Top 20 WTF Celebrity Endorsed Products

#20: Swiftcover (2009-11)

Iggy Pop

A rowdy rock star could probably use reliable insurance. Maybe the wild American Iggy Pop was the right frontman for a 2009 campaign for the British insurance company Swiftcover. The Advertising Standards Authority didn't think so. They banned the ads for misleading consumers, as the Gimme Danger singer wouldn't have been eligible for a policy. The campaign resumed in 2011, with Iggy being accompanied by a creepy marionette clone called Little Iggy. Of course, all of the adverts were bizarre in their frantic pacing to demonstrate Swiftcovers speedy service and the Godfather of Punks own outrageous image. Accusations of selling out aside, those lively brands were shown to be incompatible.

#19: Sour Patch Kids (2011)

Method Man

Wu-Tang Clan's Clifford Method Man Smith can drop sweet rhymes about anything. That includes Sour Patch Kids, however wincingly. The rapper worked with the candy brand on the single World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids), whose lyrics suggest the recklessness of disenfranchised youths. The music video revealed that he really was just talking about mischievous CGI gummies. Although he's a fan of the treat, the edgy Method publicly admitted to being confused by the invitation to represent a product aimed at children. Just in case, the video opens with a disclaimer that it may be inappropriate for younger viewers. But despite some bitter symbolism, World Gone Sour was a relatively wholesome collab that went viral in 2011.

#18: Nicole by OPI (2010-11)

Justin Bieber

While it may have been an unfair trend to bash teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, this didn't help. He capitalized on his 2009 hit single One Less Lonely Girl by partnering with the nail care company Nicole by OPI. His line of gaudy nail polish featured awkward color names like Me + Blue, Prized Possession Purple, and Not a Gold Bigger. And what does One Less Lonely Glitter even mean? Although Biebers image was rarely used in the campaign, the implication that this polish was meant to impress a teenage boy is wrong on so many levels. Never mind the jokes it inspired for Biebers critics. The joke was on them when the collection sold a million bottles in just two months.

#17: PAO Facial Fitness (2014)

Cristiano Ronaldo

Legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo knows a thing or two about staying in shape. Apparently, even his iconic good looks need a workout. It's awkward enough for the Portuguese phenom to even appear in Japanese advertisements for Facial Fitness PAO. Never mind the creepy visual of him and other dancing actors holding the device in their teeth while it flutters about. This earned the product the dubious designation of a Shake Weight for your face. PAO customers did see results in facial muscle toning, albeit more subtly than the commercial suggests. Certainly, Ronaldo brought it global attention with a viral video that was its own facial workout to watch.

#16: Carl's Jr./Hardee's (2005; 2014)

Paris Hilton

Besides her many enterprises, Paris Hilton has always been a beauty icon. That's not usually achieved by scarfing down fast food. And yet, the world was stunned by a commercial featuring Hilton handwashing a luxury car whilst wearing a swimsuit and high heels. Only toward the end does she produce an oversized hamburger from the CKE Restaurants chains Carls Jr. and Hardees. It may not seem like anyone would be looking at the food, but this 2005 campaign was a rousing success. The company would later become infamous for its risqué ads, with Hilton coming back for seconds in 2014. CKE has walked back the trend as it grew controversial and stale, though it turned heads when Hilton started it.

#15: Psychic Friends Network (1992-94)

Dionne Warwick

Contacting an icon of soul proved lucrative for a business aimed at contacting spirits. In the 1990s, Dionne Warwick starred in an extensive series of infomercials by the telephone parapsychology service Psychic Friends Network. The singer seemed to lend genuine credibility when she hosted talk show-style demonstrations. But in 2020, Warwick told The Guardian that she took the gig due to a professional rut, and doubted the legitimacy of PFN. She was not the only former employee to publicly denounce their service and business model. Nonetheless, the excessive infomercials helped PFN rake in loads of customers. As for the critics, they probably didn't need to be clairvoyant to figure that Warwick wasn't a true believer.

