Television commercials have a unique way of embedding themselves into our memories. They often feature catchy jingles, memorable slogans, and sometimes, unforgettable characters. Over the decades, these commercials have brought various personalities into our living rooms, making them household names. However, many of these commercial stars have sadly passed away, leaving behind a legacy that is often overlooked.
In this article, we will reminisce about the commercial stars you might not know died, shedding light on their contributions and celebrating their lives. Join us as we take a walk down memory lane, remembering the voices that once filled our screens and the stories that have shaped the advertising landscape.
Table of Contents
- Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas
- 7Up's Geoffrey Holder
- Kodak's Michael Landon
- Lucky Charms' Arthur Anderson
- Pepperidge Farm's Parker Fennelly
- The Marlboro Man, Robert Norris
- OxiClean's Billy Mays
- Sprite's Jim Varney
- Herschel Bernardi, the Jolly Green Giant
- Tootsie Pops's Paul Winchell
- Jane Withers was Josephine the Plumber
- 'Infomercial King' Ron Popeil
- Dena Dietrich played Mother Nature
- Levi's-wearing Nick Kamen
- Windell Middlebrooks was the Miller High Life deliveryman
- Wilford Brimley educated us about diabetes
- Nancy Walker told us to get the quicker picker upper
- Anthony Martignetti was the famous pasta kid
- Who could forget the Taco Bell dog?
- Elmer Lynn Hauldren was everyone's favorite carpet man
Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas
Who better to advertise major fast-food chain Wendy's than the founder and CEO himself, Dave Thomas? According to The New York Times, Thomas opened his first restaurant in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio, after he had no luck finding a tasty hamburger. Naming the restaurant after his daughter, Thomas had her greet his first customers wearing her famous blue-and-white striped dress with her red hair in pigtails. With just under 6,000 Wendy's across the nation (via Restaurant Business), it has become a fast-food favorite among Americans, with Forbes reporting that it had "dethroned" Burger King to become the second biggest hamburger chain behind McDonald's.
Thomas was widely known as the man behind Wendy's because he starred in more than 800 television commercials for the hamburger restaurant. The New York Times reported that Thomas would often wear a white button-down t-shirt with a red tie and would even include a dog or a celebrity in his commercials. The Guinness Book of World Records even recognized Thomas with "Most TV commercials starring [the] company founder."
According to a Wendy's news release (per CNN Money), Thomas was 69-years-old when he died in 2002 after a long battle with liver cancer. Jack Schuessler, the retired chairman and CEO of Wendy's International Inc., shared, "Dave was our patriarch, a great, big lovable man," adding, "Although Dave was widely popular, he was never very comfortable as a celebrity. He kept reminding us he was simply a hamburger cook."
| Full Name | Dave Thomas |
|---|---|
| Born | July 2, 1932 |
| Died | January 8, 2002 |
| Occupation | Founder of Wendy's |
| Notable Work | Over 800 commercials for Wendy's |
7Up's Geoffrey Holder
Geoffrey Holder was a man of many talents who was most recognized for his work as a dancer, designer, actor, and artist, and whose cosmic personality matched his six-foot-six stature. After leaving his native Trinidad and Tobago behind, he danced on Broadway and worked with New York's Metropolitan Opera Ballet in the '50s and later won two Tony Awards in 1975 for "The Wiz," an all-Black retelling of the Judy Garland classic, "The Wizard of Oz." Holder also worked in movies starring in films like 1967's "Doctor Dolittle" and 1973's "Live and Let Die," where he played the villain named Baron Samedi.
However, viewers watching television in the '70s and '80s would likely recognize Holder as the man behind the 7Up ads. Holder, dressed in a white suit with a matching white hat, would entice viewers in his smooth and seductive voice to go out and try the soft drink, also known as "the UnCola," as one ad referred to it. Being part of one of the most memorable commercials ever made, AdAge stated, "The extraordinary performance of the Trinidad-born Mr. Holder made the spot one of the most remembered commercials of all time," adding, "But behind the scenes, the project also represented a dramatic change in the marketing culture of the soft-drink company — the first time it allowed a person of color to be cast in its TV ad."
Holder died at the age of 84 in 2014 after complications due to pneumonia, per The New York Times.
| Full Name | Geoffrey Holder |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1930 |
| Died | October 5, 2014 |
| Occupation | Dancer, Actor, Director |
| Notable Work | 7Up commercials, "The Wiz" |
Kodak's Michael Landon
Fans of the classic Western television show "Bonanza" will remember actor Michael Landon starring as the handsome Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright. Landon played the role for 14 seasons, with Biography reporting that it was "the No. 1 show on television from 1964 to 1967." A year after "Bonanza" aired its final episode in 197
