Infomercial

The word "infomercial" is a portmanteau of the words "information" and "commercial". As in any other form of advertisement, the content is a commercial message designed to represent the viewpoints and to serve the interest of the sponsor. Infomercials are often made to closely resemble standard television programs. Some imitate talk shows and try to downplay the fact that the program is a commercial message. A few are developed around storylines and have been called "storymercials".{{cite news|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-24-ca-1245-story.html|title=Latest Amazing Discovery: The Un-Infomercial : Television: Storymercials cost more to shoot and don't look like infomercials--they look like real shows. The soft-sell approach is more appealing to corporate America.|author=Greg Braxton|date=24 November 1994}} However, most do not have specific TV formats but craft different elements to tell what their creators hope is a compelling story about the product offered.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The term infomercial, by 2007, had come to refer to the format, even when used in a live presentation.{{cite magazine|magazine=Newsweek|url=https://www.newsweek.com/steven-levy-apple-computer-dead-long-live-apple-98429|title=Apple Computer Is Dead; Long Live Apple|author=Steven Levy|date=9 January 2007}}

Infomercials are designed to solicit quantifiable immediate direct response (a form of direct response marketing, not to be confused with direct marketing); they generally feature between two and four internal commercials of 30 to 120 seconds which invite the viewer to call or take other direct action. Many viewers respond with a delayed response, by purchases made at retail outlets. These retail purchases are often the largest response. Using "not sold in stores" is a choice by advertisers who dislike sharing profit with retailers, or who lack the immense resources needed to get into retail channels. In the latter case, direct sales enables later retail distribution. Standalone shorter commercials, 30 to 120 seconds in length with a call to action, are erroneously called infomercials; when used as an independently produced commercial, they are generally known as DRTV spots or short{{nbh}}form DRTV.{{cite web|last=McCrea|first=Bridget|title=Smarter, Better, Faster|url=http://www.responsemagazine.com/direct-response-marketing/smarter-better-faster-6930|publisher=Response Magazine|access-date=2014-04-16|archive-date=2014-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417123159/http://www.responsemagazine.com/direct-response-marketing/smarter-better-faster-6930|url-status=dead}} Infomercial sponsors often also use shorter spots during regular programming.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

{{See also|As seen on TV}}

The products frequently marketed through infomercials at the national level include cleaning products, appliances, food-preparation devices, dietary supplements, alternative health aids, memory improvement courses, books, compilation albums, videos of numerous genres, real estate investment strategies, beauty supplies,{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|quote=In a focus group, 80% said they'd watch .. 60% said they'd buy|title=Traffic building}} baldness remedies, sexual-enhancement supplements, weight-loss programs and products, personal fitness devices, home exercise machines and adult chat lines.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Uses for infomercials in the early 1990s included offering free trials of personal care products such as enhanced plaque removers; an 800-number was used to collect basic marketing information.{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|title=Case studies: Appliances}}

Major brands (such as Apple,{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-10-24-infomercial-timeline_x.htm|work=USA Today|title=Infomercial history highlights|date=2004-10-24|access-date=2010-05-05}} Microsoft and Thermos-Grill2GoRudnick, Michael. [http://www.dmnews.com/Char-Broils-First-DRTV-Effort-Gets-Grill-Sales-Sizzling/article/72763/ Char-Broil's First DRTV Effort Gets Grill Sales Sizzling] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704183703/http://www.dmnews.com/Char-Broils-First-DRTV-Effort-Gets-Grill-Sales-Sizzling/article/72763/|date=2014-07-04}} DMNews. 16 May 2001.) have used infomercials for their ability to communicate more complicated and in{{nbh}}depth product stories. This practice started in the early 1990s and has increased since. Such advertisers generally eschew the less reputable trappings of the traditional infomercial business in order to create communication they believe creates a better image of their products, brands and customers. Apple's use of the infomercial medium was immediately discontinued with Steve Jobs' 1997 return to the helm of the company.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Automobile dealerships, attorneys and jewelers are among the types of businesses that air infomercials on a local level.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

During the early days of television, many television shows were specifically created by sponsors with the main goal of selling their product, the entertainment angle being a hook to hold audience's attention (this is how soap operas got their name; such shows were sponsored by soap manufacturers). A good example of this is the early children's show The Magic Clown on NBC, which was created essentially as an advertisement for Bonomo's Turkish Taffy.[http://www.allbusiness.com/buying-exiting-businesses/mergers-acquisitions/454710-1.html Fifty years of candy: consolidation, clowns and confidence. Candy Industry, August 1, 1994]

