They Don't Work Here Anymore... Quiz

Answer: Snoopy

October 20, 2016 was a cold, sad day for the "Peanuts" gang. That's the date when Snoopy was given his 'walking papers' and told he was no longer representing MetLife after a relationship of over 30 years. The company announced that it was dropping Charles Schulz' iconic character to present an image to "reflect a clean, modern aesthetic". Don't cry for the "Peanuts" characters; they may not have the investment expertise MetLife is looking for, but they still sponsor major products like Hallmark, Warner Bros. and Target.

Answer: Fred the Baker

After all those early mornings getting up at the crack of dawn because use it was "time to make the donuts", Fred the Baker, could finally 'sleep in' after serving those TV donuts from 1982 to 1997. Michael Vale (1922-2005) played the dozey donut maker.

This commercial was voted one of the five best commercials of the 1980s by the Television Bureau of Advertising. Dunkin' Donuts officially 'retired' the character with a parade in Boston and a 'free donut' day on September 22, 1997.

Answer: Morris the Cat

Morris the Cat was the spokescat for 9Lives brand dry cat food. The original Morris was a rescue cat from 1968 who died in 1978. Morris has been played by subsequent orange tabby cats (although not by Garfield) with the voice of John Erwin. The fictional 'Morris' went on to write books, e.g., "The Morris Approach".

In 2006, he became a speaker and backer of cat rescues and animal shelters, when he adopted a kitten, Li'l Mo, from an animal shelter in Los Angeles, California.

Answer: Gordon Jump

The 'lonely' Maytag repairman has represented the company and its appliances for over 25 years. The product was so reliable (according to the commercials), it never needed to be repaired and so, Jesse White (the original repairman) and Gordon Jump (from "WKRP in Cincinnati") were alone with nothing to do.

But times were changing and, in 2000, with all of the technological advances and innovations, the old 'dependability' motto didn't have the same appeal as before, so the lonely repairman now just sits at home collecting his social security checks.

Answer: George Zimmer

"You're gonna like the way you look, I guarantee it" - at least that's what George Zimmer would tell us before his services were officially terminated on June 19, 2013, after having initially founded the company in 1973. Zimmer was an entrepreneur, one of advertising's great voices, and the Executive Chairman and former CEO of Men's Wearhouse.

He was very persuasive in advising men to come in, spend wisely and look good; since his departure, the stock price has tanked. But Zimmer keeps on going with new ventures.

Answer: Gilbert Gottfried

That annoying nasal "Aflac" commercial used to be the annoying nasal voice of comedian Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of the duck. In March of 2011, Gottfried was fired by the company immediately after discovering 'tweets' from him making jokes about the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami which did so much damage and destroyed so many lives.

The Aflac duck was introduced on January 1, 2000 in a marketing campaign for a small insurance company in Georgia; in 2003 the duck was introduced in Japan. Gottfried was replaced by Dan McKeague.

Answer: Spuds MacKenzie

In the late 1980s you couldn't turn on a sports game without seeing the face of the Bug Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie. Spuds first showed up on a Bud Light ad during Super Bowl XXI in 1987. Spuds was the original 'party dog' but some felt the character catered to young people and was not a good role model. Based on the controversy, Anheuser-Busch retired Spuds in 1989.

The dog, BTW, was really a female named Honey Tree Evil Eye or "Evie" (1983-1993). Ironic that the macho, tuxedo-wearing, chick magnet was really a female...

Answer: Mr. Whipple

Store manager George Whipple, played by Canadian actor Dick Wilson (1916-2007), was the spokesperson who told you "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!" toilet tissue. The ads originally ran in print and on TV from 1964 to 1985. Mr. Whipple appeared in more than 500 Charmin TV commercials (1965-1989, 1999-2000).

In the very first TV commercial, we see Mr. Whipple watching a female customer squeeze the tomatoes, then squeeze the melons and, as the last straw, squeeze the toilet paper, where he utters the now famous line. Mr. Whipple was eventually replaced by the Charmin Bears.

Answer: Wendy Kaufman

'The Snapple Lady' in the commercials of the 1990s (1993-1996) was Wendy Kaufman. She could also be seen in "Vegas Vacation" (1997) and "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2005. For someone who pitched a drink that was "made from the best stuff on Earth", it was ironic that, before that, she had a history of long-term drug addiction.

When Kaufman became the face of Snapple, she took it upon herself to respond to client letters. In March of 2008, an executive of Cadbury Schwepps (owner of Snapple Brands) fired her or, as she claims, made her an offer she had to refuse.

Answer: Herschel Bernardi

The commercial for Charlie the Tuna and the comment "Sorry Charlie" date back to 1961 when the idea was conceived by the Leo Burnett Agency. Charlie was voiced by actor Hershel Bernardi (1923-1986), where the narrator (Danny Dark) says "Only the finest prime tuna is good enough for StarKist".

The advertising campaign was retired in the 1980s and revived in 1999 to introduce healthier products but, as far as I know, Charlie has still never been caught. Bernardi was also the original voice of the 'Jolly Green Giant' and narrator of a Tootsie Pop commercial.