The creation of Ernest P. Worrell, played by actor/comedian Jim Varney, was novel for an advertising-saturated age. The idea was that the character's creators -- John R. Cherry III, his business partner Jerry Carden, and Varney -- would farm out their pre-made mascot to whatever product or service that might want him, and Ernest would hawk their wares. He wasn't invented for any one particular business. He was invented to be a pitchman-for-hire, and the Ernest ads all followed a similar format, making the commercial spots low-budget and instantly universal. Ernest was hired by the Coca-Cola Company to sell Sprite, but would also appear in ads for local businesses like the Cerrito Auto Square. Ernest was very, very popular.
Eventually, the Ernest ads became so huge and ubiquitous that the character began to bleed over into feature films and TV shows. Ernest was a media personality writ large, living...
Eventually, the Ernest ads became so huge and ubiquitous that the character began to bleed over into feature films and TV shows. Ernest was a media personality writ large, living...
- 12/17/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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