#14: d-CON Roach Traps (1978-81)

Muhammad Ali

He could float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, and slay roaches. Muhammad Ali sure knocked fans for a loop as the face of d-CON Roach Traps. He admitted to needing some help with fighting pests, albeit with his signature wit and humor. The TV ads were all the more surreal for the credibly self-proclaimed greatest boxer of all time flirting with his own image on the products box. It was pretty on-brand for him, but a Black athletes endorsement of a non-sports product was novel at the time. This successful experiment started a trend in both advertising and Alis own career as a spokesperson. And yet, his d-CON ads still pack a punch with viral nostalgia.

#13: Pizza Hut (1997)

Mikhail Gorbachev

Pizza Hut is a beloved American chain. So who in his or her right mind thought that the former leader of the Soviet Union was an appropriate pick for this? Sure, Mikhail Gorbachev and his granddaughter made for an admittedly charming pair when they appeared in this 1997 television ad. But what exactly was the marketing team thinking when they pitched this? His policies have largely been credited with bringing democracy, capitalism and, depending on who you ask, economic ruin to the former USSR. So maybe him working alongside a capitalist mega-franchise actually makes sense. But with such a divisive legacy, Mr. Gorbachev feels way too controversial a figure for this to feel like a good PR move.

#12: Trump Steaks (2007)

Donald Trump

Speaking of world leaders and food Before making a splash in governmental affairs, Americas loudest businessman tried his hand at the high-end steak market. We shouldnt have been surprised. Trump will experiment with anything in the name of profit, but this one was just weird, even for him! First off, why steak? Secondly, why sell them exclusively through The Sharper Image, a brand that describes itself as a purveyor of home electronics, high-tech lifestyle gadgets, and innovative gifts? Where the heck does steak fit into this picture? While Trump maintains that his steak business was strong, others cite it as one of his financial blunders.

#11: Sofia Mini (2004)

Francis Ford Coppola

This isnt your typical wine named after a member of the Coppola family. This particular product is a can of wine. Yes, Francis has named a reserve after himself, a lovely red after his wife Eleanor, and encouraged his granddaughter to produce an entire line of Gia by Gia Coppola wines for the family biz. But the mini version of Sofias Blanc de Blancs somehow wound up in a tin can. Sure, you can get some of the other wines from her line in bottled format, but you cant help but assume that this dazzling pink packaging is a bit off. After all, Sofia Coppola is an incredibly talented, serious filmmaker.

#10: Pastamania (1995)

Hulk Hogan

Ah, the glamorous world of celebrity restaurants. Youve got Ryan Goslings Tagine, Chris Noths Cutting Room, Justin Timberlakes Southern Hospitality BBQ, and Robert De Niros legendary Tribeca Grill. Terry Gene Bollea, AKA Hollywood Hulk Hogan, among many more names in the ring, has never been one to miss out on a celebrity cliché. So in 1995, he opened his own celebrity restaurant, Pastamania. It was described as a quick serve pasta restaurant, reportedly featuring the Hulksters favorite international pasta dishes. It lasted less than one year. Maybe that had something to do with the quality of the pasta.

#9: Signature Cup Coffee (2006-15)

David Lynch

Experimental filmmaker to coffee roaster doesnt seem like the most natural transition. But when you consider the attention paid to a good cup of coffee in his series Twin Peaks, this particular product becomes easier to swallow. Despite the fact that David Lynchs coffee was first released in 2006, it wasnt until 2012 when any sort of official commercial was filmed. During that time however, a whole slew of fan-made, Lynch-inspired commercials began to pop up. An official 2015 commercial for this mysterious brew, directed by Lynchs very own daughter Jennifer, shows that eccentric filmmaking runs in the family.

#8: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)

Penélope Cruz

When you see commercials for video games, the actors involved are typically unknowns. Back in 1991, a commercial for the Super Nintendo featured a pre-fame Paul Rudd! Sure, massive mobile games like Game of War: Fire Age got Kate Upton, but those are more the exception than the rule. Seeing an A-list celebrity casually playing Mario on a Nintendo 3DS already feels like a bit of a Twilight Zone type of viewing experience. But when we see prestige actress and beauty icon Penélope Cruz dressed up as the titular plumber, moustache and all, we officially level up in terms of weird. Add Cruzs strikingly similar-looking sister Monica to the mix, and you have a celebrity endorsement for the ages.

