By Jessica Wedemeyer
6:46am PST, Feb 7, 2021
The Super Bowl isn't just the biggest day of the year for sports. It's also the biggest day of the year for advertising! In honor of Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021 — and all the celeb-stuffed commercials we're eagerly anticipating during breaks in gameplay — Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at stars who've appeared in iconic commercials over the years, starting with Cindy Crawford's unforgettable 1992 Pepsi ad, which saw the stunning supermodel dropping jaws while chugging a can of soda at a rural gas station. (Watch it here.) In 2018, Cindy teamed up with her son, model Presley Gerber, to recreate her iconic commercial in an updated Pepsi ad. (Check that out here.) Now keep reading for more…
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Matthew McConaughey unforgettably perfected the art of existential rambling in his 2014 ad campaign for Lincoln, which coincided with the "McConaissance" and his Emmy-nominated turn on "True Detective." (Watch one of his strangest ads here.)
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In 2013, Taylor Swift teamed up with Diet Coke for a series of commercials featuring some of her biggest hits. After "22" served as the soundtrack to her Diet Coke debut (watch it here), the chart-topper co-starred alongside a pack of adorable kittens — and her own four-legged pet, Olivia Benson — in a commercial featuring "How You Get The Girl" from her "1989" album. (Watch it here.)
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In 2012, a long-haired Brad Pitt became the first male face of Chanel No. 5. He reportedly banked $7 million for nonsensically waxing poetic about journeys, dreams and plans in a divisive black-and-white Joe Wright-directed commercial. (Watch it here.)
Charlize Theron has appeared in several Dior campaigns since she became the face of the brand's J'Adore fragrance in 2004. Our favorite, which debuted in 2011, features the Oscar-winning actress prepping for a runway presentation alongside three fellow iconic leading ladies: the late Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe. (Watch it here.)
In the years since the real Colonel Sanders died, many stars have suited up to portray fictionalized versions of the KFC founder in commercials: Darrell Hammond, Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton, Rob Riggle, "Mad Men" star Vincent Kartheiser, Billy Zane, Rob Lowe, Ray Liotta, Jason Alexander, Sean Astin and Reba McEntire are among the bold-faced names who've played the fast-food chain's iconic mascot. Perhaps most noteworthy, however, is the most recent star to take on the role: Mario Lopez, who made headlines in late 2020 when he played the Colonel in not just a "finger lickin' good" commercial but also in "A Recipe for Seduction," a short film that aired on Lifetime. (Watch it here.)
Betty White scored an unexpected comeback after she starred alongside Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in "The Proposal." The 2009 comedy helped her book a lead role in Snickers' "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign, which saw her getting tackled while playing football with the guys. (Watch it here.) According to reports, the ad, which debuted during the 2010 Super Bowl, significantly boosted sales of the candy bar.
William Shatner started starring in Priceline.com commercials in the late '90s. Over the years, his advertisement alter ego, the Priceline Negotiator, has been killed off, brought back from the dead and blessed with a daughter played by Kaley Cuoco. (Check out one of their earliest father-daughter ads here.)
Fabio and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! are practically synonymous. The Italian American model-actor started appearing in commercials for the margarine brand in the early '90s. (Check out one of his early ads here.)
"I'm on a horse!" In 2010, Isaiah Mustafa shot into the spotlight when he starred in Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign. (Watch it here.) The series of advertisements helped the model and former professional football player launch his burgeoning acting career. He's since starred on "Shadowhunters" and appeared in "It Chapter Two," "Horrible Bosses" and "Madea's Big Happy Family."
