Top 10 Best Infomercial Products

You know you want them, and it's not just because it's 3am. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 best infomercial products. Check us out at http://www.Twitter.com/WatchMojo and http://www.Facebook.com/WatchMojo

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[music]

You know you want them.

And it's not just because it's 3 a.m..

How much would you pay for a knife
like this?

Before you answer, listen.

It even comes with a matching fork
to make carving up pleasure.

Welcome to WatchMojo.com.

And today we're counting down our picks
for the top ten best infomercial products.

Now grow a whole collection of fun
with Chia teddy bears, puppies, kittens,

rams, bulls, turtles, bunnies,
and a Chia tree to keep your pets company.

For this list, we're looking
at those products that graced our TV

screens and managed to pique our curiosity.

While the infomercials themselves may
have been a little bit on the corny side,

the products themselves

either became commercially successful
or a notable part of pop culture.

Either way, they're worth a mention.

The Snuggie keeps you totally warm and
gives you the freedom to use your hands.

So now you can work the remote or read
a book in total warmth and comfort.

Number ten, Thighmaster.

Like I've been saying,

some people are born with great legs,
but the rest of us have to work at it.

Thank goodness there's a Thighmaster.

Even if you weren't in need of an inner
thigh workout, this classic 90s

infomercial itself was pretty,
um, interesting.

Spread eagles and Spandex aside,

Suzanne Somers
may have played a ditzy blond on TV,

but she was a shrewd businesswoman
in reality.

Remember, we may not have been born with
great legs, but now we can look we were.

[clapping]

She saw an opening in the market,
so to speak,

and decided to help creator
Joshua Reynolds fill the hip adbuctor-

specific exercise void,
and thus she bestowed upon the world

a highly successful and surprisingly
versatile piece of exercise equipment.

It's easy to squeeze, squeeze
your way to shapely hips and thighs.

I thought I'd never fit into these
jeans again.

Thank you, Thighmaster.

Number nine, ShamWow!

Hi. It's Vince with ShamWow.

You’ll be saying wow
every time you use this towel.

If the dude speaking enthusiastically
into the headset

mic in the wee hours of the morning
didn't capture your attention,

certainly the efficiency of this cleaning
tool should have.

I can't live without it. I just love it.

Oh my gosh,
I don't even buy paper towels anymore.

If you're gonna wash your cars
or any kind of vehicle,

you'd be out of your mind
not on one of these.

All I can say is sham. Wow.

You could basically clean up a two liter
bottle of soda

and then towel your boat off
and still be able to soak up some more.

Or something like that.
Doesn’t drip.

Doesn’t make a mess.

You ring it out, you wash it in
the washing machine. Made in Germany.

You know,
the Germans always make good stuff.

But it actually does hold ten times
its weight in liquid.

They know. They've done tests.

Either way, it looks like a good way
to conserve those expensive paper towel

funds.

You can spend $20 every month on paper
towels anyway. You’re throwing your money away.

Number eight, Ginsu knives.

The Ginsu can cut a slice of bread
so thin you can almost see through it.

The Ginsu is so sharp,

it can cut through a tin
can and still slice a tomato like this.

It can chop wood
and still remain razor sharp.

If you ever needed to cut through a can
and then immediately

slice a tomato,
these are the knives to turn to.

The more you use it, the better it cuts.

How's that for sharp?

That's what we call multifunctional.

The genius behind the marketing
of this late 70s, early

80s tool wasn't
that they were actually Japanese. It's

the idea that they were foreign sounding
that made them much more appealing.

In Japan, the foot can split wood,

but it can't split a watermelon.

This is Ginsu II, a complete set of knives,
like this Ginsu chef's knife.

That, combined with their innovative

and groundbreaking hard sell
infomercial approach, seemed to work.

The knifes sold like crazy, thanks in large
part to the impressive knife-

wielding commercials.

You get the Ginsu knife,
the matching carving fork, the versatile

6-in-1 kitchen tool, a set of six steak
knives, and the spiral slicer.

