Vintage Marilyn Monroe Ads

Snickers Superbowl Commerical, 2016
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Snickers candy bars introduced this latest installment of the successful 'You're Not Yourself When You're Hungry' campaign by having veteran actor Willem Defoe recreating Marilyn's famous subway scene from The Seven Year Itch. After being handed a Snickers bar, the grumpy Defoe transforms back into a sweet and lovely (although digitally tweaked) Marilyn. The commercial was aired to millions worldwide during the Superbowl, continuing to keep Marilyn in the public conscious. It was well received by Marilyn fans, although Snickers passed up a prime catch phrase opportunity by not using Marilyn's line from the film "Isn't it delicious?"
Royal Triton Motor Oil, 1950
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The only television commercial Marilyn made during her lifetime, this Royal Triton ad seems very dated but somehow Marilyn still makes you want to buy Royal Triton to put in the little tummy of your car.
Coca-Cola, 1953
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Marilyn's scenes from the movie Love Nest were spliced into Coke Time With Eddie Fisher, a 15 minute show that aired on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1953-57. The show was sponsored by Coca-Cola and would feature celebrities praising the soda.
Holsten Pils, 1988
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Holsten Pils, a German beer brand, had a highly successful ad campaign in the UK that would feature comic Griff Rhys-Jones spliced with classic films. Although producers thought that they would never get permission to use Some Like It Hot, both Warner Bros and Billy Wilder gave their blessing. Because of the intercutting between Rhys-Jones and Monroe, impersonator Kay Kent was used as a body double.
Chanel, 1994
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Marilyn Monroe advertising Chanel seems like a no brainer. One of the most recognized images of her is applying a dab of Chanel before a night out, and she famously said that all she sleeps in is Chanel No. 5. This 1994 commercial for Chanel No. 5 shows model Carole Bouquet morphing into Marilyn. The process required 900 hours of searching through film reels of Marilyn and precisely matching them for lighting and camera angles.
Giovanni Rana Pasta, 1997
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Known as 'The King of Tortellini', Giovanni Rana did a series of ads for his pasta brand in his native Italy. Insisting to his marketing team that he wanted to appear in his pasta commercials himself, he made several that spliced him with Hollywood stars from Rita Hayworth to Clark Gable. This one, from 1997, puts him next to Marilyn in one of her scenes from How To Marry A Millionaire.
Grolsch Premium Premium Blonde Beer, 2006
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When Dutch beer company Grolsch launched their Premium Blonde brew in 2006, there was no better representative for them than the Blonde Bombshell. This commercial uses vintage film reels of Marilyn while she sings "I Wanna Be Loved By You''. The result could definitely make you thirsty.
Sunsilk, 2008
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Sunsilk hair care products launched their "Life Can't Wait" campaign during the 2008 Superbowl. The ads featured Madonna, Shakira, and Marilyn as women who live life to the fullest. In addition to commercials featuring all three, this longer ad paid fitting tribute to Marilyn as the sexiest woman of the 20th century.
Citroen, 2010
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Marilyn was used in this 2010 commercial for French carmaker Citroen. Footage of Marilyn was taken from a 1956 press conference and voice dubbing was used to make it appear that Marilyn was stating Citroen's message of 'Live Your Life Now'. While the Marilyn ad passed mostly unnoticed, a similar commercial starring John Lennon was met with outrage by his fans.
Sony Cybershot, 2011
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This 2011 ad for the Sony Cybershot camera had the theme of "Stories Are Panaromic''. It was first aired in Mexico and later dubbed in English. The ad crops a photo of Marilyn from her 1956 trip to England and pans out to a reimagined scene of Marilyn having caused a car accident.
J'Adore Dior, 2011
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This commerical for J'Adore Dior perfume featured actress Charlize Theron breezing past female icons Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe. While most agreed that Marilyn and Dior were a good pairing, fans were not so favorable about the result. The CGI Marilyn that appeared in the commercial did not look realistic, and the overwhelming majority dubbed it ''creepy''.
Chanel, 2013
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This 2013 Chanel commercial, using vintage film reels and Marilyn's own voice, was applauded by her fans as a fitting tribute and praised for being a product she actually used. It is generally regarded by fans as the best commercial utilizing Marilyn because it reflected the real woman behind the image.
Sexy Hair, 2014
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Hair product company Sexy Hair launched a huge print and commercial campaign with Marilyn for their 'Sexy Is Forever' theme. In this 2014 commercial, a model dubbed 'the modern Marilyn' is interspersed with Milton Greene's photos of the star and some of her quotes.
Print Advertisements Starring Marilyn
Nike, 1991

Gap, 1993

Kmart Marilyn Monroe Signature Jeans, 1995

Mercedes-Benz, 1997

Warner's, 1997

Volkswagen, 1999

Max Factor, 1999

Max Factor, 2015

Mikimoto Pearls, 1999

Levi's, 1998

Levi's 1968

Absolut Vodka, 2006

Dresden Kleinwort Investment Bank, 2006

Clyda Paris Watches, 2008

MAC Cosmetics, 2012

Coca-Cola, 2015