File:Production photo - 1949 filmed for television infomercial - Papa Bernard, Vita-Mix Blender, Natural Foods Institute.jpg

The first filmed for TV half-hour infomercial for a commercial product (a Vitamix blender) were produced by Cinécraft Productions, a motion picture studio in Ohio in 1949.Home Miracles of the 1950s is thought to be the first filmed TV infomercial [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA]Vita-Mix Corporation, Case Western Reserve University, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History https://case.edu/ech/articles/v/vita-mix-corporation"But Wait! There's More," article in Academia.edu Letters. https://www.academia.edu/77820207/_But_wait_There_s_more_Papa_Bernard_and_the_first_TV_infomercial{{efn|A number of the early Vitamix infomercials produced by Cinécraft are posted on the Hagley Museum and Library digital archive.}} {{nowrap|WOR-TV}} ran the infomercial from 12:30 to 1 a.m. on a Sunday. By 1:10 a.m., 130 orders had rolled in. Eleven subsequent showings of the infomercial brought in more than $41,400 in 1950 dollars.{{cite journal|last1=Fischler|first1=Alan|title=Pitchmen Clean Up in Video; Knock PI Deals in the Head|journal=The Billboard|date=August 26, 1950|volume=62|issue=34|page=1, 8, 89|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ovUDAAAAMBAJ|access-date=23 January 2025}}

Eventually, limits imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the amount of advertising that could appear during an hour of television did away with these programs, forcing sponsors into the background; however, a few infomercials, mainly those for greatest hits record sets (which could get around the restrictions by devoting much of the airtime to snippets of the songs on the records, which did not count as advertising) and Shop Smith power tools,{{cite web|url=https://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?560904-How-Do-Infomercials-fullfill-the-public-interest/page3|title=How Do Infomercials 'fullfill the public interest'?|work=Radio Discussions |quote=occasional infomercials for "Shop Smith" power tools}} did exist during the period when commercial time was restricted.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

During the 1970s, XETV-TDT{{snd}}a Mexican TV station based in Tijuana, but serving the San Diego market{{snd}}ran a one-hour English-language program on Sundays showcasing San Diego–area homes for sale. As a non-USA station, the FCC's maximum number of commercial minutes per hour did not apply to XETV. It was also during the 1970s that the hard sell "But wait! There's more!" Ginsu ads were being aired on American late-night TV.{{Cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|author=Jim Auchmutey|title=But wait, there's more! (Special Report)|page=1|year=1983}}.

The Federal Communications Commission lifted the prohibition on program-length advertisements on radio in 1981.See Deregulation of Radio, 84 F.C.C.2d 968, 1007 (1981) (rescinding the FCC's policy banning program-length radio commercials.)

Infomercials proliferated in the United States after 1984 when the Federal Communications Commission eliminated regulations that were established in the 1950s and 1960s to govern the commercial content of television.{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/infomercial/98718/|title=Infomercial {{!}} AdAge Encyclopedia of Advertising – AdAge|website=adage.com|date=September 15, 2003}}See Revision of Programming and Commercialization, Policies, Ascertainment Requirements, and Program Log Requirements for Commercial Television Stations, 98 F.C.C.2d 1075 (1984) (rescinding the FCC's policy banning program-length television commercials).

Kevin Harrington, nicknamed the "infomercial godfather",{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcmiami.com/local/ntds-pitchman-billy-mays-more-popular-last-super-bowl-than-most-celebs-pal/1863739|title=Pitchman Billy Mays Stole Celebs' Shine Last Super Bowl: Pal|date=2 February 2010}} had his first infomercial air in 1985. By 1994, an estimated 91% of all stations had or were airing infomercials.{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/04/nyregion/tv-infomercials-draw-mixed-reactions.html?pagewanted=2|title=TV Infomercials Draw Mixed Reactions|author=Linda Saslow|date=4 December 1994}}

One relatively early question was whether or not infomercials should feature celebrities.{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|title=A marketing marriage: celebs and infomercials|author=Greg Renker}} Although "how much will it cost" was part of the equation, so was a "highly demonstrable item with obvious features and benefits." Even when experts are used for their endorsement value, a "name" adds value in making an introduction.{{efn|"Montel Williams's infomercials, pitching products like a blanket with arms, resemble his show."}}

Infomercials particularly exploded in the mid-1990s with motivational and personal development products, and "get-rich-quick schemes" based on the premise that one could quickly become wealthy by either selling anything through classified ads or through flipping. These were hawked by personalities such as Don Lapre and Carleton H. Sheets, among others.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

