digg

Facebook Connect Join Digg About
See the original image at chicagotribune.com

Famous television pitchmen (and women) [Pics]

chicagotribune.com — They've graced your television screens for decades pitching products you never even knew you wanted... until they told you you couldn't live without them. RIP Billy Mays.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 29, 2009

Digg DudeWhat is Digg?

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. Digg surfaces the best stuff as submitted and voted on by the community. Take the Tour to learn more.

47 Comments

show profanity settings
expand all
  • IsraGeek, on 06/29/2009, -0/+18RIP Billy Mays.
  • MooseOfReason, on 06/29/2009, -0/+16BILLY MAYS HERE WITH THE MIGHTY HARP.
  • LaGStAr, on 06/29/2009, -0/+12That quickly went from famous pitchmen to famous people who have pitched anything in their life.
  • doctechnical, on 06/28/2009, -3/+15No mention of:

    "Colonel" Harland Sanders, who single handedly founded a chicken franchise empire on little more than 11 herbs and spices, and a pressure cooker. He drove from restaurant to restaurant, cooked up a plate of his chicken and gave it to the customers. Based on the customer's response, he sold the place his special coating.

    Orville Redenbacher, popcorn tycoon?

    No, we get Sally Field (what the heck did SHE pitch?), and four - count'em, four! Maytag Repairmen. This list drips with fail.
  • Xwhy, on 06/28/2009, -0/+11Jesse White was THE Maytag Repairman and the others can sit in the spin cycle. (And he wasn't replaced because he died -- they just wanted a fresh look after 21 years.)

    I miss Dave Thomas doing his own commercials. He also acted -- well, if you consider a part in a Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman reunion movie acting.
  • cyrix, on 06/29/2009, -0/+9TOO MANY MAYTAG PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE? HI BILLY MAYS HERE....
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -0/+8CLICKING TOO MANY TIMES ON A WEBSITE? HI, BILLY MAYS HERE WITH CLICK AWAY!
  • warp99, on 06/28/2009, -0/+7They're adding to the list because now Suzanne Somers, Florence Henderson, Colonel Sanders, and Sally Struthers are included.

    All of these names were mentioned in this thread as not on the list. Makes you wonder who's reading Digg.
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -0/+5dugg for making me sad :/
  • ElHoju, on 06/29/2009, -0/+4Buried for no Wilford Brimley
  • wtrwlkr, on 06/29/2009, -0/+4Dave Thomas?
  • wrathchilde, on 06/28/2009, -2/+5No Sally Struthers? No one cried more in a pitch, ever.
    Instapoll: Brooke Shields is more famous for "Smokers are losers" than Calvin Klein jeans, right? Or, I'm old, you decide.
  • norle, on 06/29/2009, -0/+3Sanders is on the list. Second to last page.
  • wettestwillie, on 06/29/2009, -0/+3WHY ARE THERE SO MANY MAYTAG PEOPLE? ONE IS ENOUGH!
  • harajukukei, on 06/29/2009, -0/+3chef tony omitted wtf
  • crossmr, on 06/29/2009, -0/+3They put the "new" maytag guy on there? No one knows who he is..

    most of these people are only famous for pitching 1 thing. Billy is famous for so many.
  • teamgwho, on 06/29/2009, -0/+3This was a stupid list. There's a difference between doing ads for a product (Bill Cosby for Jello) and starring in informercials repeatedly (Billy Mays, Chef Tony, etc). Totally different vehicles. Nearly every celebrity has done an ad for something at one time, so what's the point of including them?
  • hankthedwarf, on 06/29/2009, -1/+3Billy Mays was entertaining, but Ron Popeil will always be the real king.

    And Suzanne Somers is still very doable.

    Also who the ***** makes a list like this and includes Britney Spears but not the Encyclopedia Brittanica nerd from the early 90s?
  • Xwhy, on 06/28/2009, -0/+2Suzanne Somers was there. Florence Henderson should've been included for her Wesson-ality.
  • blarch, on 06/28/2009, -0/+2no don west? oh yeah, "famous" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVTDhaA3YQQ
  • GamerSDG, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2RIP BILLY MAYS ='( NOW YOU"LL BE A PITCHMAN FOR THE HAVENS.
  • nepidae, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2I got to page 8 before I noticed 48 clicks would be required. ***** that.
  • norle, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2C'mon now...where are Bartles and Jaymes??? They single-handedly (double-handedly?) made the wine cooler popular!
  • yacks, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2What no Mike Levey?
  • wesw02, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2I wish this website wasn't so slow in loading the images. Is there a mirror that doesn't use JS?
  • shiftkgb, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2"Fogel? ***** that were calling you McLovin"
  • Smiley09, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2RON
    Just set it and????
    80's CROWD
    FORGET IT!!!
    RON
    Right, and with just four easy payments of 39.99
    FREEZE
    V.O.
    Wait Ron! Now it's just three easy payments of 29.99
    Ron
    I'll throw in the flavor injector, these scissors that can cut through a pipe, this slicer, these gloves, the fish basket, a cookbook, and more!
  • warp99, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2This is epic *****. The first day the list had 25 names. The next day it was 34 and now it's at 49. Fail.
  • warp99, on 06/29/2009, -0/+2When I first looked at the list it was 25 names. The next day it was at 34 and now it's at 49. Very hard to comment on a moving target.
  • MooseOfReason, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1*Famous* pitchmen.
  • dlswint, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1A few more additions to consider (older stuff, but why not?):

