Six Will Ferrell Money-Grab Commercials, Ranked by Shamelessness
Hey, all that tuition isn’t going to pay itself.
With Will Ferrell’s three sons either in college or approaching that threshold in the next few years, the comedian must feel the need to stash some cash to pay all of those university bills. How else to explain Ferrell’s new starring role as Mr. Monopoly in commercials promoting the gaming universe Monopoly Go?
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That said, it’s far from the first time the comedian with an estimated net worth of $160 million has shouted “Show me the money!” at our corporate overlords. Here are six more Ferrell commercials, ranked by the shamelessness of the cash grab…
General Motors
Let’s cut Ferrell some slack for this GM ad for two reasons. One, Ferrell is an electric car driver himself so appearing in a funny ad promoting EV benefits makes sense from the vantage point of personal values. Second, it’s the freaking Super Bowl! Who wouldn’t want to be in a Super Bowl ad?
Old Milwaukee
This lo-fi series of TV spots for working-class beer Old Milwaukee seems more like a goof than a get-rich-quick scheme. Bonus points for being funny and stupid at the same time.
iPod
This goofy ad for an early version of the iPod came out in 2002, a year before Old School would make Ferrell a movie star. Given that Lorne Michaels doesn’t pay million-dollar salaries over at Saturday Night Live, it’s reasonable to assume that early 2000s Ferrell could have used the dough.
The Gap
Another early Ferrell ad, breaking out his Neil Diamond impression in support of Gap jeans. Did Diamond get a cut? Hard to say if it's better or worse that it’s nearly indistinguishable from an SNL sketch.
Old Spice
A double cash grab since this Old Spice commercial also served as an ad for Ferrell’s comedy, Semi-Pro. Considering the movie’s lackluster performance at the box office, I’m guessing these ads didn’t sell a lot of Old Spice Pro Strength either. Even worse than Jackie Moon shilling for underarm deodorant: Ron Burgundy selling (non-electric!) Dodge Durangos in support of Anchorman 2.
PayPal Everywhere
Everything about this one is painful, from the over-the-top costumes to the sappy Fleetwood Mac lip-syncs. I don’t believe Ferrell pays for his coffee with PayPal. I don’t believe he charges his EV with PayPal. (But he does drive an electric car, see?) Frankly, I don’t believe Ferrell knows how to download the app onto his phone without the help of one of his kids. And at this stage in his career, he shouldn’t need the cash to pretend that he does.
Make those boys get summer jobs, Will. No college education is worth this.