When they first appeared, infomercials were most often scheduled in the United States and Canada during late-night/early morning hours. As stations have found value in airing them at other times, a large portion of infomercial spending occurs in the early morning, daytime, early prime and even prime time periods. There are also all-infomercial networks{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|author=Kathy Haley|page=M11|title=Slow progress for all-infomercial channels}} (such as cable channels Corner Store TV, OnTV4U, Access Television Network and GRTV) that yield revenue for cable and satellite providers who carry them or fill local programming voids.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Some cable carriage contracts were adjusted in 2006. CNBC, which airs only two hours of infomercials nightly during the business week, sometimes airs nearly 30 hours of infomercials on weekends; from the 2008 financial crisis to early 2017, CNBC had inserted a "paid programming" bug at the top right corner of the screen during all airings of infomercials. In contrast, sister network CNBC World airs international programming rather than any paid programming.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

When a conventional prime-time two-minute advertising pod has no ads,{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/business/media/26adco.html|title=Infomercials Find Their Way to Television's Prime Time|author=Stephanie Clifford|date=January 25, 2009}} the networks will run a two-minute mini-infomercial at a much lower rate, charging "as little as 5 percent of what a general advertiser would" pay.

The New York Times suggested that "the commercial became the show as infomercials ruled the night."{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/style/infomercials-television-prozac.html|title=Remind Me, Why Was It That We Ever Watched Infomercials?|author=Alex Williams|date=February 2, 2018}}

A comparison of television listings from 2007 with 1987 verifies that many North American broadcasters began to air infomercials in lieu of syndicated television series reruns and movies, which were formerly staples during the more common hours infomercials are broadcast (such as the overnight hours). Infomercials were previously a near-permanent staple of Ion Television's daytime and overnight schedules, but the channel now only carries infomercials in the traditional 3:00–8:00 a.m. ET/PT timeslot emulated by most cable networks. Multichannel providers such as DirecTV had objected to carrying Ion feeds consisting largely of paid programming. This is despite both DirecTV and Dish carrying several infomercial-only and leased access networks which have been criticized by their subscribers.{{cite web|url=http://www.directv.com/see/landing/pax.html|title=DIRECTV Satellite TV – Official Site – 1-800-490-4388|access-date=7 November 2016}}

As with other advertising, content is supervised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and regulated by Ofcom. Advertising rules are written and maintained by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP), working closely with the ASA and Ofcom.{{cite web|url=http://www.cap.org.uk/About-CAP.aspx|title=About Us|work=Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)|access-date=6 January 2014}}

In the UK, "admags" (advertisement magazines) were originally a feature of the regional commercial ITV stations from launch in 1955. While very popular, admags were banned in 1963.{{Cite web|last=Vahimagi|first=Tise|title=BFI Screenonline: TV in the 1950s|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1321302/index.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=BFI Screenonline}} The word "teleshopping" was coined in 1979 by Michael Aldrich, who invented real-time transaction processing from a domestic television and subsequently installed many systems throughout the UK in the 1980s.{{cite news|title=Checking on the check-outs|work=Financial Times|date=12 July 1980}} This would now be referred to as online shopping. In the 1989, the Satellite Shop was launched as the first UK shopping channel. Shortly afterwards, infomercials began on satellite television, and they became known as teleshopping.{{cite web|title=The Inventor's Story, Pioneers of Online Shopping|work=Aldrich Archive|publisher=University of Brighton|url=http://www.aldricharchive.com}} Until 2009, the UK permitted neither paid infomercials nor teleshopping on broadcast television. However, in 2009, Ofcom allowed up to three hours of infomercials per day on any channel.

Airtime for political messages, known as party political broadcasts, is allocated free of charge to political parties according to a formula approved by Parliament, and is available only on broadcast television and radio channels. The Communications Act 2003 prohibits political advertising.{{cite web|url=http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-7-Political-Advertisements.aspx|title=BCAP code: Political Advertisements|work=Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)|access-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106151901/http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-7-Political-Advertisements.aspx|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-10-Prohibited-categories.aspx|title=BCAP Code: Prohibited categories|work=Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)|access-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106140902/http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-10-Prohibited-categories.aspx|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=dead}} Television advertising of pharmacy-only and prescription drugs is also prohibited.{{cite web|url=http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-10-Prohibited-categories.aspx|title=BCAP Code: Medicines, medical devices, treatments and health|work=Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)|access-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106140902/http://www.cap.org.uk/Advertising-Codes/Broadcast-HTML/Section-10-Prohibited-categories.aspx|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=dead}}

