About Infomercials
Infomercials are also known as "direct response television advertising" or "paid programming." They run approximately 28 minutes long and are intended to sell a product (or products) to viewers. While infomercials were traditionally relegated to the late night and overnight time slots on most television stations, recent years have seen a greater number and greater diversity of direct response television advertisements during daytime hours.
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Function
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While there is no specific format for infomercials, most tend to include some staple features such as a pitch, a demonstration, and an internal commercial. A pitch, which is also called a "hook," refers to the portion of the infomercial when the company explains how their product is different, why it is the best, and why the viewer's life is incomplete without it. The demonstration portion of the infomercial allows the viewer to see the product in action: for example, an infomercial for a cleaning product will showcase how the product works on several types of messes. The internal commercial is a spot inside the infomercial that provides viewers with the details and information on how to order the product, usually including an address, a phone number, and a website.
Considerations
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The term "infomercial" is a combination of the words "information" and "commercial." Some famous infomercial products include the "Chia Pet," "Ginsu Knives," and "The George Foreman Grill." Unlike their more mainstream counterparts, the thirty-second to two-minute commercial, the definition of infomercials has changed and expanded over time. Initially, an infomercial referred only to the program-length commercial on television. However, the concept of the infomercial has now grown to include taped videos, presentations, and internet websites.
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History
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Infomercials had their start in America in 1984, when the FCC removed the regulation that only allowed 18 minutes of commercials to appear in an hour of television. This measure had been in place since the 1950s due to the high level of advertiser sponsorship that permeated programs at that time. However, countries like England and Mexico had been showing infomercials since around 1979.
Types
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In contrast to the high pressure, commercial nature of the original infomercials, some now attempt to mask their primary objective by presenting the pitches in forms that resemble talk shows, game shows, or even soap operas. Many now include celebrity appearances and hosts as an attempt to legitimize the message.
Potential
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In recent years, it has become clear that infomercials are no longer aimed only at selling products; many religious groups, high-profile televangelists, and political groups have bought infomercial time and use it to sell their ideas and beliefs.
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