Maytag Repairman - In 1967 the Maytag CompanyŽ located in Newton, Iowa hired actor Jesse White to portray their Maytag Repairman on television commercials. His character (1967-1988) symbolized the reliability of Maytag products to the extent that their repairman never got any repair calls and thus became the "loneliest man in town." The Maytag Repairman was created by the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency based in Chicago. In 1989, Maytag replaced Jesse White as their spokesperson (he died in Los Angeles on January 9th, 1997 at the age of 78 from cardiac arrest) and in turn hired actor Gordon Jump who previously starred in the sitcom WKRP IN CINCINNATI as Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson, a bumbling radio station manager. A few years later Gordon Jump (a native of Dayton, Ohio) died on September 22, 2003 from complications from pulmonary fibrosis. He was 71. Jump had retired from the role as the Maytag Repairman in July 2003 and actor Hardy Rawls (a former Mr. Goodwrench) took over the role as Ol' Lonely, the Maytag Repairman who will now be partnered with a younger, eager Maytag apprentice (Mark Devine). TRIVIA NOTE: On 12/1/1991, Bob Leibold as Bob's Specialty Service in Monroe, Wisconsin started a Maytag washing machine during a Maytag promotion and expected it to run about 2 and 1/2 years. Amazingly, the machine ran until August 16, 1996 and stopped after 32,500 hours. The machine pumped over 56 cycles a day and cost about a $1 a day in electricity. Leibold calculated it was the equivalent of 193 years of use by a family of four. Those interested in the history of Maytag washing machine can visit the Maytag Historical Display at the Jasper County Museum located about 30 miles east of Des Moines off Interstate 80 at the Iowa exit at 1700 South 15th Avenue, West in town of Newton, Iowa.
http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_maytag.htm