Iconic TV Characters That Made Epic Commercial Appearances
It's not uncommon to see movie characters show up in their own television commercials. Familiar faces certainly help sell a product, and who better than a fictional character who audiences already know and admire? But more and more, we're also seeing a rise in iconic TV characters finding their way to 20-to-30-second ads. Everyone from Jerry Seinfeld and Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane to animation legends like Scooby-Doo and He-Man have pushed products like credit cards and insurance to audiences nationwide and even globally. Sometimes these characters are the stars of the ad, and other times they make surprise appearances, but either way, they're here to serve –or more appropriately, to get you to buy.
Generally speaking, most of the TV characters who return to the screen these days do so for unwanted or uninspired reboots of older shows that don't quite recapture that same magic from before. But with a TV ad, it's easier to revisit that quick thrill of the original, while not risking any negative exposure for the character or product. And anyway, it's fun to see these characters do something new.
Troy and Abed play some Far Cry
Okay, technically this commercial doesn't actually name these two as Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir, but seeing Donald Glover and Danny Pudi on screen together again — promoting a video game of all things — was a dream come true for fans of "Community" everywhere. The pair had become famous for their respective roles on the six-season sitcom, with the Troy and Abed duo being a fan-favorite staple of the show's first four and a half seasons. But when Glover left the series near the start of Season 5, "Community" was never really the same, and we'd been waiting to see these two reunited ever since.
The release of "Far Cry 4" opened the door for Glover and Pudi to reunite, for an ad in which the two walk around New York City sharing their highlights of playing the game. What feels like a classic "Troy and Abed in the Morning" conversation straight out of the sitcom is a fun way to revisit these characters, even if the actors occasionally act a bit more like themselves than Troy and Abed. Now that a "Community" feature film is underway, with both actors returning to their original roles, it's exciting to think about what other conversations these two might have in the future.
Newman reminds us who controls the mail
"When you control the mail, you control information!" This iconic quote was once spoken by recurring "Seinfeld" character Newman (Wayne Knight), a United States Postal Service worker who always gets himself into a heap of trouble. Newman was one of the wackiest characters in the beloved '90s sitcom and often found himself in some pretty sticky situations alongside Michael Richards' Kramer. His longstanding rivalry with Jerry notwithstanding, Newman always had a particular flair to him that made him just fun to watch. So when Knight appeared in an anti-Donald Trump ad preceding the 2020 election in full USPS attire, we knew exactly who he was supposed to be.
"It's been my studious attempt to let Newman die," Knight told Entertainment Weekly concerning the ad. "I've been so associated with the character that it became somewhat of a lodestone in my mind." In this two-and-a-half-minute ad sponsored by the Democrat-supporting PACRONYM (penned by former "Seinfeld" writer-producer David Mandel, we might add), Newman goes on about Trump's attack on voting by mail, all while encouraging people to get out and vote. More than anything, it was fun seeing Newman on screen again, acting as Newman-ish as ever.
MacGyver always uses MasterCard
There has never been a problem that Angus "Mac" MacGyver couldn't solve, and with his MasterCard, he quickly becomes unstoppable. Or, at least that's what MasterCard would want you to believe. Richard Dean Anderson returns in a 30-second ad that packs in literally as much action as an episode of the original 1985 "MacGyver" would do on its own. But what brought Anderson back to the role? The actor had been free of MacGyver for over a decade before the commercial (called "The Return of MacGyver") aired during 2006's Super Bowl XL, but it wasn't until MasterCard got a hold of the former action star and asked if he'd be willing to return briefly for their campaign that he agreed.
"I'm convinced I was put on this Earth to make a fool of myself," Anderson noted in a "Making Of" feature on the commercial (via YouTube). "And so far so good." Anderson was excited to return as MacGyver specifically for this commercial, largely because he believed that the folks behind the campaign (ad agency McCann Erickson) really understood the original series and wanted to honor the ridiculousness of it. Reportedly, commercial director Tom Kuntz even spent months watching old "MacGyver" episodes just to be sure that he was framing the character and the series correctly. No doubt, the team did an incredible job.
Scooby and the gang use State Farm
Even cartoon characters need a good neighbor, and for Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang, that means that they use State Farm for car insurance. Or, at least they did in the 2013 State Farm ads that began airing during "Saturday Night Live" in October of that year. Three cartoon ads were produced (with Jake nowhere to be found), each of which featured the gang in different situations. In one, Shaggy struggles to pay his high insurance bills, making him lose his appetite, while in another, Scooby-Doo fights to get the automated phone system to understand his name. But the best of the three features all five members of the gang in a short bit that references the iconic "Scooby-Doo! Where Are You?" episode, "Jeepers, It's the Creeper."
