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I’m not a big fan of commercials. There are very few commercials that I like aside from some Ikea commercials. Some are funny, while others are distracting. They try to convince you to buy things you don’t need, eat things you shouldn’t eat and do things you shouldn’t do. The only thing they’re really good for is a bathroom break. This was before PVR and Netflix.
What is even more annoying than commercials?
Infomercials, which is also known as paid programming. Yes, those commercials that tell you how a product works, why you need it and if you buy now, they’ll throw in another one for x amount of dollars. As someone who is trying very hard to only buy things I need most of the time, infomercials are trying to do the opposite.
Why would I want a Snuggie? I have a blanket. If I wanted a blanket with sleeves, I’ll just wear a bathrobe or put on a sweater.
Slap Chop? More like Crap Chop. The guy who promotes Slap Chop is the same guy who promotes Sham-Wow.
Who could ever forget Richard Simmons and his Sweatin’ to the Oldies?
Magic bullet – Ummm…I think someone already invented it. It’s called the food processor.
Chia pet -Is this really that much different from having a potted plant? Ok, so the mold is in the shape of an animal, but still…..
These are just a few of the products that millions of people have actually purchased.
Why? WHY? WHY?!?!?!
Here are several reasons:
- Celebrities will be a spokesperson for them- such as Suzanne Sommers and the ThighMaster.
- Testimonials from all these people claiming how this particular product made their life better.
- Extra add-on products (translation: more crap) you can get if you call NOW.
- I feel like the typical announcer’s voice has something to do with it as well. Then he says all the fine details about shipping and handling being extra and taxes not included. Have you ever noticed how fast he says it? Like an auctioneer taking bids.
What I find surprising is that some of these products featured in infomercials became successful enough to make their way into stores we regularly shop at. The Magic Bullet is sold at Wal-Mart. There is even a store called “As Seen on TV”, where products from infomercials are sold. I wonder if people actually shop at that store.
Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial?
(In announcer’s voice): COMMENT NOW!
Sadly my teenage self kind of did. I asked my mom to order proactive for me. I see the commercials now and laugh, as sometimes you can tell it’s not the same person in the “after” picture, but as an icky faced teen I was too hopeful for my own good. It ended up being too much for my sensitive skin to take, too, so it was mostly a waste. The worst is that the elderly tend to buy into it. My grandma always seems intrigued by infomercials and catalogues. It kills me.
I remember that infomercial and the guy talking about eating too many chocolate bars. I wonder if the elderly is one of infomercial’s target demographic in general. Well, not for Proactiv, obviously. Lol.
The magic bullet is awesome! I don’t buy things from infomercials, but I know they are wildly popular. If you can create a product that one of the infomercial companies are willing to pitch you can make a TON of money (found this out by reading the 4 hour workweek). People who have made the so-called “crap” have actually made out quite nicely. With that being said, yes it does just push you to purchase things you probably could go without – but isn’t that all marketing?
It’s crazy how popular they are. I’m sure the Slap Chop/Sham Wow guy made a TON of money from doing those infomercials.
Infomercials will have a very hard time convincing me to buy. Because I hate commercials that are way too loud than the actual program I am watching, I press the mute button during commercials. And because infomercials are more like “blabber-mouthcials”, I don’t watch them. 🙂 I could have cut my explanation shorter by admitting that I simply don’t have the money. 😀
“Blabber-mouthcials.” I like that. I have never had the urge to buy anything from watching infomercials.
No never! I don’t even know how people even sit through those things. Too much time on their hands. I think older people are a target for such things. My mom’s aunt bought TONS of stuff from infomercials and then my mom gave a lot of the crap to me when her aunt died. And most of it was just that…crap. 🙂 although I do hear good things about the magic bullet. And I love my george foreman grill, which was probably on an infomercial but I didn’t but it from that. I’ve had that sucker for years!
When I had cable and was living at home, I always felt Sundays were full of infomercials. It was either that or golf. Nothing good was on until Sunday night.
We actually have a George Foreman grill, but it needs to be cleaned still. I once saw him from afar in a mall when he was promoting them in Canada. 🙂 That, and the Magic Bullet may have been a few of the things that have actually became quite successful.
I utterly hate infomercials. I have never bought anything from them, but I have purchased a George Foreman grill on a store once it was done in it’s TV rotation. It is a great grill, especially when I was in college. It has become the number one selling infomercial item ever. Though I hate them, people sell a bunch of crap on there and people make millions. That just goes to show the power of impulse buying!
I can see how the grill would be handy for a college student. I guess there are a lot of gullible impulse buyers out there!
I never bought something directly from an infomercial but I did buy an Ab-roller at a store that was similar to one I saw on TV. Worked sorta…when I used it…which wasn’t often.
I’ve never heard of the Ab-roller. I looked it up on YouTube. It was nothing what I thought it would be. I thought it was some device you would roll forward and backward, using your abs to control the movement. Haha.
I don’t mind infomercials so much on regular network channels(NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and PBS). You know, they have to make money some way so that they can keep on providing free entertainment/programming for the masses. What really pisses me off is the presence of infomercials on the cable tv/satellite channels. You know, the channels you have to pay for to view. It’s like shouldn’t the money we pay every month be enough for those cable tv/satellite cbannels to get by on? Talk about cable/satellite tv being a real rip off! I should find a way to pirate it!