Former Soviet Leader Gorbachev Starred in a Pizza Hut Commercial in 1997 | Eater
"An advertising spot depicts the former Soviet leader arriving at a Moscow outpost with his granddaughter, prompting diners to gawk and then argue over his legacy — from blame for the Soviet collapse to praise for newfound opportunities — until an older diner breaks the tension by noting that, because of him, they have things like pizza restaurants and leading the room in a toast of “Hail to Gorbachev!” The commercial highlights the irony of a Cold War statesman endorsing a symbol of American consumerism; it was reportedly filmed in Moscow but never aired in Russia, where he was widely unpopular and later won less than 1 percent in a presidential run. He defended taking the lucrative endorsement (reported at around $1 million) as funding for his post‑office research foundation, calling food a “people’s matter” and saying he could risk using his name to benefit consumers. The ad was widely mocked—making lists of embarrassing celebrity commercials—and may even have hurt local sales, while the same figure later posed for a high‑fashion luxury brand ad, underscoring the contrast between ideology and commerce." - Jenny G. Zhang
