How the famous ad-apt away from the limelight

'Kiwi Dave' Vousden, the face of Wendy's for almost 15 years, is passionate about special needs students. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Beaurepaires frontman Vince Martin is a jazz singer, the face of Briscoes a white-haired dairy farmer, and Wendy's Dave Vousden works with special needs kids.

Our favourite commercial personalities have lives outside the brand they are promoting - but all love the ads that have made them famous.

Martin has been gracing our screens since the late 80s. He's been living in the US for 15 years and based in New York for nine. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Australia, Martin works as a voiceover artist for commercials and documentaries. "I earn more money doing voiceovers but singing is what I love. I'm coming to New Zealand next year doing a big band Sinatra tour of clubs," he said.

Martin travels to New Zealand every two years or so to film Beaurepaires ads and is recognised as soon as he boards the plane at New York. "People start saying, 'There's Vince Martin'. Yesterday I was walking through Times Square and someone screamed out, 'Vince, how's Beaurepaires going?' People quote ads at me from across the street and I never know how to reply so I usually just wave and say thanks. They also sing Winter Wonderland and I laugh my head off."

Tammy Wells has been the face of Briscoes since 1989 but is more likely to be found in her gumboots helping husband Michael with calving than convincing people to buy pots and pans. "The ads just kept going and going and I kept thinking one more year would be great," she said.

Wells, who has two sons, James, 18 and Cameron, 16, does about 20 days' work a year on the ads. "It has allowed me that wonderful freedom of having a really good income and not having to slog my guts out, and allowed me to contribute to my family."

Wells even has her own internet fan groups, and while she wouldn't comment, they reveal her biggest secret - the hair she sports in the advert is a wig. She stopped colouring her hair years ago and it's now naturally white, but she is still recognised wherever she goes.

"It's just one of those things. It doesn't impact on my life in the slightest. People just look at me and do a double take."

Away from Briscoes, Wells also works for her sister, who owns a bead shop in central Christchurch and fronts up at the St Andrews College canteen once a week.

"If I'm not working I can be covered in cow manure or washing down the yards on our dairy farm, or on the back of the motorbike with my husband."

"Kiwi Dave" Vousden, the face of the Wendy's burger ads for almost 15 years, also introduced evening primrose oil to New Zealand in 1981. "I was in pharmaceuticals. It's always been an interest and I still do a bit of consulting," he said.

Vousden lives in West Auckland with his wife and works at a local school with special needs students. "That's my passion. I started working at a school helping kids with really bad behavioural problems. I don't get paid, and I enjoy it."

The 61-year-old also has his hands full with nine grandchildren but says being well known has not gone to his head.

"People come up to me every day, but it's not an issue. Most of the time they want me to do the ad and ask me all sorts of things about whether I have a wife and kids."

Mitre 10's Mr Mega is best-known for pulling trucks and throwing rocks - and that's exactly what you will find Levi Vaoga (the man behind the mohawk) doing in his Taihape yard. Vaoga became Mr Mega five years ago and loves his job.

"From the age of 9, I had this dream of becoming the world's strongest man. I have been in 11 competitions," he said. "I built a training facility on my property, but because it's on State Highway 1 people would stop and watch me training and take photos, so I built a 2m fence."

At 198cm tall and almost 200kg Vaoga is easily recognisable. "I drive a Chevy Dodge and people chase me up, drive really close to get photos."

Vaoga splits his time between strongman training and appearing as Mr Mega but has also tried sumo wrestling. He also does motivational speaking in schools and has a new project - to find New Zealand's next strongest man. "It's getting harder. I'm 38, so I am looking to recruit someone as I travel around New Zealand."