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Readers always write, and I love to hear from them—especially if they have an intriguing TV-related question that makes me jump up and down yelling à la Arnold Horshack “Oh! Oh! I know the answer to that!!” Of course, I also love a challenge, so when someone asks a question which I can’t answer off the top of my head, it immediately sends me off on a Mission, and I can’t rest until I find the answer. (Not that I have this burning desire to be a know-it-all or anything…) Welcome to the first installation of what we hope will become a recurring TVHolic feature: The Mailbag. If you have a sincere question that’s been bugging you for years, or just something that you think will stump me, this is the place to “bring it.” Now, on to this week’s question:
“I just saw a commercial for Orville Redenbacher popcorn using old footage of Mr. Redenbacher and that got me thinking….Who else has posthumously pitched products (either for their own company or just in general)?”
–Sarah
Several companies have raised celebrities from the dead in order to hawk their products, all with varying levels of success.
The trend started in 1991, when Elton John co-starred with Humphrey Bogart, Louis Armstrong and James Cagney in a Diet Coke spot. This was the first instance of deceased celebrities being completely re-created digitally, rather than simply splicing existing footage into a film. The commercial was so successful that a second one was made featuring Paula Abdul (during her initial, pre-American Idol round of stardom) alongside Cary Grant, Groucho Marx and Gene Kelly.
Coors found similar success using John Wayne in a series of spots beginning in 1997. The producers cheated a bit in these ads, though; quite often the only part of the Duke that was digitalized was his face, which was then superimposed onto the body of famed John Wayne impersonator Ermal Walden Williamson, who provided all the “action.”
They’re Not All Winners, Though
One such campaign that backfired was a series of commercials featuring legendary hoofer Fred Astaire “dancing” with a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner. When the first spot (filmed with the blessing of Astaire’s widow, Robin) originally aired during Super Bowl XXXI, it was a critical favorite. But once the commercials hit the airwaves in regular rotation, hard-core MGM musical fans thought replacing Ginger Rogers with a household appliance was disrespectful, and their revulsion was reflected in the company’s quarterly sales report. The spots were quietly removed from circulation.
Thanks to Sarah for a great question that inspired an interesting trip down memory lane. Please feel free to send any TV-related questions you may have to kara@mentalfloss.com for use in a future Mailbag!
Comments (18)
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John Lennon is back spruiking the One Laptop Per Child program at the moment
posted by Jase on 1-20-2009 at 2:45 pm
Actually, the scene of Fred dancing with a Dirt Devil was lifted from the film Royal Wedding where he performed the routine with a coat rack, so Ginger Rogers fans have no need to feel snubbed.
posted by Dan on 1-20-2009 at 3:00 pm
Can we talk about how Johnny Knoxville is totally in the Coors commercial?
posted by Ryan on 1-20-2009 at 3:04 pm
Don’t forget that short-lived Orville “Deadenbacher” ad. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
posted by KStanton on 1-20-2009 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for making me super special by answering my question :-D
posted by Sarah on 1-20-2009 at 3:29 pm
It’s been bugging me since a few months ago when I saw something about some guy that used to be on Baywatch recieved a residuel check for $16.00.
How are residuels calculated? Like they sell the show to someone to rerun, but do they divvie out residuels to everyone that worked on that particular show? Do they get paid every year?
$16.00 to one actor seems like a lot to me for Baywatch reruns.
posted by holly on 1-20-2009 at 4:58 pm
ryan, i am right there with you. i had to freeze-frame it to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.
posted by paige. on 1-20-2009 at 5:13 pm
That should have been:
“Thanks for making me FEEL super special by answering my question :-D ”
I would also be interested in who came back to make (new) music like Natalie Cole pairing with her dad for “Unforgettable”. And, of course, how the deceased died in the first place.
posted by Sarah on 1-20-2009 at 5:42 pm
I was just talking to a friend about this and he showed me The Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #19 where Homer is paid to kill celebrities so the ad companies can use their image without having to pay them but I would think that any surviving relatives would require payment…. any comments on this?
posted by Sarah on 1-20-2009 at 5:46 pm
Someone already mentioned that Fred Astaire was dancing with a coat rack but I thought I suggest a quiz about musicals MGM or otherwise. The article that was suggested about residuals sounded really interesting also.
posted by Lindsay on 1-20-2009 at 7:04 pm
Reading through some of the old blogs… you have covered celeb pitchpeople that were canned, that came back from the dead… how about celeb pitchpeople that were a success for their product/company? (Not their OWN product like George Foreman).
Also… while watching House tonight, I wondered how they do those surgeries that look real.
posted by Sarah on 1-20-2009 at 10:58 pm
Wasn’t there a commercial where someone turned into Marilyn Monroe under the influence of Chanel #5?
By the way, in Studio City, CA there’s a bar called Re$iduals; someone in the Writer’s Guild told me that if you bring in a residual check of less than a dollar, they’ll give you a free drink.
posted by VM on 1-20-2009 at 11:37 pm
there was a gap ad with audrey hepburn a few years ago. i actually liked it. she was dancing to “back in black”
posted by dine on 1-21-2009 at 12:51 am
I shuddered the first time I saw the little cartoon Colonel Sanders in a KFC ad. I cringe thinking of the day that Dave Thomas will be resurrected to flog Wendy’s from beyond the grave.
posted by Cynthia on 1-21-2009 at 1:00 am
Doc Martens resurrected Kurt Cobain, Sid Vicious, Joe Strummer, and Joey Ramone on some print ads not too long ago. I think they pulled the ads after Courtney Love threatened to sue. Although if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t Kurt’s whole thing with Chuck Taylors?
posted by Annelise on 1-21-2009 at 1:40 am
I’m surprised that nobody mentioned Gene Kelly and the VW Golf commercial. It was really really cool. Check it out on Youtube.
posted by Nikki on 1-21-2009 at 11:11 am
I thought about that also, Cynthia, but if they haven’t used him by now, I don’t think they will. Perhaps they are honoring him because he never really liked doing the commercials in the first place.
posted by Sarah in CA (formerly just Sarah) on 1-21-2009 at 11:13 am
Ryan, that was the first thing that popped into my head. Johnny Knoxville? Makes me want to go back and watch every old commerical to see how many “pre-fame” celebrities I can pick out.
posted by Brian S. on 1-21-2009 at 1:14 pm