Everyone has seen them. Whether you’re out shopping or flipping channels at 3:00 a.m. everyone has seen a product on an infomercial. The question is, are these products helpful or a product for consumers to waste their money on. So I decided to research some of the most popular infomercial products that are on the market right now.
Infomercials first started appearing in the 1980s and have grown ever since. According to “As Seen on TV” infomercial product sales are over 100 billion dollars a year. One out of three Americans have tried a product featured in an infomercial. With new products coming out each year, consumers are curious to see what products can be made to make their everyday life simpler. Especially with today’s economy many consumers are turning to the new fun products hitting the market.
Infomercials first started appearing in the 1980s and have grown ever since. According to “As Seen on TV” infomercial product sales are over 100 billion dollars a year. One out of three Americans have tried a product featured in an infomercial. With new products coming out each year, consumers are curious to see what products can be made to make their everyday life simpler. Especially with today’s economy many consumers are turning to the new fun products hitting the market.
The popular infomercial product that is sweeping the country is the Snuggie. Described as “The blanket with sleeves” the Snuggie is the answer to everyone’s problem of being able to stay warm but needing the use of their arms. When Snuggies were first introduced they came in three colors: burgundy, royal blue and sage green. With the growing popularity of the Snuggie it is now available in multiple colors, patterns and sports teams. I work at Scheels All Sports and personally have seen the popularity of the College themed Snuggies. When talking with Nate Oakland, the College Clothing Shop Manager, he stated the popularity of the Snuggies is unbelievable. “Within the past six weeks, our store has sold 132 Iowa Snuggies along with 60 Iowa State Snuggies. The Jordan Creek Scheels in Des Moines has sold almost 700 Iowa and 286 Iowa State Snuggies.” When watching customers reactions to the Snuggies, many poke fun and laugh at them but then end up leaving with one or two of them to take home.
Another popular product that is targeted to women is the Shake Weight. Within the weight are dual moving weights that collaborate with a new workout technique called dynamic inertia. The weight is designed to work out your shoulders, chest and arms with only six minutes a day. With their triple money back guarantee it urges women to try the Shake Weight to get closer to tightening those arm muscles. On her talk show, Ellen DeGeneres is constantly looking for fun and helpful infomercial products. When hearing of the Shake Weight she decided to try it and was surprised by the results. During her show she explained, “It really does work out your muscles. I am sore; it is working out muscles I have never worked out in my life.” She even went on during her show to state that she believes in it so much she bought one for each of her audience members.
The Wonder Hanger is another popular product that is dedicated to helping the daily consumer decrease their closet of clutter. It’s guaranteed to triple closet space and prevent wrinkled clothing. The hangers are strong enough to hold five winter coats and can hold wire, plastic or wooden hangers. As the proud owner of a Wonder Hanger, I am very satisfied and grateful for this product. As a female I have lots of clothing as well many purses and am not the most organized person. However with the Wonder Hanger it has made my closet more organized then it was before. In fact, I have it on my Christmas list to further organize my closet.
Ever had a problem trying to make your hair look like you just left the salon? Well there is a product for you, the Bump It. The new hair accessory is designed to help women style their flat hair without using half a can of hairspray. The infomercial states you hair will “Go from flat to fabulous!” The Bump It allows you to style your hair for many occasions to make your hair look sexy, elegant, casual, sassy, flirty and fabulous. Mikka McRoberts, a student and cheerleader at the University of Northern Iowa, is the proud owner of a set of Bump Its. McRoberts heard about the Bump It from the girls on her cheerleading squad and decided to invest it a set of her own. “I really like my Bump It, it makes styling my hair much easier then it used to be.” Bump Its comes in multiple colors to match your hair color including light blonde, medium blonde, brunette and black. They are even offered in mini, regular and tall to accommodate each woman’s hair length and style desired.
If you enjoy cooking but don’t have the time then the GT Xpress is the product for you. With over two million sold nationwide, the GT Xpress allows you to make food for any meal of the day. It allows you to make meals in a matter of minutes from morning omelets to apple pie for dessert. It also includes removable pans to insert to make separate dishes if desired and allows you to fry, grill or bake foods of your choice. The extended version of the infomercial features Cathy Williams, America’s foremost Cooking Product Expert, who makes dozens of meals before your eyes. My old roommate received the GT Xpress as a gift and used it everyday to make quick and easy breakfast and dinner meals.
Ever had a craving for a cupcake, but felt it just wasn’t big enough to satisfy your sweet tooth? Well the Big Top Cupcake is the solution to your problems. The Big Top Cupcake is 25X bigger then the average size cupcake. It comes with two different pans to make the top and bottom of the cupcake. With the Big Top Cupcake you can mix different flavors of cake with the top and bottom. It even allows you to add a filling to the middle of the cake for ice, pudding or ice cream. The infomercial claims “It’s easy to make a giant cupcake everyone will love in three easy steps: fill, bake and decorate.” You can decorate cupcakes to look like animals, houses, and many more with the idea book included.
With the many successful infomercial products there are however the ones that are shocking to think people would actually pay money for them but they do exist. The most ridiculous infomercial product that I remember seeing was for the Great Looking Hair Club. It was a product that insisted that bald men could use their spray and it would make them look like they had a full head of hair. The infomercial insists that the spray thickens hair and builds upon itself. The infomercial took an audience full of bald men who were dissatisfied with their baldness and instantly made them feel years younger by a few sprays from a can. Another product that had people talking was the Chia Pet. The pets were shaped like animals and chia sprouts grew to resemble the animal’s fur. Chia Pets came in multiple animals as well as heads. Chia Pet also has a line of licensed characters from the Looney Tunes, The Simpsons and Scooby Doo. The classic catch phrase sung during the infomercial, “Ch-ch-ch-chia!" is still remembered by many people today. Another famous product and often made fun of is the Bedazzler. This machine allows you to “Bedazzle” your clothing, hats and purses with studs and rhinestones of many colors. It allowed consumers to dress up their current wardrobe without the previous experience of sewing.
How important is the spokesperson selling the product during the infomercial. Many believe in the person on the screen talking to them. One of the most famous infomercial spokesmen is the late Billy Mays. Known for his loud sales pitches and dark beard, Mays became famous by selling over 30 products such as OxiClean, Orange Glo and Kaboom. Since Mays death last summer, many consider him to be one of America’s famous spokesmen and his famous opening line, “Hi Billy Mays Here!” will be remembered by many. Another infomercial product endorsed by many celebrities is Proactive Solution. The skin care product to prevent and control acne has been endorsed by Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Williams, and Alyssa Milano. If consumers see celebrities dealing with an issue that they face everyday and see the product works for them they are more willing to try it themselves.
So what really convinces consumers to buy the products that are marketed to them everyday through infomercials? Some may say because the product will simplify their everyday life while others say it’s because of the sales pitch the spokesman gives to them. Everyone will have their own answer to what makes them buy an infomercial product. Some may believe as ridiculous as they may look, wearing a blanket with sleeves solves their problem of trying to stay warm while using their arms. Some find infomercial products to simplify their everyday life by better organizing their closet to styling their hair in the morning.