Some U.S. televangelists such as Robert Tilton and Peter Popoff{{cite news|website=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3164858&page=1|title=Selling Salvation? Many put faith in a faith healer who says he has the answer to your prayers|author1=Jim Avila|author2=Glenn Ruppel|author3=Donna Hunter|quote=His miracle healing services first propelled him up the televangelist ladder in the mid-1980s|date=May 14, 2007}} buy television time from infomercial brokers representing television stations around the U.S., and even some widely distributed cable networks that are not averse to carrying religious programming. A block of such programming appears weekdays on BET under the umbrella title BET Inspiration (which fully replaced the direct-response variety of infomercials on the channel in 1997). The vast majority of religious programming in the United States is distributed through paid infomercial time; the fees that televangelists pay for coverage on most religious stations are a major revenue stream for those stations, in addition to programming the networks produce themselves.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

TiVo formerly used paid programming time weekly on the Discovery Channel on early Thursday mornings and Ion Television on early Wednesday mornings to record interactive and video content to be presented to subscribers in a form of linear datacasting without the need to interfere with a subscriber's internet bandwidth (or lack thereof if they solely used the machine's dialup connection for updating). The program was listed as Teleworld Paid Program, named for TiVo's corporate name at its founding.{{cite web|url=http://www.gizmolovers.com/2008/09/11/teleworld-paid-program-showing-up-in-tivo-now-playing-list/|title=Teleworld Paid Program Showing Up In TiVo Now Playing List | Gizmo Lovers Blog|publisher=Gizmolovers.com|date=2008-09-11|access-date=2012-10-31}} Teleworld Paid Program was quietly discontinued at the start of the 2016–17 television season as the company's install base had mostly transitioned to broadband and newer TiVo devices no longer included a dialup option.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

During the financial crisis that lasted from 2007 to 2008, many struggling individual television stations began to devote more of their programming schedules to infomercials, thereby reducing syndication contracts for regular programming. Some stations found that the revenue from infomercial-time sales were higher than those possible through traditional television advertising and syndication sales options. However, the reduced ratings from airing infomercials can have a chain reaction and harm ratings for other programming on the station.Pergament, Alan. [http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/497175.html Channel 4 returns to the lead, but cable quarrel boosts Channel 7]. The Buffalo News. 18 November 2008.

A feature-length documentary that chronicles the history of the infomercial is Pitch People.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In 2008, Tribune Content Agency and Gemstar-TV Guide/Rovi began to relax the guidelines for listing infomercials within their electronic program guide listings.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} Previously, all infomercials were listed under the title "Paid Programming" (except for exceptions listed below), but now infomercial producers are allowed to submit a title and limited descriptive synopsis (though phone numbers or website addresses remain disallowed) to the listings providers.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In January 2009, Fox became the first major broadcast network to carry a regularly scheduled block of paid programming when it discontinued its Saturday morning children's programming after disputes with provider 4Kids Entertainment. Fox gave back three early hours to its affiliates, while retaining two hours for infomercials under the title Weekend Marketplace.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/longform-ads-replace-kid-fare-on-fox-1117996360/|work=Variety|title=Longform ads replace kid fare on Fox|first=Michael|last=Schneider|date=2008-11-23}}

Some local stations utilize Saturday morning slots to air local paid programming that typically sells used cars or real estate,{{efn|"Fox News .. said .. had set aside inventory for 'make-goods' which it did not need to fulfill, and was turning to some direct-response advertisers"}} and in other ways rejected infomercials, which were disdained by viewers and Fox affiliates alike: revenue was not shared with affiliates, and no local time for commercials between programs was offered. Some stations used Saturday morning for Educational/Informational (E/I) programming, with infomercials relegated to before or after the block. Some refused Weekend Marketplace outright.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In September 2014, Weekend Marketplace was replaced in some markets by the E/I{{nbh}}focused Xploration Station.STEM-based: {{cite web|url=http://www.cynopsis.com/061814-fox-launch-stem-focused-kids-block-jim-davis-q-return-powerpuff-girls-saban-launches-emojiville-brand|title=06/18/14: Fox to launch STEM-focused kids block; Jim Davis Q&A; return of The Powerpuff Girls; Saban launches Emojiville brand|date=18 June 2014|publisher=Cynopsis Kids daily newsletter|access-date=19 June 2014}}

