Recent Television Articles
History of Infomercials Infomercials are television commercials, often referred to as "paid programming," which are typically aired during off-peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning. The word "infomercial" is in fact a combination of the two words "information" and "commercial." Unlike standard commercials, however, infomercials typically have vibrant, and often famous, hosts promoting a product or service.
Infomercials and Direct Response Infomercials changed the way advertisers sell things on television. Previously, product manufacturers merely presented their wares on TV in the most attractive manner they could come up with. They planted ideas, sought to change habits or to create them where none existed.
The Exercise Infomercial Phenomenon It all started with Jane Fonda. She started an industry with a simple video tape that included a 30 minute beginners program followed by a 60 minute full workout. For Jane it formed the nucleus of an empire that included books, audio recordings and fitness salons that are still in existence today.
A Look at Weight Loss Infomercials Only in America could billions of dollars be made selling weight loss products to people who need to shed a few extra pounds. In a world full of starving people, Americans seem to have emerged as a nation of overfed, under exercised fatties who can't put down that bag of potato chips, stop eating that ice cream or refuse that second (or third?) helping of pasta.
The Rise of Real Estate Infomercials From the very beginning of the industry, real estate infomercials have been very successful. There's something about the idea of making money in real estate that appeals to a lot of people. In fact, most of the real estate infomercials that have appeared through the years have been scams for several reasons.
A Look at Make-Up Infomercials Using a variety of female celebrities, infomercial producers have once again created a huge market where none existed. That's not to say that make up products didn't exist. They did. And they were a multibillion dollar industry long before anybody ever thought of infomercials.