Rock Hunter (Tony Randall) writes television commercials, and he's hatched a strategy for a new beauty product. Needing a famous face to deliver his message, Rock tries to recruit actress Rita Marlowe (Jayne Mansfield). At first she thinks it's beneath her, but she wants to make her actor lover (Mickey Hargitay) envious, so she agrees, as long as Rock pretends to be her boyfriend. Soon, Rock is running the ad company, but his ascension is greeted by all kinds of personal troubles.