Take a trip down memory lane: you’re watching your favorite show after a long day of work (or school) and those dreaded commercials interrupt your favorite episode. But not all of them were unwelcome. A few stood out as Blackity-Black talking heads who ended up — perhaps unwittingly — relating to Black American households around the nation.
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You remember that one distinct voice telling you, “Honey, they don’t even need that chicken to be on a bone!” That was the voice of “Annie,” played by actress Deidrie Henry for Popeyes, promoting their crunchy, fried deliciousness. But in recent years, Henry has been MIA from the franchise’s advertisements along with other beloved brand representatives who graced our screens wayyy before social media was even a thing.
So, we’ve gathered the most adored Black “mascots” who was apart of shaping the culture, marketing and advertising, and who helped make brands many Black households go-tos.
Popeyes – Annie
“They’re all crunchy…just to the left of the one to the right,” character Annie says in those down-home Popeyes’ commercials beginning in 2009. Henry played the sassy, southern, and matronly rep for the fried chicken franchise. She promoted their chicken, shrimp and sides with her sharp attitude and almost ordered you (albiet lovingly) to drive to your nearest location to try their new menu items.
Where Is She Now?
Although she’s no longer reppin’ for Popeyes, Henry is still an acclaimed actress in theater. She was featured in various TV shows including “Criminal Minds” and “Glee” and boasts of an impressive stage resume. She has performed at the Portland Center Stage at The Armory, the Fountain Theater in Los Angeles, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Honey Bunches of Oats – Diana Hunter
You might remember the upbeat Diana Hunter, clad in a white hair net and red hard hat working her tail off in the factory of Post Consumer Brands throughout the 2010s. “This is what I make: sparkle flakes,” she said in one TV spot accompanied with her cheeky smile.
Many people didn’t know she wasn’t acting at all: she was a real employee for the brand, making her authentic and a true staple for continental breakfasts everywhere.
Where Is She Now?
After working for the company for 40 years at its Battle Creek, Mich. factory, Hunter retired in 2017. After becoming the unofficial face of the brand, she briefly resumed her beloved role onscreen, making a cameo in an ad for the crunchy breakfast food three years later.
Old Spice – Isaiah Mustafa
He was demure. He was sexy. And he captured the hearts of women everywhere when he showcased his abs and deep voice in Old Spice commercials. Beginning in 2010, Mustafa became the “Old Spice Guy” in the brand’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” ad campaign. The campaign grew legs, too. He continued his role promoting the lotion, deodorant and body washes in commercials alongside Terry Crew and Keith Powers, who played his TV son.
Where Is He Now?
After he catapulted into fame after his Old Spice ads (and a football career), Mustafa’s next stop was Hollywood. He made appearances on Cinemax’s “Shadowrunners,” “It Chapter Two” (2019), and had a main role in Prime’s “Cross” as John Sampson opposite Aldis Hodge in 2024. The 51-year-old married Lisa Mitchell in May 2018 and they are parents of one son.
Pine-Sol – Diane Amos
Diane Amos, famously known as the “Pine-Sol Lady,” told you in those commercials “nothing cleans like Pine-Sol” and many TV viewers hung on to every word she said! She was the spokesperson for the brand beginning in 1993, appearing on TV and print ads nationwide. Her catchphrase, “That’s the power of Pine-Sol, baby!” made her unforgettable, and folks felt like they could trust her.
Where is She Now?
Amos is still a spokesperson for the brand, even though she doesn’t appear regularly in recent campaigns. Currently, she’s a stand-up comedian and actress, with credits that include “Copycat,” “Patch Adams” and many others. She even appeared on “Wheel of Fortune” and “$25,000 Pyramid” and has called her role as a brand ambassador for the cleaning brand “an honor.”
Tanqueray – Tony Sinclair
The “British” character Tony Sinclair was played by Black American actor Rodney Mason. His on-screen character was a suave gin drinker in the campaign that started in 2004. Sinclair’s character, a hipster with attitude and maybe too much swag, was both loved and side-eyed, as many called him young, hip and fresh, while others described him as downright obnoxious.
Where Is He Today?
Unfortunately there’s not much reported about Mason’s whereabouts today. Nevertheless, he did help the brand shake its “bland and unforgettable” image in the urban markets in the early 2000s. His catchphrase at the end of each TV ad, “Ready to Tanqueray?” became popularized and the gin was deemed with many spirit lovers as less “stuffy” because of it.
Everest College – “The Everest Dude”
You were sitting on your couch when a Black guy damn near commanded you to get yo’ tail up and enroll in Everest College from a dark parking lot. “Your life is passing you by. You keep procrastinating over and over… do it right now!”
And don’t forget, “They’ll work with you after work or before work. Go talk to someone right now” cause you “spend all day on the phone anyhow!” The popular commercial ended with him asking viewers, “Why are you making it so complicated? It’s easy!” before walking off in sheer disgust.
Where Is He Now?
Babatunde Artunde, who starred in the college commercial from the early 2000s, admitted he wasn’t even an actor in an interview, but instead a member of the production crew. He took on the role himself after the hired actor just couldn’t get the lines right.
Artunde, who confessed he never attended college himself, reprised his now iconic role in 2024 when he encouraged folks to vote in the presidential election. On Instagram, the “Father of daughters” and “Servant of Christ” shares content from his hikes to his near 5,000 followers.
As far as Everest College, it’s now defunct after a series of lawsuits, investigations and fines for alleged fraud and predatory practices. All of the college’s campuses closed by 2015, but some were rebranded as Altierus Career College.
Jell-O – Bill Cosby
Gen Z sit this one out ’cause this was well before your time! Y’all may know him as the Huxtables’ patriarch in “The Cosby Show” and his subsequent legal controversies later, but he was also the face of Jell-O, specifically Jell-O Pudding Pops in the ’80s and ’90s. Cosby, once dubbed “America’s Dad,” was the iconic spokesperson for the brand because they were family-friendly, warm and appealed to children, and Cosby’s grandfather-like cadence made the brand’s campaign a massive hit for decades.
Where Is He Now?
The 88-year-old now lives in Elkins Park, Penn., but only after he had a residence behind bars at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution for three years. He was convicted in April 2018 for three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault and was sentenced to serve three to 10 years in state prison. The disgraced actor was a registered sex offender up until a court overturned his conviction in June 2021.
Who’s Holding it Down Now for Black Brand Ambassadors?
Four words come to mind: Jake from State Farm.
Complete with his branded red State Farm polo and of course, khakis, Jake from State Farm, played by Kevin Miles, transformed marketing as we know it. After he took over the role in 2021 from the original Jake (a real State Farm employee named Jake Stone), who appeared in a lone commercial wearing khakis and speaking with a distraught customer over the phone, Jake became an entire personality both on and off screen.
From Super Bowl commercials to appearances with A-listers, Jake has been thrust into pop culture and is considered a celebrity himself.
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