Business Notes Advertising

Bill Cosby, TV superstar and premier commercial pitchman, may have done wonders for Jell-O Pudding Pops, but now he faces the challenge of his career. Cosby confirmed last week that he had signed a deal to appear in ten TV commercials and a series of print ads for E.F. Hutton. The comedian's mission is to restore the brokerage firm's reputation, which was severely stained last year when Hutton pleaded guilty to 2,000 counts of wire and mail fraud. And that's no Pudding Pop.

The terms were not announced, but industry insiders figure that Hutton is paying Cosby at least $1 million annually for three years. He may just be worth it. His NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show, is the top-rated program, and last year viewers voted him TV's most persuasive celebrity. If Hutton can regain America's trust, it will show that when Bill Cosby talks, people listen.