Zozo Zarpa (Ζωζώ Î–Î¬Ï Ï€Î±) (1939 â€" 19 April 2012) was a Greek
television, film and stage actress.Zarpa studied at the National
Theatre of Greece Drama School. She began her acting career by
performing on stage in Ancient Greek dramatic plays. In addition to
her long film and theater credits, Zarpa founded the Themelion
theatre, and co-founded a Greek drama school with her Elda Dimopoulos
(her sister) and Yannis Negrapontis.She achieved a degree of fame in
the United States in 2010 and 2011 when she appeared in a television
commercial campaign for Kraft Foods' Athenos brand of hummus and Greek
yogurt. The ad campaign developed by Droga5, which was the first ever
for the Athenos brand, featured the tagline, "Approved by Yiayia." The
commercials were shot and cast in Greece, leading Zarpa's role as one
of the Yiayias, or Greek grandmothers. In Zarpa's commercial, her
Yiayia character asks a young, cohabiting couple if they were married.
When the couple says no, Yiayia immediately tells them that they are
going to hell. The spot earned Zarpa new fans throughout the United
States and Greece. As of 2012, her Athenos commercial had received
more than 1,200,000 hits on YouTube.Zarpa died from a heart attack on
19 April 2012, aged 73, and was interred in a cemetery in Chalandri,
Attica, the following day.
television, film and stage actress.Zarpa studied at the National
Theatre of Greece Drama School. She began her acting career by
performing on stage in Ancient Greek dramatic plays. In addition to
her long film and theater credits, Zarpa founded the Themelion
theatre, and co-founded a Greek drama school with her Elda Dimopoulos
(her sister) and Yannis Negrapontis.She achieved a degree of fame in
the United States in 2010 and 2011 when she appeared in a television
commercial campaign for Kraft Foods' Athenos brand of hummus and Greek
yogurt. The ad campaign developed by Droga5, which was the first ever
for the Athenos brand, featured the tagline, "Approved by Yiayia." The
commercials were shot and cast in Greece, leading Zarpa's role as one
of the Yiayias, or Greek grandmothers. In Zarpa's commercial, her
Yiayia character asks a young, cohabiting couple if they were married.
When the couple says no, Yiayia immediately tells them that they are
going to hell. The spot earned Zarpa new fans throughout the United
States and Greece. As of 2012, her Athenos commercial had received
more than 1,200,000 hits on YouTube.Zarpa died from a heart attack on
19 April 2012, aged 73, and was interred in a cemetery in Chalandri,
Attica, the following day.
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