Real Name: Paul Frees
Salary Deal: $1 million
For a salary of one million big ones, Paul Frees brought his talent as a man of many voices to Pillsbury, appearing in plenty of ads as the little white creature in the 1960s. Famous for his voice-acting prowess, Frees was born in Chicago in the 1920s and was married to actress Beverly Marlow until he passed in 1986.
There are plenty of places you’ll recognize Frees: Rudolph & Frosty, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, and Jack Frost. All Christmas movies, yes, but he’s done plenty of others, including acting in A Place in the Sun in 1951. But we’ll always know him for his cheerful chuckle and delicious bakery treats.
The Dr. Pepper Girl from the '60s
Real Name: Donna Loren
Salary Deal: $500
Donna Loren is one of the most well-known female vocalists of all time, and Pepsi was able to grab her early on in her career; they signed her for a paltry salary of only $500. Pretty quickly her career took off, getting more and more vocal and acting roles, but she never gave up commercials.
She modeled as a teenager for hats, makeup, dental care, and exercise products – anything that could feature that pretty face. Her other national ad campaign was the “If I Can Sew, You Can Sew” campaign for Simplicity Pattern Company. It might be even more famous than her Dr. Pepper campaign.
The T-Mobile Girl
Real Name: Carly Foulkes
Salary Deal: $1 million
How did Foulkes become the T-Mobile Girl? By answering a random ad in 2009. She became a staple of the commercials, for some reason wearing pink and white biker gear, in the ads the brand put out between 2010 and 2013. She's made some guest appearances since then, and is still part of the “brand family.”
Her deal brought her a cool million. An interesting fact – the bright pink color Foulkes and other faces of T-Mobile wear is actually a trademarked shade, as it is part of their corporate marketing plan. No imitations here.
The Slingers (Husband)
Real Name: Nick Offerman
Salary Deal : $50,000
You know Offerman from his famous role as Ron Swanson on Parks & Rec, but he's also appeared alongside his wife Megan Mullally in Sling TV's We are Slingers ad campaign. Don't expect a gruff attitude this time, though – his Slingers character is quite a bit more easygoing than Swanson.
For a $50,000 deal, Offerman offered his likeness and acting prowess for a multi-media campaign, which appeared not only on TV but also in social media and print. Sling TV is a Dish Network subsidiary, a live-streaming service founded in 2015. It's been going through quite a bit of aggressive rebranding, which Offerman has been assisting.
Viewfinder Girl with Henry Fonda
Real Name: Jodie Foster
Salary Deal : $2,000
Who could that precocious child be using the Viewfinder with Henry Fonda? Why, it's only two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, who had one of her very first times in front of the camera with none other than Hollywood royalty Henry Fonda. Foster was only halfway to ten.
Foster's very first time was when she was just three years of age, appearing as the Coppertone girl. While Viewfinder was high-tech at the time, it's become obsolete thanks to things like the internet and mobile phones. On the other hand, Coppertone continues to shield people from the killer rays of the sun. Jodie earned a pretty easy $2,000 for working with Fonda.