In 1976, a singer from Long Island, New York named Peter Lemongello comprised an idea to buy commercial airtime on New York television to sell his album, Love ‘76, directly to the public via a 2-minute infomercial. This was the first time an unknown singer marketed music directly to the consumer without a record label or marketing team. The stunt launched his career and sold over 1.8 million records, making him an instant celebrity.{{cite web | url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2012/06/04/peter-lemongello-35-years-after-his-15-minutes-of-fame | title=Peter Lemongello, 35 years after his 15 minutes of fame | date=4 June 2012 }} The music business took notice of the successful promotion and a new era of music videos and MTV followed. People like Slim Whitman and Time Life copied the idea of infomercials to sell their music.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that any infomercial 15 minutes or longer must disclose to viewers that it is a paid advertisement. An infomercial is required to be "clearly and conspicuously" marked as a "paid advertisement for {{bracket|particular product or service}}, sponsored by {{bracket|sponsor}}" at the beginning ("following program") and end ("preceding program") of the advertisement and before ordering instructions are displayed.{{cite web|url=http://www.venable.com/the-role-of-advertising-in-the-age-of-electronic-retailing-10-01-1996|title=The Role of Advertising in the Age of Electronic Retailing|last=Knowles|first=Jeffrey|date=October 1, 1996|publisher=Venable LLP|access-date=2013-02-22}}

Customer protection advocates recommend buyer beware:[http://www.allbusiness.com/crime-law/criminal-offenses-cybercrime/5968871-1.html Timothy D. Naegele & Associates Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Guthy-Renker.] study the product and the claims before making a purchase. Many stations and networks normally run their own disclaimers before, during and/or after infomercials. Some mention the Better Business Bureau or a state/local customer protection agency. A "paid programming" bug in a corner of the screen during infomercials, particularly for financial products, is to avoid an exploitation of an "as seen on" claim of endorsement. Some, particularly smaller networks, only use a limited number of trusted advertisers.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Considerable FTC scrutiny is also given to results claims and testimonials. Rules controlling endorsements are periodically enhanced to increase customer protection and fill loopholes.{{cite web|title=FTC Announcement Requesting Comments on Changes|url=http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/11/endorsements.sht|access-date=2009-04-16|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802232203/http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/11/endorsements.sht|archive-date=2012-08-02|url-status=dead}}[http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title16-vol1/pdf/CFR-2012-title16-vol1-part255.pdf 16 CFR PART 255—GUIDES CONCERNING USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING] Industry organizations such as the Electronic Retailing Association,Electronic Retailing Association co-founder Kevin Harrington claims the title 'Godfather of the infomercial' which represents infomercial marketers, often try to minimize the impact of these rule changes.{{cite web|title=ERA Posting on 2008–2009 Rules Changes|url=http://www.electronicretailerblog.com/electronic-retailer/only-you-can-prevent-changes-to-endorsements-and-testimonials|access-date=2009-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420172330/http://www.electronicretailerblog.com/electronic-retailer/only-you-can-prevent-changes-to-endorsements-and-testimonials|archive-date=2009-04-20|url-status=dead}} FTC enforcement has focused on testimonials for publishing "non-typical" and "completely fabricated" customer testimonials used within infomercials. In 2006, the first third-party testimonial verification company was launched, and it now independently pre-validates many testimonials.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Since the 1990s, federal and state customer protection agencies have criticized several prominent infomercial pitchmen, including Kevin Trudeau, Donald Barrett and, to a lesser extent, Matthew Lesko, and also Don Lapre, a salesman notorious for his get-rich-quick schemes.[http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/justice/incarcerated-tv-pitchman-don-lapre-death-10-2-2011 KSAZ: "Incarcerated TV Pitchman Don Lapre Found Dead", October 3, 2011.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021631/http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/justice/incarcerated-tv-pitchman-don-lapre-death-10-2-2011|date=October 4, 2011}} Some were successfully sued.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Programs that collect donations or sell via Premium-rate telephone number (900-number) have additional disclosure requirements.{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|author=Neal Weinstock|pages=M13–M14|title=Telemarketing is a key element}}

In 1992, the Newsweek magazine used the term infomercial to describe a cookbook whose author was described as "hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list". The Los Angeles Times mediated.{{cite news|date=August 23, 1992|title=Critics Turn Up the Heat Over Frugal Gourmet's Style, Endorsements : Cooking: TV host Jeff Smith lambasted by food aficionados who say recipes aren't his--and aren't affordable. The popular author bites back.|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-23-me-7097-story.html}}

Other possible putdowns include informercial-like{{cite web|url=https://clark.com/scams-rip-offs/tv-infomercial-pitchman-arrested|title=TV infomercial pitchman arrested|author=Clark Howard|date=22 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Type-of-Resource/Worksheets/Search:infomercial|quote=creating an infomercial-like pitch for a silly and useless object.|title=Results for infomercial}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ece.ucsb.edu/~parhami/pers_blog.htm|title=Behrooz Parhami}} and infomercial type stuff.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfltv.com/2008/post-newsweek-buys-wtvj|title=Post Newsweek Buys WTVJ|website=South Florida TV|date=18 July 2008 }}

The infomercial format has been widely parodied:

• Saturday Night Live{{'s}} "Bassomatic" skit featuring Dan Aykroyd in the 1970s may have presaged the genre; the target of the parody, Ron Popeil, would become an infomercial fixture in the 1980s and 1990s.{{cite web|title=Bassomatic Transcript|url=http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75qbassamatic.phtml|access-date=2009-04-16}}
• Fast Company published "The Greatest Infomercial Parodies Of All Time" in 2011.{{cite magazine|magazine=Fast Company|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1794515/greatest-infomercial-parodies-all-time|title=The Greatest Infomercial Parodies Of All Time|date=November 11, 2011}}

Others have been done too, and these parodies are an ongoing source of amusement and creativity.{{cite web|url=https://laughingsquid.com/do-it-the-right-way-infomercial-parody|title=Do It the Right Way, A Funny Parody of Infomercials Featuring People Unable to Complete Simple Tasks|author=Lori Dorn|date=February 5, 2018}}

The Adult Swim late-night block of cable channel Cartoon Network has often broadcast an anthology of comedy shorts in the early-morning hours, concealed in program schedules under the title "Infomercials" to provide a false impression that legitimate paid programming had been scheduled in that time slot.{{Cite web|last=Patches|first=Matt|date=2022-12-12|title=Too Many Cooks' creator hid a horror movie in Adult Swim's yule log|url=https://www.polygon.com/23501856/adult-swim-yule-log-casper-kelly-watch-the-fireplace|access-date=2023-04-08|website=Polygon|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Donahue|first=Anne T.|date=2014-12-17|title=Adult Swim unveils new mind-bending infomercial on prescription medicine|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/dec/17/adult-swim-new-mind-bending-infomercial|access-date=2023-04-08|issn=0261-3077}} Some of these shorts have parodied the cliches of real infomercials, such as Paid Programming (a parody infomercial which begins as one for the fictitious supplement Icelandic UltraBlue, but seamlessly segues into segments promoting other loosely related products and businesses),{{cite web|last=Modell|first=Josh|date=1 October 2010|title=Interview – David Cross|url=https://www.avclub.com/david-cross-1798221900|access-date=23 May 2011|publisher=The A.V. Club}} {{nowrap|For-Profit Online University}},{{Cite web|date=2013-12-22|title='This Isn't A Scam Like Real College'|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/for-profit-online-university_n_4481451|access-date=2023-04-08|work=HuffPost}} and Live Forever as You Are Now with Alan Resnick (which parodies self-help programs).{{cite news|author=Woods, Baynard|date=January 1, 2014|title=Wham City makes an infomercial|work=Baltimore City Paper|publisher=Times-Shamrock Communications|url=http://www.citypaper.com/topic/bcp-cms-1-1608868-migrated-story-cp-20140101-aeart-20140101,0,7080858,full.story|url-status=live|access-date=February 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213091325/http://citypaper.com/arts/stage/mr-roboto-1.1608868|archive-date=February 13, 2014}}

In the United States, the strategy of buying prime-time programming slots on major networks has been utilized by political candidates for both presidential and state office to present infomercial-like programs to sell a candidate's merits to the public.{{cite book|year=2007|author=Richard M. Skinner|title=More than Money: Interest Group Action in Congress|isbn=978-1461-64021-9}} Fringe presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche regularly bought time on CBS and local stations in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Ross Perot also bought network time in 1992{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|author=Kathy Haley|page=M3|quote=drew 20 million viewers last fall|title=The informercial begins a new era}} and 1996 to present, his presidential policies to the public. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has aired programs via paid programming time to present their views on issues such as gun control and other issues while appealing to the public to join their organization.{{cite news|work=New York Post|url=https://nypost.com/2000/02/08/infomercial-with-a-bang-nra-buys-airtime-on-ch-9-to-recruit-new-members|title=Infomercial with a Bang|date=February 8, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628174333/https://nypost.com/2000/02/08/infomercial-with-a-bang-nra-buys-airtime-on-ch-9-to-recruit-new-members|archive-date=June 28, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=June 25, 2020}}

Hillary Clinton bought an hour of primetime programming on the Hallmark Channel in 2008 before the Super Tuesday primary elections, and on Texas{{nbnd}}based regional sports network FSN Southwest before that state's primary to present a town hall-like program. Fellow presidential candidate Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign used infomercials extensively, including running a 24-hour channel on Dish Network.{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_Obama_channel.html|title=The Obama channel|website=Politico|date=October 2008|access-date=7 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002172121/http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_Obama_channel.html|archive-date=2 October 2008|url-status=live}}

One week before the 2008 general election, Obama purchased a 30-minute slot at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time during primetime on seven major networks (NBC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox, BET, TV One and Univision (with Spanish subtitles)) to present a "closing argument" to his campaign. The combination of these networks reportedly drew a peak audience of over 33 million viewers of the half-hour program, making it the single most watched infomercial broadcast in the history of U.S. television.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-politics-obama-ad-idUSN3029152020081030|title=UPDATE 1-Obama infomercial tops network prime-time ratings|date=30 October 2016|access-date=7 November 2016|newspaper=Reuters}}

Aside from blocking viewer choice, reception was not all positive: an NBC reviewer referred to Obama as having a "thin resume".{{cite news|website=NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth|url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/infomercial_review/2112578|title=Infomercial Review|quote=considering his thin resume, I’ve considered Barack Obama little more than the next great televangelist or Ginsu knife salesman|author=Steve Rhodes|date=October 30, 2008}} Obama opponent John McCain commented that "No one will delay the World Series with an infomercial when I'm president."{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/politics/29obama.html|title=Obama Infomercial, a Closing Argument to the Everyman|author=Jim Rutenberg|date=October 28, 2008}}

Although not meeting the definition of an infomercial per se, animated children's programming in the 1980s and early 1990s, which included half-hour animated series for franchises such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, and Transformers, were often described as being marketing vehicles for related toy lines and tie-in products advertised during commercial breaks.{{cite book|last1=Hollis|first1=Tim|title=Hi there, boys and girls! : America's local children's TV shows|date=2001|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=1-57806-396-5|location=Jackson|page=20}}{{Cite news|last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=January 23, 2015|title=How Peggy Charren Outflanked the Children's TV Establishment|language=en-US|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/columns/how-peggy-charren-outflanked-the-childrens-tv-establishment-1201412528/|access-date=July 15, 2018}} In the United States, the Children's Television Act of 1990 set limits on the amount of commercials that could be aired during a television programming targeting children, and made it a violation of FCC regulations for broadcasters to carry commercials during children's programs for products related to the program currently airing (which classifies the entire program as being a "program-length commercial"), or containing recognizable elements, such as characters, from the current program ("host{{nbh}}selling").{{Cite journal|last=Rostron|first=Allen|date=1996|title=Return to Hot Wheels: The FCC, Program-Length Commercials, and the Children's Television Act of 1990|journal=Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal|language=en|location=Rochester, NY|volume=19|pages=57–86|ssrn=1000194}}

{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}}

From the 1970s to early 1990s, locally produced morning and daytime programs designed mainly for a stay-at-home female audience featured light talk, followed by presentations of various products and services offerings of local businesses. A guest expert was often included. These were not infomercials: response was in-store, although the expert's phone number might be included. The format enabled presenting details beyond those possible in a traditional 30-second pre-recorded ad. To preclude conflict of interest, the program host was not associated in any way with the station's newsroom.

By the mid-2000s, these transitioned from locally produced programs to what is known as an advertorial. Some programs had one or more 120-second pods,{{cite book|title=Marketing|year=2012|quote=A shorter direct retail infomercial is more common in daytime programming, running an average of 120 seconds|author1=Charles W. Lamb|author2=Joe F. Hair|author3=Carl McDaniel}} but these programs were all paid programming. These programs can be considered infomercials, albeit not exactly meeting the letter of the definition. As with the early model, advertorial hosts are precluded from newsroom involvement, often to the point of having no IFB notice to guide viewers to a breaking news story that interrupts an advertorial program.

Traditional infomercial marketers (for example, Guthy-Renker, Beachbody, and Telebrands) source the products, pay to develop the infomercials, pay for the media, and are responsible for all sales of the product. Sometimes, they sell products they source from inventors. Telebrands's process of bringing a product to the air and to market was seen in the 2009 Discovery Channel series PitchMen, which featured Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, along with the top executives of Telebrands.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

There is also a well-developed network of suppliers to the infomercial industry. These suppliers generally choose to focus on either traditional infomercials (hard sell approaches) or on using infomercials as advertising/sales channels for brand companies (branded approaches). In the traditional business, services are usually supplied by infomercial producers or by media buying companies. In the brand infomercial business, services are often provided by full service agencies who deliver strategy, creative, production, media, and campaign services.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

{{More citations needed section|date=February 2021}}

The infomercial industry was started in the United States and that has led to the specific definitions of infomercials as direct response television commercials of specific lengths (30, 60 or 120 seconds; five minutes; {{frac|28|1|2}} minutes or 58 minutes and 30 seconds). Infomercials have spread to other countries from the U.S. However, the term "infomercial" needs to be defined more universally to discuss use in all countries. In general, worldwide use of the term refers to a television commercial (paid programming) that offers product for direct sale to persons via response through the web, by phone, or by mail.

There are few structures that apply everywhere in the international infomercial business. The regulatory environment in each country as well as that country's television traditions have led to variations in format, lengths, and rules for long form commercials and television commercials selling directly to customers. For example, in the early 1990s, long form paid programming in Canada was required to consist only of photographs without moving video (this restriction no longer exists).

Many products which started in the United States have been taken into international distribution on television. In addition, each country has local entrepreneurs and marketers using the medium for local businesses. What may be called infomercials are most commonly found in North and South America, Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia.

In many countries, the infrastructure of direct response television distributors, telemarketing companies and product fulfillment companies (shipping, customer service) are more difficult and these missing pieces have limited the spread of the infomercial. Canadian Northern Response, an early non{{nbh}}USA entrant to the field, claims to have distributed "over 3,000 infomercials since 1984."{{cite web|url=http://www.northernresponse.com/who-we-are/introduction|title=Direct Response}}

By 1996, countries with Teleshopping included France, Germany, UK, Japan, and Mexico.{{cite journal|url=https://www.esic.edu/documentos/revistas/esicmk/070118_140251_I.pdf|title=teleshopping|author=S. S. Blass|journal=Esic Market|date=September 2006|volume=37|issue=125|pages=23–50}}

Research has been conducted on the general public's perceptions of infomercials. It was found that "With infomercials, you don't buy eyeballs, you buy responsiveness." Agee and Martin (2001) found that infomercial purchases involved some degree of planning rather than being purely impulse purchases. Aspects of advertising content also influenced whether the purchase decision was impulsive or planned.Tom Agee and Brett A. S. Martin (2001), [http://www.basmartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Agee-and-Martin-2001.pdf "Planned or Impulse Purchases? How to Create Effective Infomercials"], Journal of Advertising Research, 41 (6), 35-42. Martin, Bhimy and Agee (2002) studied the use of advertising content such as the use of testimonials and customer characteristics. Based on a survey of 878 people who had bought products after viewing infomercials, they found that infomercials were more effective if they used expert comments, testimonials, product demonstrations, and other approaches. Customer age and product type also influenced perceived effectiveness.Brett A. S. Martin, Andrew Bhimy and Tom Agee (2002), [http://www.basmartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Martin-Bhimy-and-Agee-2002.pdf "Infomercials and Advertising Effectiveness: An Empirical Study"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327061213/http://www.basmartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Martin-Bhimy-and-Agee-2002.pdf|date=2014-03-27}}, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 19 (6), 468-480.

Early research found that selecting the best time of day requires avoiding prime time, when "there's too much competition for viewers' attention."{{cite news|newspaper=Advertising Age|date=January 25, 1993|author=Kathy Haley|page=M10|title=Infomercial media a different art}}

Profits from producing infomercials were described as not being "the real profits" when compared to "owning the product."{{cite news|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-17-ls-23430-story.html|title=Oh, the Possibilities!|author=Julie Logan|date=17 September 1998}}

• Advertorial
• Brokered programming
• Direct response television
• Home shopping
• Informative advertising
• Product demonstration
• Psychological pricing
• Sponsored film
• Television advertisement
• Telethon

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web |url= http://priceonomics.com/the-economics-of-infomercials/|title=The Economics of Infomercials |last1= Nathanson|first1= Jon |date= November 14, 2013|website=Priceonomics |access-date=November 15, 2013}}

{{Media manipulation}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Advertising techniques

Category:Brokered programming

Category:Marketing techniques

Category:Promotion and marketing communications

Category:Television terminology

Category:1980s neologisms

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