You get them all, guaranteed
in writing for 50 years for only $9.95.

Number seven, The Clapper.
[song] Clap on, [clap, clap] clap off. [clap, clap]

We love our simple conveniences.

Like, instead of getting up
to turn off our lights,

sometimes we'd like the ability
to just clap our hands together

and get the job done.

Just plug it in. Turns things on.
[clap, clap. radio comes on]

Turns things off, [clap, clap]
just by clapping.

First sold in 1986
with help from a clappy jingle,

[song] Clap on [clap, clap], clap off.
[clap, clap]

The Clapper is an ingenious invention,
not just for convenience sake, but

also for individuals with limited mobility
who still want to conserve electricity.

Plus, who wouldn't feel like nobility
entering their house

and clapping their appliances on.
The Clapper Plus

works from anywhere,
even through windows and walls.

[song] Clap on! [clap, clap]
Or switch on. The Clapper and the Clapper

Plus.
Number six, LifeCall.

You just press this button and speak
into the air and “I'm having chest pain.”

I'm calling paramedics
and your family, Mr.

Miller.

If you've ever fallen and couldn't get up,

this handy
product would have been helpful.

I’ve fallen! And I can't get up!

We're sending help immediately,
Mrs. Fletcher.

See?
For folks in their golden years

and plenty of people

in need of immediate medical care,

this commercial wasn't just
an unintentionally comical product pitch.

It was a godsend.

Protect yourself with LifeCall

and you're never alone.

Having the ability to call for help
while you're stuck on the floor

can save a life. Or at least a hip.

Unfortunately,
it couldn't save this company,

which went out of business, only
to be replaced by the similar Life Alert.

But their ads are far less amusing.

Help! Somebody please helpm!

Number five, Bowflex.

What happens between consenting adults
in the privacy of their own

home is their business.

Even if it's working out together
on a Bowflex home gym.

Want to get ripped?

Want to quit the gym
because you have social anxiety

Or just don't like hearing gym rats
giving themselves hernias?

Do you have an extra bedroom to dedicate
solely to the majesty that is the Bowflex?

Then this company

has got plenty of not so subtle
pieces of exercise equipment just for you.

With ten simple exercises,
you can work your chest, abs,

arms, legs, back, and more in no time.

Launched in 1986, Bowflex
provided an alternative to bulky

and heavy exercise machines,
as demonstrated in many commercials

and infomercials.
With features like a built-in aerobic rowing exercise,

convertible grips, and convenient
folding capabilities,

it's easy to see why
a Bowflex was selected by Fitness Magazine

as the best home gym for 1997.

Of course, most of us
probably watch them while bingeing on

sliders and cheese puffs,
but that's another story.

Here I am, 50 and I can keep up
with my 24 year old daughter.

I can even keep up with my
five-year-old granddaughter.

Being

healthy and fit is very important to me.

And yes, I'll be fit all my life.

Number four, Oxi Clean.

It cleans, it brightens and eliminates
odors all at the same time.

Don't just get it clean, get it Oxi Clean.

It's always cool
when you find a cleaning product

that's powered by the magic of oxygen,
because oxygen is magical.

Watch how Oxi Clean unleashes
the power of oxygen,

making tough stains disappear like magic

without fading or bleeding the colors.

Founded in 1997,
this invention was famously promoted

by the ever enthused Billy Mays
until his 2009 death.

Don't just clean it,

Oxi Clean it.

And Oxi Clean is not just laundry detergent
either.

You could use it for almost anything.

Actually, the most impressive aspect
of this infomercial product

is its ability to remove stains,
including blood.

Smeared on or dried up,
it doesn't matter.

Oxi Clean lifts away
stains detergents can leave behind.

Cause, you know, sometimes a crime scene
needs a good cleanup.

It'll make your whites whiter.

It'll make your brights brighter.

As a stain remover,
it's the best. Grass stains.

Clay stains.

Long live your laundry.

Oxi Clean, the stain specialist.

Number three, Magic Bullet.

But the bullet-fast magic that we like
best:

Frozen drinks.

Sometimes you just want a single-
serving of frozen margarita,

not a whole pitcher.

And if you're the type of individual
who doesn't want to make enough frozen

margarita for their friends,
then this product is right up your alley.

Now you can hoard all the delicious
beverages in your bedroom,

making smoothies, guacamole,
and scrambling eggs all by your lonesome.

Any chance of getting a real breakfast?
How about an omelet?

Friends and family?

What's that? It's the Magic Bullet.

The personal, versatile
countertop magician.

This single-sized blender-slash-food processor-

slash-juicer is all you need for a party.

Or apparently, the morning after.

Good morning, Berman!

God, not so loud.

Hey, what about a bit of the hair
of the dog that bit you?

Number two, Proactiv.

Come on, let's be honest.

When you're dealing with breakouts,
you don't just want clear skin.

You want really great,
fabulous, amazing, perfect skin.

And you deserve that.

If you ever feel ashamed because your face
looks like it's exploding on

itself, fret not, for you are not alone.

I tried everything to get rid of my acne,
but nothing worked.

Justin Bieber, acne riddled?
Jessica Simpson with pimples?

Could it be? Apparently, yes.

And they also apparently managed to get it
under control with this three-piece kit.

Why make things harder than they need
to be?

Problem: acne.

Solution: Proactiv.

It’s that's simple.

Developed by dermatologists
and launched in 1995,

Proactiv features benzoyl peroxide
and glycolic acid as active ingredients.

This is a benzoyl peroxide product,
the same as the cleanser,

which is benzoyl peroxide in fine
grains.

Use it over the entire face every evening
and you'll stay clear.

And while that's not spectacularly
different than many drugstore brands,

the celebrity advertising has worked
like gangbusters, ensuring

this company makes upwards of $850
million a year.

There's some things that just
come with being a teenager.

Feet grow like crazy.

You can’t stop that.
Hormones kick in.

I don't want to stop that.

And then there's zits.

I can stop that.

That's why I use Proactiv.

Because there's no way I'm going
to let a bunch of zits get in my way.

Before we unveil our top pick,
here are a few honorable mentions

It’s sweating time!

[music] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

My blankets are okay,
but they can slip and slide.

And when you need to reach for something,
your hands are trapped inside.

Now there's the Snuggie,
the blanket that has sleeves.

There's a new pet.
[song] Cha cha cha Chia!

Chia Pet. The pottery that grows.

Bending over to put your shoes on
is a back-breaking chore.

One wrong step,

you could end up on the floor, and
trying to get them off can hurt even more.

Well, now the Shoe-dine,

the world's first shoehorn
that lets

you get your shoes on and off with ease.

Number one, the George Foreman Grill.

Knock out the fat with a George Foreman
lean,

mean, fat-reducing grilling
machine. It has my name on it.

It's a winner.

This innovative, lean, mean, fat-
reducing grilling machine is a tabletop

grill that allows the health conscious
and tons of college students

to cook burgers in their bedrooms,
or whip up paninis in their office.

Paninis? Easy. Salmon?

My specialty. Vegetables? Naturally.

Some frozen.

You bet.

Enjoy wider variety and reduce the fat
with a lean, mean, fat-reducing

grilling machine from George Foreman.

Foreman himself
became an ideal celebrity spokesman

and even influenced the grill's design
after he regained the heavyweight

title at age 45 and attributed his success
to healthy eating.

That signature, George, tells us what?
I guarantee yes.

Yeah.
You put your name on it,

it better work.
While draining off the fat

appealed to those looking to shed pounds,

the ease of use and idiot-
proof design made it a no brainer

for over 100 million
since its launch in 1994.

It's really quality
and it makes you proud.

And I've done many endorsements
of a lot of things, but never have I signed

my name.

Sign your name.
You're going to have to answer that.

This is a good answer
for those who want to knock out bad.

Do you agree with our list?

What's the best infomercial product
you've ever used?

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top tens published every day,

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Here's how to order.

[music]