Infomercial Wow
Over the holiday break, my lazy hind-end had the opportunity to watch a LOT more television than I usually do.
And since I watch sans a TiVo or similar device, I am subjected to all manner of commercials. The retail onslaught has been hard and heavy this year.
But sometimes, there is a commercial that rises above the rest.
It began with the repeated ads for a product called ShamWow.
A very enthusiastic guy with a wireless microphone headset (mildly reminiscent of Madonna in the Vogue years, image here) and an east coast New York/New Jersey blend accent extolled the virtues of this fabulous new absorbent product.
Okay. Well, good. Very spongy.
But the commercial stood out more for the oddball guy making the pitch than for the product itself. I admit, it was, as they say in the marketing world, “sticky”. I can remember the product name off the top of my head, so it’s working.
Then a couple days ago, the ShamWow guy showed up in a new ad for something called a SlapChop. This product is a new and improved version of a good ol’ kitchen chopper.
Same guy, same accent, but he’s got a schtick working now. There he is, chopping away at a variety of items, telling us that the SlapChop is going to transform our lives.
Then he said something in the ad that caused The Good Man and I to stop all activity and look at each other.
“Did he really say that,” I asked, and TGM nodded.
What my new television pal Vince Offer said was:
“You’re going to love my nuts.”
He then showed how the SlapChop can decimate the nut of your choice to tiny bits.
Then later he also said, “Stop having a boring tuna.”
Well yeah! Who wants a boring tuna!
At first I was kind of put off by this Vince guy, but the more he shows up on my television screen (which is a LOT lately), the more I’m in this guy’s corner.
A quick Wikipedia glance makes for some good reading. (you’ve made it when you have a Wiki about you…right?)
I found a Slate article, and below is the best quote that sums up exactly what I wanted to say:
“Vince…conveys a street-smart persona—with his headset microphone, rat-a-tat phrasing and fuhgeddaboutit confidence—that’s intended to get the viewer thinking, “Hey, this guy’s sharp. He knows a good deal.” (It may also get us thinking, “Hey, this guy’s a douche. He needs a better haircut.” But that’s a secondary issue.)”
Can Vince become the next Billy Mays (of OxiClean and OrangeGlo fame)?
Time will tell.
For now, let me just say this. You’re gonna love his nuts.
Image from SlapChop website.
Comments
R. E. D.
Eek, he totally makes my skin crawl.
When I was a model long, long ago, there was this guy who used to always scam an invite to parties — he was always trying to share his trashy blow, always trying to use it to get women to speak to him, He even wore a coke spoon on a chain around his neck. So pathetic. Everyone hated him — he was one of those guys who emptied every room he entered. People (especially women) couldn’t get far enough away from him.
He looked and sounded just like the ShamWow guy.
Having said all that, I am intrigued by the actual product, and I wish it were available in stores. Heh.
Anonymous
We’ll try the As Seen on TV store.
Emmett
Becci
Karen,
Why do you think newspapers are dead? I work at a newspaper and while they are going through some difficult times they are far from being declared dead. Yes, we are changing and we have been for many years. We have many niche products that we publish and we are still your best resource usually for local events. I work at a smaller newspaper and while larger newspapers have seen a large drop off in circulation, we’ve only seen a very small one. I think that smaller newspapers will continue to publish and thrive.
So, while the rest of the U.S. goes through some very rough times we are experiencing those times right along with everyone else.
Some say the last newspaper will run off the press sometime in 2040…well it just might but that is quite a ways from being dead now.
I don’t work in the editorial dept so this is probably rambling but just had to hopefully point out that newspapers have not completely met their demise.
I know that you lament the fact that reporters aren’t doing their job. Well, they are at smaller newspapers. They are still making sure that local government is doing their job and that residents are aware of what is happening. Larger newspaper employees are too focused on doing one thing well while those at smaller papers have to be well versed in many aspects of working at the paper.
I’ll get off my soap box. Thanks for letting me rant.
Karen Fayeth
Becci – My perception that newspapers are dead comes from two sources…one, that we keep hearing about (via Google news, naturally) papers that are shuttering their doors.
The other…I did an informal poll recently of my friends. No one has a subscription to a paper. I realize a paper can live on ad revenue, but subscriptions matter too.
Third, with the emergence of on demand news right up to the moment, newspapers with their press deadlines and published what happened yesterday just seem like a dinosaur now.
I have read, in my internet travels, that the smaller local papers are still doing ok. So maybe that is good news.
I really appreciate your perspective as an insider. Thanks for making me think on this more!