Local News

Maine man who went viral for ‘buttery, flaky crust’ ad dies at 86

Palmer and his wife, long standing customers at Dysart's, starred in the viral commercial in 2012.

August 15, 2024

1 minute to read

Maine’s John “Jack” Palmer, who rose to stardom for his failed attempts at saying “buttery, flakey crust” in a Dysart’s commercial, died at 86 years old on Friday.

Palmer died in his home in Hermon, Maine “with his wife and daughter by his side,” according to his obituary.

“He loved his family and the many pet companions they had through the years,” the Bangor Daily News, where Palmer worked for 37 years, wrote. “Jack’s presence on this earth will be missed by many.”

Palmer and his wife, Sonya, were long standing customers at the Cold Brook Road Dysart’s Restaurant and visited the establishment for their morning coffee almost daily, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Dysart’s owners recommended the Palmers for the commercial where Palmer famously stumbled over his words while filming the viral ad in 2012.

“I think they became the celebrities they are by being genuine, by being just a typical couple,” Ric Tyler, who directed the Dysart’s commercial, told the Press Herald. “Jack was rather deaf from his years of working in the print room at the Bangor Daily News, and if you look at the outtakes, you can see Sonya kicking him under the table when it was time to say the lines. She was also mouthing the lines herself, willing him to get them right.”

While filming, Palmer said he did not know when to start speaking because the director did not say “one” when counting down from three.

“We probably had to do it over about 40 times,” Palmer told the newspaper. “I just couldn’t do it. My wife got a little perturbed, then they asked her to do it. That was fun, too.”

Palmer’s beloved blooper reel, amassing over 9 million views, was also parodied on Saturday Night Live by Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon.