Infomercial Examples: 12 Famous Ads and the Tricks That Sold Them
Twelve famous infomercials, from Ginsu knives to Flex Seal, the five techniques they all share, and how to turn the format into short videos that sell today.
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Famous infomercial examples include Ginsu knives ("But wait, there's more"), Ronco's Showtime Rotisserie ("Set it and forget it"), OxiClean with Billy Mays, ShamWow, the Snuggie, Flex Seal and the George Foreman Grill. They all use the same five moves: a visible problem, a live demo, proof from real people, a stacked offer and one clear call to action.
The mistake most brands make when they copy infomercials today is copying the talking. The classic pitchman never stopped speaking, but on TikTok the opposite pattern shows up: in Revid's analysis of 176,367 viral TikToks, videos with almost no speech had nearly double the median views of videos that talked from start to finish. The demo was always the real salesman.
- Median TikTok views for videos with under 40 characters of speech
- 123K
- Revid analysis of 176,367 TikToks
- Median TikTok views for videos that talk throughout (300+ characters)
- 68K
- Revid analysis of 176,367 TikToks
- TikTok Shop US sales in 2025, 18.2% of US social commerce
- $15.82B
- EMARKETER, December 2025
- Higher offsite conversion rate for partnership ads with a creator testimonial
- 7.5%
- Meta, December 2025
What is an infomercial?
An infomercial is a long TV ad, styled like a program, that demonstrates a product and asks viewers to buy directly by phone or online. Classic infomercials ran as half-hour shows in cheap late-night and weekend slots after US regulators lifted limits on commercial airtime in the 1980s.
A regular commercial has about 30 seconds to build an image. An infomercial has time to prove the product works and then ask for the sale on the spot, which is why infomercial marketing is a form of direct-response advertising: every order traces back to the ad that produced it.
Types of infomercials
| Type | Format | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form infomercial | A half-hour program, often a studio demo or mock talk show | Ronco Showtime Rotisserie |
| Short-form direct-response spot | A minute or two, with a phone number or website on screen | OxiClean, ShamWow, Snuggie |
| Live home shopping | Hosts demo products live on channels such as QVC and HSN | Kitchen gadgets, beauty sets |
| Social infomercial | Vertical demo ads and creator videos on TikTok, Reels and Shorts, plus live shopping | TikTok Shop product demos |
The first three are TV formats. The fourth is where most infomercial advertising budgets for small brands go now, and it is the one you can make this week with a phone or an AI video tool.
12 famous infomercial examples (and what each one teaches)
| Infomercial | Signature moment | Technique to copy |
|---|---|---|
| Ginsu knives | The knife cuts through a tin can, then slices a tomato cleanly | A torture test, then the stacked offer that made "But wait, there's more" famous |
| Ronco Showtime Rotisserie | Ron Popeil and a studio audience chanting "Set it and forget it" | A catchphrase the audience repeats |
| OxiClean | Billy Mays drops the powder into a stained glass of water | Loud energy plus a visual you can't misread |
| ShamWow | Vince Offer soaks spilled soda out of a carpet | Show the feature on a mess the viewer has had |
| Snuggie | People fumbling with blankets that slip off when they reach for something | Exaggerate the problem until it's funny |
| Flex Seal | Phil Swift saws a boat in half, seals it and takes it out on the water | An extreme demo that becomes a meme |
| George Foreman Grill | A champion boxer shows grease draining off the sloped grill | A trusted face plus visible proof |
| ThighMaster | Suzanne Somers demonstrates a simple squeeze exercise | A celebrity matched to the audience |
| Total Gym | Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley work out together | Two faces, two audiences |
| Proactiv | Celebrity and customer before-and-after skin photos | Transformation proof |
| P90X | Tony Horton and real customers' body transformations | Results from ordinary people, not just the host |
| Magic Bullet | Friends making drinks and dips in a kitchen, shot like a sitcom morning | Show the product inside real life, not on a stage |
Several of these products, OxiClean and Flex Seal among them, are still on store shelves long after their ads first aired. That staying power is the best argument that the techniques work.
The 5 techniques behind effective infomercials
Every example above follows the same arc. Short-form ads compress it, but the order stays the same.
1. Show the problem, exaggerated
The Snuggie ad didn't open on a blanket. It opened on someone failing to use one. The problem-solution format works because viewers recognize their own frustration before they see the product: the dull knife squashing a tomato, the hose that kinks, the stain that won't lift.
Decision rule: if the problem isn't visible without sound in the first frame, reshoot it. On a muted feed, a caption like "Your pan after one omelet" over the burnt pan does the job.
2. Demonstrate, don't describe
Ginsu cut a can. Flex Seal sealed a sawed-in-half boat. OxiClean turned dirty water clear. None of these needed an adjective, because the demo was the claim. Pick the one test that would convince a skeptic and film it in a single, uncut shot so nobody suspects editing.
