Wendy Kaufman
Encyclopedia
Wendy Kaufman is an American best known for being the spokesperson for Snapple
and for her two stints on Celebrity Fit Club
.
, New York
of Jewish heritage, to a homemaking mother and a father who owned a steel manufacturing company. She grew up in North Woodmere and attended Lawrence High School
, graduating from Syracuse University
in 1980 with degrees in film and sociology. She then worked for ten years in the shipping and billing department of her father's company until 1989. In 1991, she began working for Snapple Beverage Corporation for her best friend's father, Arnie Greenberg, one of the three founders of Snapple
.
When Kaufman was a young child, she wrote her one and only fan letter to Greg Brady (Barry Williams
), which went unanswered. So, at Snapple, when she realized how many people were trying to connect with the company, she took it upon herself to answer all the letters, since she remembered how terrible she felt when he never replied. This led to her being referred to as "The Snapple Lady".
When it was discovered that Kaufman had been answering Snapple fan-mail in her free time (because nobody in the office wanted to do it themselves), their brand new advertising agency, Kirshenbaum & Bond, developed a campaign around her energetic personality. She appeared in television, radio, and print advertising until 1994 wherein she answered letters written to Snapple with witty responses. Kaufman's 1990s Snapple ad trademark was to appear on camera with her head barely peeking out over the Snapple reception counter, giving the viewer the impression that she was incredibly short in stature (She is officially 5'2"). Wendy continues to get a kick out of telling people that she was the real "Head of Snapple". She would begin each commercial by saying in a thick New York accent that she received a letter from a particular Snapple fan, who would then be included in the commercial.
Kaufman's humorous Snapple ads were well-received, especially among members of Generation X
, and she was partially responsible for a jump in Snapple's sales from 23 million dollars a year to 750 million a year in 1995. She was let go in 1994, upon Snapple's sale to Quaker Oats. However, when Quaker sold Snapple to Triarc brands in 1997, they reinstated Wendy as the Snapple goodwill ambassador.
Because Kaufman is not an actress, she never vigorously pursued acting. However, she played a blackjack dealer in Vegas Vacation
in 1997, played a Bridal Clerk in the 1998 film Enough Already, and was featured in the film Funny Valentine with Anthony Michael Hall
, and the short lived series The Beat.
In 2002 Kaufman began taking classes at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
, and was accepted to the school's graduate program contingent upon her taking a probability and statistics
course. Based upon her immense fear of mathematics in general, (Quote "I'd rather slit my wrists than take a math course at age 48") she refused to take the course but can still be seen sporadically taking undergraduate courses.
VH1
enlisted Wendy in a variety of projects. She was featured on the popular show I Love the 90s, has appeared on the American reality show Celebrity Fit Club 1 & 2
and All Access: Where Are They Now: Celebrity Fit Club.
It is from her life-changing experience on these shows that Wendy has found her new mission in life. She is a partner in Wendy Wear, a brand new venture which will make flattering activewear for plus-size women.
According to an interview with Fox News, Wendy was fired in March 2008 by an executive of Cadbury Schweppes
, the owner of the Snapple brand. This information was disclosed during an interview with Neil Cavuto
, which aired on his Fox News TV show, Your World with Neil Cavuto
on May 8, 2008. As cited in Newsday
, Kaufman stated that she had been made an offer, but that she "couldn't accept the contract because it was so one-sided and worth nothing".
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
and for her two stints on Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
.
Life and career
Kaufman was born in North WoodmereNorth Woodmere, New York
North Woodmere is an unincorporated area section of Valley Stream, located in Nassau County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. North Woodmere is directly north of Woodmere, but separated from it by Mott's Creek. Access to Woodmere is available via Branch Boulevard and a footbridge over...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
of Jewish heritage, to a homemaking mother and a father who owned a steel manufacturing company. She grew up in North Woodmere and attended Lawrence High School
Lawrence High School (New York)
Lawrence High School is a four-year public high school located in Cedarhurst on Long Island in New York, United States. It is a part of the Lawrence Public Schools, and is the district's only public high school.- Details :...
