We’re all familiar with The Shat’s recent commercial work for things like Priceline.com, but he has appeared in a variety of commercials over the years–some that you may remember and others you may not (not unless you’ve surfed a LOT of Y ouTube.)
Up first is a classic–and one I accidentally embedded instead of the Zmed clip on night 3 of Shatnermas.
Back in the 80’s, the home computer craze was just starting and Commodore was a player in the market. They retained Shatner to do commercials for the (then) all-new VIC 20–an 8 bit computer which came to the market in 1980. It was the first “home computer” to sell 1 million units, thanks to the endorsement power of Captain James T. Kirk, no doubt…
This one’s for you, Greg Moore.
(Why buy just a video game when you can buy a Commodore? Click here to see the video if it doesn’t appear above.)
It wasn’t just space-age technology that The Shat was called upon to speak for. Shatner also was the spokesman for Promise Margarine in the 1970’s, espousing the benefits of lower cholesterol before it was popular to do so (perhaps at the suggestion of Dr. McCoy). He made a series of ads for Promise even including his then wife and his children, but in this one he was solo.
(Lower cholesterol? I PROMISE! Click here if you don’t see the video above.)
There were a few occasions where The Shat teamed up with some of his Trek co-stars for advertisements, and in this spot for National Power & PowerGen in the UK, he plays Captain Kirk to James Doohan’s Scotty once again. Note the use of the TNG Engineering sets and the Transporter Room in this minute-long ad!
(Uh, Scotty…I think there’s a problem with the Pattern Buffer. Click here to see the ad if it’s not above.)
Shat has also teamed with Leonard Nimoy on a few occasions and, in 1986, they teamed up for this Western Airlines ad.
(Western may be the only way to fly if you don’t have a Starship. Click here to see the video on YouTube.)
Kirk and Spock also teamed up for a series of Priceline ads where they suggested our favorite Vulcan could be replacing the legendary Captain as their pitch man…
(You can view the three Priceline ads here, here, and here.)
In the 80’s, indoor kerosene heaters were popular items and The Shat did a training video for the KeroSun company. What would any shoot–and especially a corporate entanglement–be without outtakes and bloopers, I ask you?
(KeroSun Training Video, take 47. Click here to see the video on YouTube.)
Lastly on this Fifth of Shatnermas, we come to a commercial from the former MCI Long Distance Company which was promoting their “Friends and Family” calling plan. In this commercial from the early 90’s, all seven member of the Star Trek cast make an appearance, along with one very special guest who is probably a little out of his era…
(You can call 1-800-3 BEAM UP, but no one’s going to answer these days. Click here, instead.)
So draws to a close the Fifth Night of Shatnermas! See you tomorrow for Night Six!
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