3. Prove it with before and after
Proactiv and P90X sold results, not products. Before-and-after transformation videos still pull huge numbers on TikTok for the same reason: the viewer judges the evidence themselves.
Keep the proof honest. In Bazaarvoice's Shopper Preference Report 2025, 43% of shoppers said they trust creators who share both a product's pros and cons, and at least 44% said they lose trust when creators won't mention its flaws. Same lighting, same angle, realistic results.
Input
Create an authentic UGC-style TikTok advertisement for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 featuring a relatable young female content creator filming in her bright, modern apartment.
Output
4. Put a trusted face on it
George Foreman, Suzanne Somers and Chuck Norris gave their products instant credibility with audiences who already liked them. Online, creators play that role. Meta reported in December 2025 that partnership ads featuring a creator testimonial drive a 7.5% higher offsite conversion rate than business-as-usual campaigns, on average (more in our UGC statistics).
The endorsement only works when it fits: a boxer selling a grill about lean cooking made sense; a random celebrity holding a cleaning spray does not.
5. Stack the offer, then ask once
"But wait, there's more" adds a bonus just as the viewer starts weighing the price: a second knife, a free attachment, a money-back guarantee. Then comes one instruction: call now. Today the stack lives in a bundle, a free gift or a discount code, and the ask is a single, specific call to action such as "Tap the product link" rather than three competing ones.
One caution: a fake deadline or a countdown that resets every visit burns trust fast. Only promise scarcity you will honor.
Prompt to try
Create a 25-second vertical infomercial-style ad for a silicone pan scraper. Open on a burnt frying pan with the on-screen text "Every pan after breakfast", then show the scraper clearing it in one pass, a quick before-and-after on a baking tray, and a final card reading "Two for the price of one this week. Link's right here." Keep narration to one or two short lines and let the demo carry the video.
Which product ads showcase features best?
The product ads that showcase features best turn each feature into a test the viewer can see: Flex Seal (waterproofing, on a boat), Ginsu (sharpness, on a can), ShamWow (absorbency, on a soaked carpet), the George Foreman Grill (fat removal, dripping into the tray) and OxiClean (stain removal, in clear water).
Use the same rule for your product: one feature, one visible test, one sentence of explanation. If you list five features, show the strongest one and put the rest in the caption.
| Feature you want to claim | Visible test |
|---|---|
| Durable | Drop it, step on it, run it over |
| Easy to use | One take, one hand, no cuts |
| Saves time | Split screen: old way versus your product |
| Cleans or removes | Same surface, before and after, same angle |
| Fits anywhere | Pull it out of a pocket, bag or drawer |
Infomercial marketing today: TikTok, Reels and live shopping
The infomercial didn't die, it moved to phones. EMARKETER estimated that TikTok Shop's US sales grew 108% in 2025 to $15.82 billion, or 18.2% of US social commerce. A creator demoing a gadget with a product link is a short-form infomercial in everything but name.
| Classic infomercial move | Short-form version |
|---|---|
| Host explains the problem | Show the problem in the first frame, with on-screen text |
| Long live demonstration | One fast demo, cut right to the moment it works |
| Studio testimonials | A creator or customer clip filmed on a phone |
| "But wait, there's more" | A bundle or bonus in the final card and the caption |
| "Call now" and a phone number | A product link, shop tag or link in bio |
What changes most is the voice. In Revid's analysis of 176,367 TikToks with 1,000+ likes posted between October 2025 and October 2026, videos with under 40 characters of speech had a median of 123K views and 20.2% passed 1 million, while videos that talked throughout (300+ characters of speech) had 68K and 11.9%. Silent videos sat in between at 73K. The sample only covers videos that already reached 1,000+ likes, so this shows what top performers have in common rather than a cause, but the direction is clear: let the demo talk. The method is in Revid's study of what makes a TikTok go viral.
Videos with just a few spoken words (a line or two) beat both silent videos and videos that talk the whole way through, which were the most common and the weakest.
Source: Revid analysis of 176,367 TikToks analyzed by AI, with 1,000+ likes posted between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 16, 2026 (61,203 creators)
Show the data
| Median views | Share that passed 1M views | |
|---|---|---|
| No speech | 73.3K | 14.3% |
| Under 40 | 122.7K | 20.2% |
| 40 to 120 | 97.2K | 17.6% |
| 120 to 300 | 91.6K | 16.8% |
| 300+ | 67.7K | 11.9% |
The index leans toward videos that surface in hashtag and keyword searches, so its view counts run high: compare the groups, not the absolute numbers.
Source: Revid TikTok index: 2,377,477 TikToks with AI labels per video, snapshot of Sep 15, 2026. Median views estimated from view buckets.
Show the data
| Median views | Share past 1M views | |
|---|---|---|
| Drone | 173.9K | 27.9% |
| Steady cam | 162.7K | 26.2% |
| Screen recording | 159.9K | 23.8% |
| Handheld | 140.9K | 25.6% |
| POV | 139.9K | 26% |
| Tripod | 117K | 23.6% |
| Selfie | 67K | 16.3% |
How to make an infomercial-style short video
- Hook with the problem. Open on the mess, the struggle or the failure, with a text overlay that names it. For more opening lines, see these hooks for Reels with examples.
