Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes from the Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers campaign. I assume the guys were actors and not the real Bartles & James, but I don’t know that for certain. The commercials were always chuckle-worthy.
Thanks for your support.
I miss the Sprint “Trench Coat Guy” (actor Brian Baker) from 10 years ago.
He also played Liz Lemon’s deadbeat boyfriend/ex-boyfriend on 30 Rock.
Milana was in an episode of HBO’s comedy series Silicon Valley last year. I love her latest AT&T commercial, with the bedazzled shirt.
I’m also a fan of “Jan” the Toyota spokeswoman.
Do nonhumans count? :dubious:
Joe Isuzu - Yep! 
The OLDER Mayhem - more recent Facebook postings of Mayhem seem mean and just not that funny.
CLASSIC are Fred Rated ads for Federated Department Stores - mostly electronics - the guy was actually the corporate advertising manager. Some are hilarious, some are hokey. Can be found on Youtube.
You’re correct. They were played by David Rufkahr (Bartles) and Dick Maugg (Jaymes), neither of whom were professional actors. And the characters were invented by an ad agency - there was no real Bartles and Jaymes.
One of my favorites who hasn’t been mentioned is the Russian millionaire character for Direct TV. (“Opulence, I has it.”)
They were good, although they were criticized for inaccurate and misleading claims, and have now been pulled: DirecTV ends edgy ads with Rob Lowe amid criticism - CBS News
How can we forget the Real Men Of Genius.
Nitpick - Fred Rated was played by Shadoe Stevens, radio personality.
And he was great!
Who cares?
I assume that every statement made in a commercial is misleading or irrelevant. I don’t care, for instance, about the “ugly wires” DirecTv boasts about so much. And I don’t even UNDERSTAND caring about being able to record 5 shows while watching a sixth. Who has time for that much television?
As somebody (maybe you?) said upthread, the best TV ad campaigns are extremely brief TV shows.
My wife and I like the “Emily and Ryan” series of commercials for Haverty’s furniture (like this one or this one), but were recently bothered by Emily’s appearing simultaneously in an AT&T ad with Lily… and another man who is not Ryan!
It should be wrong for a commercial actor or actress to take on two gigs at the same time. Tony the Tiger doesn’t shill for Pine-Sol, he only advertises Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes*.
We also get a kick out of Pete and T.J. advertising for Sonic.
-
- in before some wise-ass notes the it’s Thurl “Tony The Tiger” Ravenscroft who sang the Grinch song for the original Chuck Jones animated special. He’s still not advertising Pine-Sol.
the Sun, from those frozen breakfast commercials.
[quote=“terentii, post:7, topic:718214”]
The Noxema babe. :o
[/QUOTE]Absolutely this one.
No, but he gives a ringing endorsement to seasick crocodiles.
Huh, 55 posts in and no mention of the Noid?
Yeah, he’s retired, but the ads were definitely amusing.
I absolutely loved James Garner and Mariette Hartley in the old Polaroid commercials. They had such dynamite chemistry together that people thought they were actually married in real life.