The ad features the standard collection of "Scooby-Doo" voice actors from the time, with Frank Welker doing double duty as both Scooby-Doo and Fred Jones, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers, Grey DeLisle as Daphne Blake, and Mindy Cohn as Velma Dinkley. After crashing the Mystery Machine, their State Farm agent Lucy helps them with the details as they unmask the Creeper, who, as always, turns out to be bank manager Mr. Carswell (also voiced by Welker). As far as insurance ads go, these are some of the best.
He-Man and Skeletor settle their differences over MoneySuperMarket
Speaking of animated characters, sometimes they come to life in the real world, and for the main cast from "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," that's exactly what happened in 2017 when SuperMoneyMarket released their ad campaign featuring none other than He-Man and his nemesis Skeletor. After a delightful "Epic Skeletor" ad that showcased the supervillain's epic dance moves, the Born Licensing agency got to work on a second ad titled "Epic Lift," which featured more He-Man and a lot more dancing. Taking cues from the bar scene in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and the trademark lift from "Dirty Dancing," "Epic Lift" brought these two enemies back together for a collaboration that no one saw coming.
"This is a brilliant example of how iconic characters can be used in a truly creative way," noted Born Licensing director David Born. "It perfectly plays on the character traits of Skeletor and He-Man that we all know and love." No doubt, longtime "He-Man" fans might have been a bit confused as to why these two were so close and personal, but this hilarious pair of ads show the power (of Greyskull) in using fictional characters as a driving force in marketing. More than anything though, it's just hilarious.
Carrie Bradshaw changes her drink to Stella Artois
It's not often that two characters from entirely different projects show up in the same ad, but Mother New York did exactly that with their "Change Up The Usual" campaign promoting Stella Artois. Here, Sarah Jessica Parker returns as her trademark "Sex and the City" character Carrie Bradshaw, years before her official return in "And Just Like That...," ordering not her usual cosmopolitan, but rather a Stella Artois. Alongside her is none other than Jeff Bridges, returning to the screen as Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski of "The Big Lebowski" fame, who likewise traded in his White Russian for a Stella Artois. But what gives? Why were these characters giving up their usual adult beverage?
It turns out, Stella Artois had teamed up with Water.org to help provide clean water to those in need around the globe. "To break our message into culture, we brought back two beloved characters, The Dude and Carrie Bradshaw, and got them to change up their signature drinks for Stella Artois," Mother noted on their official webpage. "Just as the fan frenzy reached its peak, we dropped a world-colliding Super Bowl commercial that no one saw coming." To make things even more interesting, the Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" also showed up – and let's just say, he wasn't drinking Dos Equis.
Phil Dunphy loves to push Realtor
"I won't sell anything I don't believe in," Ty Burrell's Phil Dunphy once said on "Modern Family." "And when I believe, you believe." For 11 seasons, Phil and his massive family delighted audiences everywhere on the critically acclaimed, award-winning series, but near the end of its run, Phil branched out on his own for a few short commercial stints dubbed "Phil's-osophies." But before he got a few TV spots of his own, Phil pushed the Realtor brand in a 2016 episode of the series, making the distinction between realtors and real estate agents. Afterward, television ads followed, ranging from Phil's explanation of a realtor's code of ethics to his supposed "art of negotiation."
While most of the television characters on this list appeared in ads after the end of their respective runs on television, Phil appeared during the heyday of "Modern Family," which only went off the air in 2020. The show ended up winning 22 Primetime Emmy awards throughout its run and has gone down as one of the best (modern) sitcoms of the 21st century. No doubt, Ty Burrell was a major factor in the show's success, with or without his "Phil's-osophies" campaign.
Michael Knight and KITT argue over fried chicken
What happens when the talking Knight Industries Two Thousand 1982 Pontiac Trans Am (aka KITT) from the original "Knight Rider" hops across the pond for some new adventures? Well, after the original "Knight Rider" ended in the mid-1980s (and a few other reboots came and went), KITT returned in a 2022 advertising campaign for Chicken Licken, a South African fast-food chain, called "Nyathi Rider."
Along for the ride this time around was Michael Nyathi, the new owner of KITT, who drives the talking car around the streets of South Africa enjoying Chicken Licken's new Super Slider. Of course, David Hasselhoff returns for the first time since the 2008 made-for-TV "Knight Rider" movie, wondering what the heck KITT is doing over there. Before he can get a straight answer, KITT eyes the new slider and hangs up.
"The film delivers a humorous and well-crafted reboot of the much-loved 'Knight Rider' and the sleek talking car that helped Michael Knight solve crimes," noted COO Xolisa Dyeshana of branding agency Joe Public in an official press release. "Just like how everybody revered Michael's car, we believe everybody will love the new Chicken Licken Super Slider." Apparently, "Knight Rider" is pretty big in South Africa and the series has found new life via "Nyathi Rider." Let's just hope Hasselhoff doesn't get too jealous.
