5 Forgotten Jenna Ortega TV Ads To Watch Before Her Doritos Super Bowl Commercial
Every actor's gotta start somewhere. Most famous faces got their first jobs in the entertainment industry doing commercial work, and Jenna Ortega is no exception to that rule. The actress is set to return to the advertising world with a Super Bowl LVIII Doritos commercial that sports its own slightly apocalyptic flavor and will also feature up-and-coming actor Danny Ramirez. But she's previously been all over the dial, promoting products like Pop-Tarts and Skype.
Ortega started acting at a very young age, and various smaller gigs, such as guest-starring roles on major sitcoms and dramas, helped keep her career afloat until she landed her big break in the Disneycom "Stuck in the Middle." But before and in the years since she rocketed into the stratosphere to become a horror icon on "Wednesday," she's popped up in ads for several fast food giants, a famous cereal, and a well-known clothing company. She also became a regular spokeswoman for a skincare line, among a host of other appearances for commercial outlets. So with that said, here are a few of the commercials Ortega did before becoming the latest Doritos spokesperson.
Colgate
Jenna Ortega's first commercial appearance was in a 2011 Spanish-language Kool-Aid ad. She can barely be seen in the finished commercial, but she made a bigger impression soon after. Her next gig featured her in a long-form advertisement for Colgate. In the ad, a young Ortega encourages kids to battle the "nasties" that cause tooth decay and bad breath by using Colgate toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. The commercial allows kids' imaginations to take flight as Ortega shows them how to brush their teeth and how to entertain themselves during the two minutes required to fully clean their mouths. It also tells kids to talk to their parents about further dental care methods.
All the while, animated "nasties" lurk behind the child, giggling at her singing and trying to avoid being destroyed by Crest's tooth-polishing might. Naturally, the toothpaste giant wins out in the end, leaving young Ortega with no cavities and a winning grin.
Burger King and McDonald's
During her first few years in Hollywood, Jenna Ortega booked so many commercials for McDonald's and Burger King that she reported on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that she became known as "the McDonald's girl" at her talent agency. Her accomplishment proved impressive, as she booked all three ads through different casting directors, which means she had the right spirit to capture national attention.
For McDonald's, Ortega found herself in one unenviable position — being the girl stuck snacking on the company's healthy apple snacks instead of the chicken nuggets and fries offered in their Happy Meals. Ortega recalled to Kimmel that she ended up chowing down on apple snacks in all three commercials she did for the company, something she admittedly didn't enjoy. But she did recall that craft services felt bad enough for her that they reheated some of the leftover nuggets for her to take home. Ortega jokingly told Kimmel that she felt like a pity project because of this gesture, but it's clear she has some fond memories of that time period.
Interestingly enough, Ortega also booked a commercial with McDonald's rival in fast food, Burger King. In a 2013 commercial for the company's French fry-laden burger, she plays a little girl who claims the company stole her idea.
Fruity Pebbles
Jenna Ortega also scored some attention for her appearance in a Fruity Pebbles commercial. She can be seen in a 2014 ad, used as part of the company's "Team Fruity" versus "Team Cocoa" rivalry, as a kid who makes her own Rube Goldbergian contraption to raise the profile of Team Fruity. Unfortunately, Team Coco strikes at the last minute to make their mark and score another point in their favor.
The "Team Fruity or Team Cocoa" promotion was launched for the 50th anniversary of the Pebbles Cereal brand. The commercials surrounding the campaign featured various teams of kids devoted to their particular brand singing the virtues of the product in question. Celebrity mascots appeared to bolster each side of the team; in the case of the initial campaign, John Cena was the captain of Team Fruity, and Kyrie Irving represented Team Cocoa. As the years went by, lots of other kids would get to express their loyalty to the product until the campaign was retired in 2016.
Old Navy
Jenna Ortega's campaign for Old Navy is undoubtedly the most charming commercial she has appeared in so far. The ad sees her as a girl starting a fresh year at school who tries on various new identities thanks to a wardrobe from Old Navy. Over the course of a single day, she becomes shy Alex, artistic Alexis, athletic Allie, and intellectual and musically gifted Lexie. At the end of the day, her mother arrives to pick her up at school and calls her over, using every single nickname she's used during the day, showing that Old Navy could clothe any child trying to figure out who they are and where their interests lie.
Ortega noted on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that her Old Navy campaign got a lot of attention when it came out, helping to make her a familiar face and getting her enough attention to build her career's momentum into something even bigger. Since the commercial shows off the amount of range in her then-nascent acting ability, it's no wonder she seemed to be so proud of it during her Kimmel appearance.
Neutrogena
Despite becoming a big star on "Wednesday," Jenna Ortega still appears in commercials. Famously, she co-starred with David Beckham in an Adidas advertisement that highlights her interest in soccer. She is also the face of Dior's Gris Dior perfume, and she became a regular spokeswoman and brand ambassador for Neutrogena in 2022.
Ortega has appeared in commercials for the brand, such as the one above, where she and Jennifer Garner team up to explain how good Neutrogena is for all sorts of skin types and people of any age. The young actor has appeared in such outlets as People and Teen Vogue to hype the product and its benefits. She also frequently promotes Neutrogena on her Instagram account and often touts the company's makeup remover as a great resource for removing stage blood.
Whether it's making apple slices look like a gourmet snack, selling the importance of creativity through proper clothing, or just trying to show off the importance of dental health, Jenna Ortega has become quite the noteworthy spokesperson. Judging from her continued work in the commercial field, you can surely expect her to appear in many more ads to come.