Nothing like commercial work to keep your bank account fluid between jobs! Nimoy was the logical choice for print ads in the 80’s and 90’s for everything from Oldsmobile to Toshiba! I have to laugh at the the Spockian Eyebrow in many of these– Of Course! And a bonus ad here from the ’60’s, with a marvelous Star Trek graphic! Nimoy sold a lot of TV’s! Heck, he could sell me liver and onions!
1970’s Dial-Page
1980’s Magnavox
1990’s – Oldsmobile
1980’s Toshiba — in an IDENTICAL pose to the Magnavox! (Conflict of interest?)
Star Trek was great reason to get color TV in the ’60’s. Here’s a beautiful RCA ad that promotes Star Trek.
Since he’s not smiling in any of the photos and is notably stiff in the Toshiba one, it seems clear that the companies were trying to hire Spock to pitch for them, not Leonard Nimoy. Poor Mr. Nimoy — even the advertisers want him to be Spock. It’s no wonder he felt rather unwanted for himself.
You’re spot on, Cory. Yes, they all have the “Spock’ persona. I know there’s an ad somewhere where he’s smiling, but these were all done with cool Vulcanisms. Probably to show how cool the electronic item was.
Gotta make money somehow. If I remember right, the actors got nothing after the third re-run airing of an episode.