New Maytag Repairman actor selected

+ There were casting calls. There were auditions. And Maytag has now selected its new Maytag Repairman. Starting in May a new campaign featuring Clay Jackson will start running.

Clay Jackson of Richmond, Va., will be the next Maytag Repairman after conducting an extensive, open-to-the-public nationwide search. More than 1,500 people participated in the audition process including professional actors, construction workers, salesmen and stockbrokers. The two-month search included union casting calls, open auditions and mail-in submissions that were reviewed and evaluated by company representatives. According to Jackson, he decided to try out "on a whim" and attended the open audition in New York, focusing on bringing "something humorous and unexpected" to the character.

Having toured professionally after college, Jackson thought he had gotten acting out of his system when he left the theater in 2000. "The opportunity to combine my love of acting with being a spokesperson for the Maytag brand was something I couldn't ignore," explained Jackson, who had been selling real estate for his family's agency for the last several years.

Jackson is the fourth person to portray the brand icon during its 40-year existence - but don't expect to see your father's Ol' Lonely(R). The newly announced Maytag Repairman is sporting a new uniform, a new attitude and is an evolution of the dependable character that was created in 1967.

"The new Maytag Repairman will help revitalize the Maytag brand and its heritage by keeping one foot in our past while putting the other in our future," said Jeff Davidoff, vice president, brand marketing and communications, Maytag. "Clay is perfect for our new take on the role. He's energetic, young-at-heart and outgoing while still being dependable and reliable."