Infomercials are a powerful form of advertising. Not only do they educate the public about new products, they entertain. Once the domain of low-cost advertisers, the informercial format is now used by such retail giants as Panasonic, Apple Computer, and Sears.
Infomercials are long-form, or program-length, commercials. They generally last for 30 minutes, in contrast to short-form commercials which average 30 seconds. Infomercials address a need in the marketplace because some products cannot be sold properly using the short-form commercial format. Infomercials give the marketer the chance to discuss the merits of a product at length.
Most infomercials use formats that simulate regular programs such as talk shows or newscasts. One or two personalities present the product to a paid, studio audience. Usually, an 800 number is provided about midway through the half-hour program to allow the at-home audience the opportunity to either purchase the product directly or get details about local retail outlets that carry the product.
Infomercials are a relatively recent addition to television programming. Attempts at long-form advertising were barred during the 1960s when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limited the amount of minutes that could be devoted to commercials. In 1984, the FCC rescinded these limits. Concurrent with deregulation was the expansion of cable television, which made available inexpensive air time. As a result, informercial marketers flooded the channels in droves. Many early infomercials featured a host of questionable gadgets and remedies offered by scam artists, usually broadcast during off-peak hours. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought action against numerous such companies, charging them with misrepresenting either their products or the program format. The National Infomercial Marketing Association (NIMA), the trade group for the industry, has since published ethical guid...