, graduating from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1980 with degrees in film and sociology. She then worked for ten years in the shipping and billing department of her father's company until 1989. In 1991, she began working for Snapple Beverage Corporation for her best friend's father, Arnie Greenberg, one of the three founders of Snapple
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
.
When Kaufman was a young child, she wrote her one and only fan letter to Greg Brady (Barry Williams
Barry Williams
Barry William Blenkhorn , known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.-Early life and career:...
), which went unanswered. So, at Snapple, when she realized how many people were trying to connect with the company, she took it upon herself to answer all the letters, since she remembered how terrible she felt when he never replied. This led to her being referred to as "The Snapple Lady".
When it was discovered that Kaufman had been answering Snapple fan-mail in her free time (because nobody in the office wanted to do it themselves), their brand new advertising agency, Kirshenbaum & Bond, developed a campaign around her energetic personality. She appeared in television, radio, and print advertising until 1994 wherein she answered letters written to Snapple with witty responses. Kaufman's 1990s Snapple ad trademark was to appear on camera with her head barely peeking out over the Snapple reception counter, giving the viewer the impression that she was incredibly short in stature (She is officially 5'2"). Wendy continues to get a kick out of telling people that she was the real "Head of Snapple". She would begin each commercial by saying in a thick New York accent that she received a letter from a particular Snapple fan, who would then be included in the commercial.
Kaufman's humorous Snapple ads were well-received, especially among members of Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
, and she was partially responsible for a jump in Snapple's sales from 23 million dollars a year to 750 million a year in 1995. She was let go in 1994, upon Snapple's sale to Quaker Oats. However, when Quaker sold Snapple to Triarc brands in 1997, they reinstated Wendy as the Snapple goodwill ambassador.
Because Kaufman is not an actress, she never vigorously pursued acting. However, she played a blackjack dealer in Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation
Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film. It is the fourth film in the original Vacation film series centering around the fictitious Griswold family, following Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase reprises his starring role as Clark W. Griswold, the patriarch of the family...
in 1997, played a Bridal Clerk in the 1998 film Enough Already, and was featured in the film Funny Valentine with Anthony Michael Hall
Anthony Michael Hall
Michael Anthony Hall , known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, film producer and director who starred in several teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980...
, and the short lived series The Beat.
In 2002 Kaufman began taking classes at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
, and was accepted to the school's graduate program contingent upon her taking a probability and statistics
Probability and statistics
See the separate articles on probability or the article on statistics. Statistical analysis often uses probability distributions, and the two topics are often studied together. However, probability theory contains much that is of mostly mathematical interest and not directly relevant to statistics...
course. Based upon her immense fear of mathematics in general, (Quote "I'd rather slit my wrists than take a math course at age 48") she refused to take the course but can still be seen sporadically taking undergraduate courses.
VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
enlisted Wendy in a variety of projects. She was featured on the popular show I Love the 90s, has appeared on the American reality show Celebrity Fit Club 1 & 2
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
and All Access: Where Are They Now: Celebrity Fit Club.
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
It is from her life-changing experience on these shows that Wendy has found her new mission in life. She is a partner in Wendy Wear, a brand new venture which will make flattering activewear for plus-size women.
According to an interview with Fox News, Wendy was fired in March 2008 by an executive of Cadbury Schweppes
Cadbury Schweppes
Cadbury is a confectionery company owned by Kraft Foods and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated. Headquartered in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide....
, the owner of the Snapple brand. This information was disclosed during an interview with Neil Cavuto
Neil Cavuto
Neil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
, which aired on his Fox News TV show, Your World with Neil Cavuto
Your World with Neil Cavuto
Your World with Neil Cavuto , which debuted as the Cavuto Business Report on the network's launch in 1996, is an American business television program appearing on Fox News Channel.-About the program:...
on May 8, 2008. As cited in Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, Kaufman stated that she had been made an offer, but that she "couldn't accept the contract because it was so one-sided and worth nothing".