s wink-winking to his character” definition. That’s interesting about the Odd Couple though. I guess it proves that even if this isn’t the first time this has happened, it’s quite rare. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/27 "2016-07-22T20:11:28Z")
The characters from _The Adventures of Superman_ did a whole slew of commercials for [Kellogg Cereals](http://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=active&q=youtube+superman+corn+flakes) in the 1950s. All except for Lois Lane. The writers couldn’t come up with an innocent reason for her to be having breakfast with Clark or Jimmy. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/28 "2016-07-22T20:14:08Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Has there ever been a case where a brand used an actual character from a TV show or movie (not the actor wink-wink, nudge-nudgeing to their character) as a spokesperson? I am pretty sure some of the early TV programs staged ads right in the live performance, with the cast in character. I couldn’t say if they addressed each other as characters or actors, but when it comes to Luci and Desi, there’s not much difference. For those who have never seen them, shows of the late 1940s and 1950s would just have the cast stop and share cigarettes or coffee or whatever, right there on the set and in the middle of the show, and then (with or without another commercial break of any kind) continue with the program. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/29 "2016-07-22T20:42:32Z")
Days of Our Lives just a few years ago would have characters in-scene telling us what made a particular brand of Chinese food, or Cheerios, so good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJpgjfFJpc ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/30 "2016-07-23T18:03:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I am pretty sure some of the early TV programs staged ads right in the live performance, with the cast in character. I couldn’t say if they addressed each other as characters or actors, but when it comes to Luci and Desi, there’s not much difference. > > For those who have never seen them, shows of the late 1940s and 1950s would just have the cast stop and share cigarettes or coffee or whatever, right there on the set and in the middle of the show, and then (with or without another commercial break of any kind) continue with the program. I often wondered why you don’t see reruns of Jack Benny or Burns and Allen on TV. Turns out most of the early programs were just one long commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/31 "2016-07-23T19:15:12Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Has there ever been a case where a brand used an actual character from a TV show or movie (not the actor wink-wink, nudge-nudgeing to their character) as a spokesperson? [“Austin Powers” selling Pepsi.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzZuowGbp6w) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/32 "2016-07-23T20:48:10Z")
Back in the 80s elderly actress Clara Peller became extremely famous for her, _[“Where’s the beef!”](https://youtu.be/U80ebi4AKgs?t=2)_ series of commercials for Wendy’s (Walter Mondale even famously used the phrase in his 1984 presidential campaign). She eventually did a commercial for a spaghetti sauce that was very ‘meaty’ and had her saying, _“I finally found it!”_. She was fired by Wendy’s soon after. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/33 "2016-07-23T20:52:24Z")
[quote=“furryman, post:21, topic:760318”] This absolutely hilarious Jeno’s pizza roll commercial with a cameo from Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Apparently he did some General Mills commercials in character as well. [/QUOTE] So I’m guessing that the smoking, first guy who asks about the use of \*The William Tell Overture \*represented a cigarette company that also used the theme? Any idea what brand that was? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/34 "2016-07-23T21:17:53Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I am pretty sure some of the early TV programs staged ads right in the live performance, with the cast in character. I couldn’t say if they addressed each other as characters or actors, but when it comes to Luci and Desi, there’s not much difference. > > For those who have never seen them, shows of the late 1940s and 1950s would just have the cast stop and share cigarettes or coffee or whatever, right there on the set and in the middle of the show, and then (with or without another commercial break of any kind) continue with the program. I have a DVD set with many commercials from this time, including I Love Lucy ones, and I think they stayed in character. It seemed very common back then, but the sponsor more or less owned the show, unlike today where they buy up ad slots. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/35 "2016-07-23T21:31:32Z")
[This](https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7QCh/iams-a-boy-and-his-dog-duck) is a commercial for IAMS pet food. At the very end, the boy is standing next to the car at the beach and encouraging the dog to jump in the back seat. The thing is I remember that scene at the end of a Subaru commercial, preceded by the same scenes of the boy growing up with the dog. So I thought it was an example of two companies using the same footage in commercials for different products. But I can find no mention of this, so perhaps I’m imagining the Subaru commercial? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/36 "2016-07-24T02:21:14Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > So I’m guessing that the smoking, first guy who asks about the use of \*The William Tell Overture \*represented a cigarette company that also used the theme? Any idea what brand that was? Larks? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/37 "2016-07-24T02:30:54Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Larks? [https://archive.org/details/tobacco\_ipv08h00](https://archive.org/details/tobacco_ipv08h00) At 4:30. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/38 "2016-07-24T03:30:27Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Days of Our Lives just a few years ago would have characters in-scene telling us what made a particular brand of Chinese food, or Cheerios, so good. > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJpgjfFJpc They also did an in-show Midol ad in 2014 that’s too painfully awful to link to. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/39 "2016-07-24T04:01:17Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So I thought it was an example of two companies using the same footage in commercials for different products. But I can find no mention of this, so perhaps I’m imagining the Subaru commercial? Wow. I’ve never seen the Iams version before, but I was rather charmed by the Subaru version, and remember it well. They’re using the exact same footage. ---
**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318/40 "2016-07-24T09:12:19Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Wow. I’ve never seen the Iams version before, but I was rather charmed by the Subaru version, and remember it well. They’re using the exact same footage. [Similar idea, but different commercials](http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=subaru+dog+commercial&&view=detail&mid=A372047E9BABD1673E9EA372047E9BABD1673E9E&rvsmid=305D6BCCB62F8E446B44305D6BCCB62F8E446B44&fsscr=-5280&FORM=VDFSRV) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-oddities/760318.md?page=3)