Again a word from our sponsors

It's been more than two years since I noted how commercial actors tend to turn up again and again. I don't think two posts in 25 months is enough to qualify for series status on the NaturalBlog, but that won't keep me from going back to this well.

So for those of you who were busy on December 22, 2005 and missed my posting that day, here's the jist: When I notice a commercial actor shilling for two different products, I like to pretend they're a real person and make up a back story that explains how they ended up in both ads.

You might remember this guy (left) from his Holiday Inn ads. He was the straight man trying to keep his band of traveling businessmen in line. There were a couple of ads where they accosted Joe Buck, which was fine by me. Anyway, he must've had a bad performance review, because he was fired and has recently ended up in Comcast ads pretending to be a newscaster. I've worked with newscasters with less experience, so this seems plausible.

This one came from an alert reader. Applebee's has rebranded itself a couple dozen times since the fella on the right was featured in the Applebee's To Go ads. He was the one who left his food atop his car. What a bonehead, but apparently that sort of behavior wasn't enough for his wife to leave him. She's seen here in this ad from Lowe's. They're trying to buy glueless flooring because their dog is allergic to glue. Lowe's? They should shop at Kohl's, because her hair is a helmet. Here is a link that explains that joke.

If you're a fan of this little game, then you certainly know this guy. He's everywhere. As I mentioned in my last installment, he's done Bud Light, Circuit City, Cisco. He's grown a beard since then, proving that he's willing to adapt to stay on top of his game. A regular Renniasance man, now he's in a pretty funny series of Allstate auto insurance ads. This guy is the king of the commercial actors.

SPECIAL OFFER! If you act now (which is to say if you keep reading), then I'll throw in a bonus advertising repeat: The song in the iPhone ads (Orba Squara's Perfect Timing) is the same one used in new ads for the Dodge Caravan. Listen for it.