- Cut to the demo. Show the product solving that exact problem in one continuous shot.
- Add proof. A before-and-after, a customer reaction or a quick result on a second example.
- Stack the offer. Bonus, bundle, guarantee or discount on a final card.
- Ask once. One call to action, on screen and in the caption.
Sample 30-second script for a pan scraper:
- On screen: a burnt pan, text: "Every pan after breakfast."
- Demo: the scraper clears the pan in one pass. No voice, just the sound.
- Proof: the same scraper on a baking tray, then a shot of the clean pan under the tap.
- Offer card: "Get two for the price of one this week."
- Voice or text: "Link's right here."
The same structure works for paid placements; the Facebook video ads guide covers formats and specs, and the ecommerce video marketing playbook covers where these videos fit in a store's funnel.
How to make an infomercial-style video with Revid
Revid can build the whole arc from a product page, so you don't need a studio or a pitchman.
- Paste your product page URL into the AI product video generator. Revid reads the product, keeps its real photos, writes the script and generates the video with a voice-over, captions and music.
- For the testimonial beat, use the UGC ad generator: upload product images and Revid creates a UGC-style ad with a natural-looking avatar.
- Open the timeline editor and reorder scenes into problem, demo, proof, offer and call to action. Trim the voice-over where the visuals already make the point.
- Publish or schedule directly to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube from one queue.
To see what modern infomercials look like in your niche, search Revid's library of viral videos and run the free deep analysis on one: it breaks down the hook, the timed structure and how to adapt it. You can then remix a proven viral format into an original ad.
Class project prompt
Make a funny 45-second vertical infomercial for "The Homework Hat", a hat that blocks phone notifications while you study. Open with an overdramatic student failing to finish homework because their phone keeps buzzing, then demo the hat, add a classmate testimonial, a "But wait, there's more" bonus, and end with a made-up website. Bright, over-the-top late-night TV style.
Infomercial ideas and examples for students
The infomercial is a classic class assignment because it practices persuasion, scripting and presenting at once. Good infomercial topics are products with an obvious, funny problem you can act out.
Infomercial ideas that work well in class:
- The Homework Hat: a hat that blocks phone notifications while you study.
- The Never-Lost Sock: socks that find their partner in the laundry.
- A historical invention sold as new: the printing press, pitched to medieval monks.
- A science concept as a product: "Photosynthesis," sold to a plant that keeps buying fertilizer.
- A literary object: an invisibility cloak or a time machine from a book you read in class.
- A healthy-habit gadget: a water bottle that complains when you forget to drink.
- A parody upgrade: a pencil with ten erasers "for people who make a lot of mistakes."
Infomercial script template for students:
HOST: "Are you tired of [problem]?" (classmate acts out the struggle, overdramatically)
HOST: "Introducing [product name], the [one-line benefit]."
DEMO: show the product solving the problem.
TESTIMONIAL: "I used to [problem]. Now I [result]."
HOST: "But wait, there's more. Order today and get [bonus]."
HOST: "Order now at [made-up website]."
Teachers usually grade on persuasion, so make each beat obvious: a clear problem, a demo the class can see, and a final offer that gets a laugh.
FAQ
What is an example of an infomercial?
Ronco's Showtime Rotisserie is a textbook example: Ron Popeil roasted chickens in front of a studio audience that chanted "Set it and forget it," then closed with a direct offer to buy by phone. Ginsu knives, OxiClean and ShamWow are other well-known examples.
What is the most famous infomercial?
There is no official ranking, but Ginsu knives, the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie, OxiClean with Billy Mays and ShamWow are the ones most often cited. Ginsu made "But wait, there's more" a catchphrase still used in advertising.
Do infomercials still work in 2026?
Yes, though mostly outside TV. The same demo-proof-offer structure now runs as short vertical ads, creator videos and live shopping on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
How long is an infomercial?
A long-form infomercial is usually a half-hour program, and a short-form direct-response spot runs a minute or two. Social infomercials are typically under a minute.
What is the difference between an infomercial and a commercial?
A commercial is short and mostly builds a brand image. An infomercial is longer, demonstrates the product in detail and asks the viewer to buy right away.
Sources
- Revid analysis of 176,367 TikToks analyzed by AI, with 1,000+ likes posted between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 16, 2026 (61,203 creators)
- Revid TikTok index: 2,377,477 TikToks with AI labels per video, snapshot of Sep 15, 2026. Median views estimated from view buckets.
- EMARKETER, TikTok Shop Makes Up Nearly 20% of Social Commerce in 2025 (press release) (December 2025)
- Meta, New AI-powered tools to scale creator and brand partnerships (December 2025)
Charts and figures checked on November 6, 2026.