#7: Durex (2010)

JLS

Apparently, it doesnt get much sexier than four strapping, young British men who can sing. Teaming up with Durex to release a line of condoms, the R&B group Jack the Lad Swing used their initials to spell Just Love Safe. The boxes even feature headshots of each band member. You know, just in case youd rather stare at one of them as opposed to your actual partner. JLS have been the butt of a number of jokes since, but we suppose we cant fault them too much for trying to help promote safe sex.

#6: Popchips (2012)

Ashton Kutcher

The slacker persona of actor Ashton Kutcher seemed appropriate for a potato chip brand. But in his other role as a marketing consultant for this Popchips campaign, he tried other, much less appropriate personas. Kutchers commercials featured him as several comical stereotypes in mock dating videos. The bachelors included American biker Swordfish, English hippie Nigel, and the enigmatic Darl. Then there was Bollywood producer Raj, complete with brownface makeup. This sparked major backlash from the public and Indian-American public figures. Popchips promptly and apologetically pulled the campaign, but Kutcher has never responded to the controversy. Nor has he explained his reasoning behind the other cringey skits or what they have to do with the seldom-seen product.

#5: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! (2006)

Ozzy Osbourne

Trying to understand Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne often feels like a hopeless endeavor. Although Ozzys on-stage antics have calmed with age, hes still confusing the world with his choices, keeping us on our toes as he careens through life. The hit reality show The Osbournes opened the door for mainstream promotional gigs with World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero. In 2006, likely inspired by the idea of domestic Ozzy, as popularised by his reality show, I Cant Believe Its Not Butter! chose him to star in a commercial. It was odd and, honestly, a little embarrassing. But hey, Ozzy has definitely done more disturbing things.

#4: Charmin (2010)

Kim Kardashian

Socialite and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian entered the 2010s synonymous with luxurious lifestyle. Some probably felt that went down the drain when Charmin hired her to open a public restroom facility in New Yorks Time Square. It was the toilet paper company's fifth year of providing this service during the holiday season. Some speculate that this endorsement was the New York newcomers way of establishing her image with her neighbors. In any case, the public was dumbfounded by the image of this glamour icon standing between two giant stuffed bears and handing out toilet paper. Whether Kardashian was right in her efforts to destigmatize the subject, the Internet is still keeping up with that awkward moment.

#3: Victoria's Secret (2004)

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is many things a poet, an incredibly talented songwriter, and a renowned ladies man. But the folk legend seems like the least appropriate person to be selling womens lingerie. Its an undeniably odd pairing, but what makes this endorsement even stranger is Dylans reputation for being reclusive and generally shunning fame. This is a man who told the Nobel Prize Committee that he would not be attending the ceremony. So how Victorias Secret ever convinced him to participate in this ad is beyond most fans. True to form, Mr. Dylan has never explained himself.

#2: The General Insurance (2016-)

Shaquille O'Neal

We tend to be wary of car insurance companies that promote generous policies for high-risk cases through clunky animated mascots. The truth is that The General is generally considered a solid budget provider. So they stretched their clearly limited advertising budget to sign lovable basketball icon Shaquille ONeal. That didnt exactly make his crummy CGI scene partner less awkward. Comedian Craig Robinson even joined the campaign for an ad which assured viewers that Shaq hadnt lost his mind. Sure enough, he boosted The Generals business on both viral infamy and positive word-of-mouth. This was reflected in their commercials improved production values over time. Of course, scoring Shaqs brand seemed like a long shot for a long time.

#1: Hanes Beautymist Pantyhose (1974)

Joe Namath

Whats weirder: Bob Dylan and lingerie, or an NFL hall of famer teaming up with Hanes to hawk pantyhose? In the end, Joe Namath took home the win, edging out his competition by actually putting the womens clothing on himself. Athletes frequently endorse apparel and footwear, but their presence is usually used to convey strength and high performance. In this case however, Namaths masculinity was used to showcase the transformative power of Hanes stockings. Even his legs looked good in them. The ad caused quite the controversy in 1974, making many fans uncomfortable. But Namath should be commended for being unafraid to embrace his feminine side in a field where such a thing was unthinkable at the time.

What are some other promos that caught your attention with a celebrity, and maybe not in the right way. Give us your endorsement in the comments.