These Walking Dead characters returned for more screen time
"The Walking Dead" has always found clever ways to bring actors back after their characters died. Whether they came back in dreams, as undead walkers, or even made cameos that slipped right past viewers, the show often had to get creative to keep the story moving. Well, to celebrate the series finale of the original "The Walking Dead," Ryan Reynolds' own production company, Maximum Effect, teamed up with a few different brands to share the love by bringing back former cast members to promote services like DoorDash, Autodesk, MNTN, Deloitte, and Ring. Among the returning cast members were Laurie Holden as Andrea Harrison and Dallas Roberts as Milton Mamet (who both died back in Season 3), along with Andrew J. West as Gareth (who was killed in Season 5). And let's not forget the short-lived and decapitated Rodney (Joe Ando Hirsh) from Season 9.
Each actor returned as undead versions of their respective "Walking Dead" characters, all referencing their gruesome deaths on the series in some way or another (Milton's line about locked doors is a knockout). Laurie Holden appeared as Andrea twice (fitting as she was the only former main cast member featured) and notes that Ryan Reynolds' brain was somewhat empty. If you couldn't bring these characters back for the series finale itself, airing these spots during the commercial breaks was certainly a great way to honor the show's impressive past.
Game of Thrones killed the Bud (Light) Knight
The Super Bowl seems to be the best time to air ads featuring familiar film and television characters, and that's exactly what Bud Light did with their "Game of Thrones" crossover during Super Bowl LIII in 2019. Leading up to the HBO series' eighth and final season, the Bud Knight faces off against none other than Gregor Clegane, aka "The Mountain" (or "The Mountain That Rides"). But things don't go terribly well for the Bud Knight this time around, no matter what beer he drinks, as The Mountain beats him to the ground and literally leaves him for dead –– not unlike plenty of characters in the HBO series' own run. Oh, and a dragon shows up too.
The Super Bowl crossover ad went down in the books as a fun tease for "Game of Thrones" fans and a confusing joust for casual viewers. In 2023, the Bud Knight returned from the grave, though he didn't make quite the commotion he did back when he battled for the Iron Throne. Who knows, maybe Bud Light will have to do another collaboration with HBO, perhaps for the prequel series "House of the Dragon"? After all, the Knight would like a rematch.
Jerry Seinfeld and Superman used their American Express
For some reason, Jerry Seinfeld appeared in two specific made-for-American Express ads alongside none other than an animated Superman himself, called "The Adventures of Superman and Seinfeld." Seinfeld plays, as always, Jerry Seinfeld, opposite his former "Seinfeld" cast member Patrick Warburton, who voices the animated Man of Steel. The first of these was a 1998 commercial where Jerry uses his American Express card to help Lois Lane out of a pinch. Apparently it was a hit, because the credit card company commissioned more "Adventures of Superman and Seinfeld" a few years later in 2004, notably two webisodes that were co-written by Seinfeld himself.
"Hindsight 20/20" showcases Jerry and Superman as they travel across the country on a road trip, getting lost in the desert after accidentally locking their keys in the car. The second, "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," follows the pair as they do normal "Seinfeld"-y things around New York City. While Superman is portrayed as a Warburton-ish oaf in these Amex ads (with Jerry playing his usual NBC self), it's fun to watch these two do everything from eating lunch like normal guys to seeing "Oklahoma!" on Broadway.
Frasier Crane pushed Dr. Pepper
It's crazy to think that Kelsey Grammer has been playing radio psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane since the 1984 Season 3 premiere of "Cheers," but it's true. Continuing with "Cheers" through the remainder of its run, Grammer eventually got his own self-titled series, "Frasier," which ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004. After a two-decade hiatus, "Frasier" returned in 2023 for a new season, with a second one already underway. But before Grammer returned to the character via streaming, he showed back up on the airwaves in 2009, sharing his love for Dr. Pepper with anyone who might listen — which included his ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), who he had married on "Cheers" but divorced prior to "Frasier."
"The negotiations were complicated because they involved two stars and two shows," revealed Deutsch CCO Eric Hirshberg (via D Magazine). "Our business-affairs department worked hard on it, but overall, things went surprisingly smoothly." "Frasier" writer-producer Christopher Lloyd (not to be confused with the "Back to the Future" star of the same name) was brought in to help pen the campaign, and sure enough, fans were ecstatic to see Frasier on screen again.
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman love PopCorners
Seeing Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul return as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman again, more than a decade since the "Breaking Bad" series finale, was something fans weren't expecting, but given the nature of these PopCorners commercials, we couldn't help but get excited about it. Instead of cooking up some meth, Heisenberg and his partner develop PopCorners, a delicious new pop-corny snack that'll get you stoked for your next trip to the grocery store.
The full spot runs just under two minutes in total, and we can't help but love all the callbacks to the original series throughout. Cranston and Paul step back into their "Breaking Bad" roles here like they never left, and while the whole thing is a bit ridiculous, it's the kind of crazy that we almost wish would get a full episode — or at least a special. "We don't eat our own supply," White tells Jesse, but the young accomplice can't help himself. Neither can Heisenberg though, calling himself "the one who snacks." Us too, Walter.