By Brittaney Kiefer
Copyright adweek
Robert Redford, actor, director, producer, and Hollywood icon, has died at age 89.
Redford is best known for starring in films including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, The Way We Were, and Out of Africa. He won an Oscar for directing Ordinary People in 1980.
Redford founded the Sundance Institute, named after his character in Butch Cassidy, in Utah in 1981 to support independent and emerging talent. The Sundance Film Festival became one of the industry’s most influential events and a launchpad for talent such as Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, and Darren Aronofsky.
He was also an environmental activist, championing causes like the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Wildlife Federation.
Over the course of his career, Redford also appeared in ads for brands such as Burger King and Honda. We’ve rounded up his best commercial roles below.
United Airlines
Redford was the voice of reason in United Airlines’ 2004 commercial, which is thought to be his first advertising job. The animated series, set to George Gershwin’s classic “Rhapsody in Blue,” whimsically captured the trips of business travelers, as Redford’s soothing tone reassured viewers that there was “one airline that can take you there.”
Burger King
Redford had many talents, but skiing was not one of them, at least according to this Burger King commercial. His face only appeared briefly at the end, when the brand revealed that the terrible skier who fell repeatedly on the slopes was none other than the famous actor.
Conservation International
The actor used his star power to champion environmental causes. In 2014, he starred in a spot for Conservation International, giving a voice to a redwood tree that encourages humans to learn “they’re part of nature, rather than just using nature.”
In 2017, Redford was among a cast of celebrities who resurfaced their real yearbook photos for Honda’s Super Bowl ad. Each shared advice for how to achieve your dreams. Redford’s was: “Just keep going, keep your focus, and avoid the distractions.”
