Ron Popeil: Celebrating the Life of an Iconic TV Inventor & Salesman

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SUMMARY

Ron Popeil, the iconic inventor and salesman known for his innovative TV gadgets, passed away at the age of 84. He gained fame in the late 1950s with the Ronco Chop-o-Matic and revolutionized the infomercial format in the 1980s by creating engaging 30-minute presentations. His marketing strategy included presenting simple inventions as groundbreaking solutions, often accompanied by enticing bonus offers. Popeil's legacy includes memorable products like the Pocket Fisherman and Mr. Microphone, which continue to evoke nostalgia among consumers.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of infomercial marketing techniques
  • Familiarity with consumer product history in the 20th century
  • Knowledge of television advertising evolution
  • Awareness of cultural impact of iconic TV personalities
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the history of infomercials and their impact on advertising
  • Explore the evolution of consumer products in the 1970s and 1980s
  • Investigate the marketing strategies used by Ron Popeil and Ronco
  • Analyze the cultural significance of TV personalities in American history
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Marketers, historians, and anyone interested in the evolution of television advertising and consumer products will benefit from this discussion.

BillTre
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Ron Popeil, well know seller of TV gadgets, died Wednesday at the age of 84.
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In 1959 he appeared in his first TV commercial, hawking the Ronco Chop-o-Matic food dicer. Debuting the earnestly dramatic style that became his trademark, Popeil said, "I'm going to show you the greatest kitchen appliance ever made."

Popeil followed with a flurry of other made-for-TV inventions, dizzying in both their number and variety. They included the Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone and the Electric Food Dehydrator. Popeil said he was not just a salesman, but also an inventor who designed many of the products himself.Although his company Ronco was already a household name in the 1970s, Popeil's fame exploded in the 80s when looser federal regulations on TV ads allowed him to go from brief commercials to 30-minute self-contained "infomercials," which soon dominated late night and weekend schedules.
Popeil developed a formula that became dominant in infomercials: Present an invention that addressed a minor problem as "revolutionary" technology, throw in "free" bonus products to the delight of an in-studio audience and warn viewers that supplies are low, so they have to "call now!"

He was quite the TV character and was imitated (and spoofed) by many:

 
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If you understand the words in this song, then you must be old, like me.
 
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I remember all of those products. As a kid in the 1970s I was really captivated by those RonCo TV ads... some of them were as long as 60 seconds occasionally a bit more... Ron Popiel really pioneered the long-form (60-120 second) TV spot, which was largely believed to be too long to hold the audience attention.

I actually loved the ads more than the products, although I always did want a Pocket Fisherman.

--diogenesNY
 
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I was just talking about this guy with a friend the other day. When I was kid my dad bought me and brothers each a Pocket Fisherman. A pretty neat gift to get as a little kid, and it's kind of a cool idea. It was a complete piece of junk though, didn't really work that well. Still, I have fond memories of it. Kind of wish I'd kept it.

I searched online and the original versions (they re-released it later) are going for like $100.
 
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I had no idea he was still alive.

And "Wow, that's terrific bass!"
 
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I watched the original TV commercials as a child. Laughed at Dan Aykroyd's hilarious spoofs on 1970's SNL.
 
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I read somewhere that the pocket-fisherman was a product best purchased as a gift, not for use.
 
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It slices, it dices, it cuts three different ways...and boy, does it catch fish!