Historic Black Enterprise Magazine Covers: Commercial Success, Dec 1981

For decades, major advertisers avoided having African Americans associated with their products. After finally acknowledging the universal appeal of entertainers and sports figures as well as the value of the expanding black consumer market to the bottom line, corporations begin tapping more African Americans to pitch their brands.

The leader of all “star presenters”: comedian Bill Cosby who earned $3 million — a huge sum at the time — endorsing Coca-Cola, Texas Instruments and Jell-O and named America’s most believable personality.