Infomercial
From Free net encyclopedia
Infomercials are television commercials that run as long as a typical television program (roughly thirty minutes or an hour). Infomercials, also known as paid programming (or teleshopping in Europe), are normally shown outside of peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning. The word infomercial is a portmanteau which is formed by combining "information" and "commercial". As in any other form of advertisement, the content is a commercial message designed to represent the viewpoints and serve the interest of the sponsor. Infomercials are often made to closely resemble actual television programming, usually talk shows, with minimal acknowledgement that the program is actually an advertisement.
An infomercial is designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable and is therefore a form of direct response marketing (not to be confused with direct marketing). The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser. Normally commercials do not solicit a direct response from the viewer, but instead try to brand their product in the market place.
Infomercials may make use of flashy catchphrases (such as "Set it and Forget it"), repeat basic ideas, and the use of scientist-like characters or celebrities. A suprising characteristic of nearly all informercials in North America that demonstrate a product is that they usually feature a man (who often has a British accent) and an extraordinarily witless woman who asks questions enthusiastically. A small number of infomercials reverse this formula. Well known infomercial personalities include: Cher, George Foreman (with the George Foreman Grill), Mike Levey, Billy Mays, Don Lapre, Matthew Lesko, Gary Spivey, Ron Popeil, Kevin Trudeau, Chef Tony, Jay Kordich, and Tony Robbins. The book As Seen on TV (Quirk Books) by Lou Harry, Sam Stall and Julia Spalding highlights the history of such memorable products as the Flowbee, the Chia Pet, and Ginsu knives.
Because of the nature of infomercials, consumer advocates recommend careful investigation of the claims made on infomercials, including the company behind the product, before purchasing the featured products.
Contents |
History
Infomercials proliferated in the United States after 1984 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminated regulations, which were established in the 1950s and 1960s, on the commercial content of television. Much of their early development can be attributed to business partners Edward Valenti and Barry Beecher, who developed the format to sell the Ginsu Knife.
On occasion infomercials have been used for election campaigns. Most notably was that of former President of the United States candidate, Ross Perot, when he introduced his 1996 candidacy with running mate, Pat Choate, using an infomercial. Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Harry Browne also used an infomercial in 2000, which was hosted by David Ruprecht, former host of the game show Supermarket Sweep. Lyndon LaRouche was also known for buying time on CBS to run his own campaign infomercials for each of his presidential runs.
Parodies of infomercials
- The comedian Leo Gallagher is famous for his sendup of infomercials with his signature sledgehammer routine, a presentation of the fruit and vegetable preparation tool called the "Sledge-O-Matic ".
- On television's The Simpsons, faded Hollywood heartthrob Troy McClure regularly appeared on infomercials entitled "I Can't Believe They Invented It!"
External links
- Electronic Retailing Association Trade association for the infomercial industry
- IMSTV.com Infomercial Monitoring Service.
- Infomercial Review Infomercial Consumer Reviews.
- Ridiculous Infomercial Review Humorous reviews and video clips of laughable infomercials.