Any viewer watching a few hours of TV or streaming video every day is likely to come across a dizzying array of commercials, loaded up with different characters, special effects, crazy antics and popular songs.
Some of the most memorable ones, however, all rely on a single element: Keegan-Michael Key.
The actor and comedian, known for the sketch-comedy series “Key & Peele,” plays a group of intriguing characters in a new commercial from Kraft Heinz‘ Ore-Ida for tater tots. Key and his “imi-taters” cap off a notable run that has seen the actor hold forth for Choice Hotels;, PepsiCo’s Lay’s potato chips; State Farm (in this year’s Super Bowl); and even corporate consultants EY.
“A commercial can sometimes be more ubiquitous than, maybe, a little indie film, or a TV show that’s on a streamer, among the thousands of TV shows,” Key says during a recent interview. “It’s also satisfying, filling, mentally simulating, creative. Very often, a commercial sometimes is the thing that can put someone out there.”
Key shows his worth in the new spot for Ore-Ida, playing a bevy of characters, including an old admiral and even a Swedish fellow. The potato promoter made the point even bigger Monday night at Yankee Stadium, where Key appeared in a group of lookalikes (more “imi-taters”). The actor says he had time to prepare to play each character, but also had some help in the form of an on-set stand-in who he could bounce dialogue off of. “They were really ready, rife with energy, and wanted to have fun with me,” he says. That was the biggest thing, to get a nice, organic ping pong between me and the other guy so that it feels so natural when they stitch it all together.”
Commercials represent a natural extension of his life’s work. “I have trafficked in creating characters. almost exclusively, for about 16 years of my life, Key says, noting he has long specialized in “sketch comedy and improvisational comedy, and taking big swings in regard to characterization.” When it comes to a commercial like Ore-Ida’s, he adds, “I don’t have to fake any kind of energy. I don’t have to fake any kind of enthusiasm.” Besides he notes, who doesn’t like tater tots? When he was offered a spit bucket to dispose of any tater tots he chewed, Key declined. “It’s a tater tot, for crying out loud. I’m going to eat every single one of them. I’m gonna find reasons to do extra tasting so I can have more tater tots.”
Still, he maintains certain criteria when choosing among advertising offers. “There has to be some kind of connection to the product for the most part,” he says. “I always find a connection to the product and then also some excitement about the creative.”
Doing commercials can create as much pressure as any other project. But Key says he enjoys it. “I like the pressure cooker of ‘what can we do to clarify, clarify, finesse, elucidate focus so that we’re doing the best possible thing? I’m a performer by trade, more so than even a writer or a creator. So for me, the person I’m thinking about is the viewer sitting in their living room,? he says. “What can I do that will stimulate, titillate, scintillate, get them interested in the product?
Key believes his advertising work may also help him stay current with how media is evolving. More consumers are watching short-form content on TikTok or Instagram, and more programmers and advertisers are testing micro-dramas. The commercial lives in one of the neighborhoods of that city,’ he notes. “People are moving in that direction with just regulars, standard entertainment.”
English (US) ·