After Months of Anticipation - New Maytag(R) Repairman Announced

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    BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Maytag(R) brand
 announced today that Clay Jackson of Richmond, Va., will be the next Maytag
 Repairman after conducting an extensive, open-to-the-public nationwide
 search. As the new face of Maytag, Jackson will play a major role in
 revitalizing the 100-year-old Maytag brand and will help bring its
 unequaled tradition of quality and dependability to life.
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     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."
     While portrayed on television for the past 40 years as having nothing
 to do, the new Maytag Repairman role is a full-time position that includes
 multiple national television, radio, print and public appearances. Starting
 in May 2007, the Maytag Repairman will appear in the new Maytag brand
 advertising campaign and will begin making appearances across North
 America.
     Visit www.nextmaytagrepairman.com for more information about the new
 Maytag Repairman, review the highlights from the search and find out what's
 ahead for the revitalized brand icon.
     Background on the Nationwide Search
     On Jan. 26, 2007, the Maytag brand announced its first-ever public
 search for the new Maytag Repairman. The search began with union casting
 during the week of Feb. 12 in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, followed
 by open auditions in the same cities. For those who were unable to attend
 the open casting calls, mail-in auditions were accepted through Feb. 23.
     More than 80 people were invited to the callbacks that took place
 during the week of March 5, and six people were invited to the final round
 of interviews during the week of March 12. The selection process was based
 on a variety of criteria including acting and spokesperson abilities and
 how well the person could personify the Maytag brand's tradition of
 dependability and quality and keep the brand and its advertising icon
 relevant.
     Jackson was unanimously chosen by the brand's executive search team as
 the spokesperson capable of bringing the core values of the Maytag brand to
 life.
     History of the Maytag Repairman
     The character first appeared on American TV screens in 1967. Jackson
 will be one of only four people to portray the Maytag Repairman since its
 creation: Jesse White, who retired in 1988 after playing the part for 21
 years; Gordon Jump, who retired in 2003 after starring in the role for 15
 years; and Hardy Rawls, who took Jump's place in 2003.
     About Whirlpool Corporation
     Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer
 of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion,
 more than 73,000 employees, and more than 70 manufacturing and technology
 research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag,
 KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Bauknecht and other major brand
 names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional
 information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.
 
 

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation