Posts Tagged “pitchman”

Billy Mays, Pitchman. R.I.P.

I never met Billy Mays. But I liked him. And I liked his work. There’s something that has always fascinated me about the pitchman and the way he works. Billy Mays was the King of the Pitchmen. The guy had the mad skills when it came to selling – you get the feeling that, no mater the product, he could find a way to make you want it. The guy could have sold iceboxes to Eskimos, and made them line up  10 deep to buy ‘em. There was something refreshingly honest, open, and yes, even a little hokey about his style. I mean, the man made a living selling stuff, to the extent that his endorsement of a product added to its credibility. Think about that. They guy that sold us Orange Glo, OxyClean and Mighty Putty (which is nothing more than plumber’s putty – epoxy – with a fancy marketing campaign), could give a product some street cred just because he endorsed it. How many marketing guys can you think of that could endorse a product and have it really mean something? To say Billy Mays was a “success” would be an understatement. From humble beginings, he ended up with a mansion in Tampa, Florida, and an income and net worth that was the envy of nearly everyone in marketing. Not bad for someone who came up in the State Fair circuit. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something about listening to a pitchman do his thing that is somehow both fascinating and revolting, all at the same time. It’s like a train wreck – you’re appalled, but you just can’t look away. I’m guilty of actually enjoying listening to these guys, at least the first couple of times. (The 20 insertions per day on some of these spots…not so much.) What fascinates me is how these guys do their voodoo that they do so well.

Presented for your consideration: Billy Mays (the reigning champ) versus Vince (the challenger): Read the rest of this entry »