    Geoffrey Holder - 7Up
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JinBKqSCSac

    John Cameron Swayze - Timex (Takes a licking and keeps on ticking)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clI3Oc1vnaM

    Joe Namath - many ads, including spots for panty hose
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf3oOQq9KFU

    Virginia Christine - Mrs. Olson, Folger's Coffee
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGgg6r9YyI

    Jan Miner - Madge, Palmolive dishwashing liquid
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bEkq7JCbik

    Lorne Greene and Ed McMahon - Alpo dog food
    Greene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B43Lnqs-eUg
    McMahon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTuY4ojf5xc

    Of course, there's Orson Welles, but you probably already know his work...
    Frozen peas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V14PfDDwxlE
    Paul Masson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5LkDNu8bVU
    He wasn't always wasted, however, and he was a good pitchman:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8upkBvIMg

    And by the way, the Encyclopedia Brittanica nerd was Donavan Freberg, son of legendary ad man Stan Freberg (who wrote the Encyclopedia spot and did the off-camera voice work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkBxl8Cq-fI%29.

    Donovan is all grown up now, and his blog (with NSFW content) is here: http://babyboyfreberg.typepad.com/
  • KIERANMULLEN, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1He is in there. Read the article
  • hankthedwarf, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1They're all conmen. What's your point? That's why we love them. I've never bought anything off of TV and never will because of the ***** products and shipping and "handling" charges that are 50% of the product's price. It's strictly entertainment for me.
  • dawnlikethesoap, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1what about the snapple lady?
  • isunktheship, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1michael jackson was thrown in for the recent passing...

    stallone pitched more shiet than most of the ppl on this list. What, you haven't heard stallone's pitches? The internet is your best friend.
  • KIERANMULLEN, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1He is in there. Read the article
  • doctechnical, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1If I can remember it, I consider it modern. Not all of us were born yesterday.
  • diggopolous, on 06/29/2009, -0/+1you need a haven safe from the cap locks key.
  • doctechnical, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1Yeah, NOW he is. There were like 22 entries at my first post, now there are 49.

    Hey! Trib! Where's my cut for doing your research, you plagiarizing *****?!?!!
  • MooseOfReason, on 06/29/2009, -1/+1Ron Popeil is a conman. Those knives are *****.
  • prednisonedosag, on 06/29/2009, -1/+1nice pics
  • Jedidadof2, on 06/29/2009, -0/+0they're talking modern television pitchmen. try to keep up.
  • LocalDocal, on 06/29/2009, -1/+1This is the third main comment in which someone expressed disbelief that some pitch(wo)man didn't make it and I can see more down below.

    However, let me be the lightning rod for buries: I don't know most of these people, period. In the article, the only ones I recognized were Billy Mays, Ben Curtis, Jared, and Billy Blanks. Of course, I also knew a few others, like Richard Simmons, Bob Barker, Fabio, Bob Dole, and so on, but I didn't know them for pitching. Who the hell thinks of pitching when they think of Dole and Barker as opposed to 'politician' and 'Price is Right'? The article really seems to be reaching.

    P.S. Most of you guys aren't going far enough in the article. There are 49 entries. Sally Struthers is #35.
  • skunkman62, on 06/29/2009, -2/+1they come in threes. who's next?
    1. ed mcmahon
    2. billy mays
    3. ????
    my money is on the shamWOW guy.
  • isunktheship, on 06/29/2009, -2/+1lolol suzanne was there lollol failfailfail
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 53 of 53 discussions

  • Add a Comment

    Login or register to comment!
    Or, sign-in super fast with your Facebook account ...


© Digg Inc. 2009 — Content created and posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain | Terms of Use Updated | Privacy Policy
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.