As seen on TV

For other uses, see as seen on TV (disambiguation).
As Seen On TV
Industry Infomercials, Inventions
Predecessor H & H Imports, Inc. and Subsidiaries[1]
Successor As Seen On TV, Inc.[2]
Founder Kevin Harrington
Headquarters 14044 Icot Blvd Clearwater, Florida 33760, United States
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Ronald C. Pruett, Jr. (President and CEO)
Total assets $27,091,000 (2013)[3]
Website http://www.asseenontv.com/

As Seen On TV is a generic nameplate for products advertised on television in the United States for direct-response mail-order through a toll-free telephone number. 'As Seen On TV' advertisements, known as infomercials, are usually 30-minute shows or two-minute spots during commercial breaks. These products can range from kitchen, household, automotive, cleaning, health, and beauty products, to exercise and fitness products, books, or to toys and games for children. Typically the packaging for these items includes a standardized red seal in the shape of a CRT television screen with the words "AS SEEN ON TV" in white, an intentional allusion to the logo of TV Guide magazine.

Prominent marketers of "As Seen On TV" products include AsSeenOnTV.com, Time-Life, Space Bag, K-tel, Ronco, and Thane. There are also retail brick-and-mortar and online stores that specifically sell As Seen on TV products.[4]

As Seen On TV products then moved on to sell on the internet in the late 1990s. As Seen On TV, Inc. (OTCQB: ASTV) is the leading multichannel distributor of As Seen On TV products, and offers 1,500 products from As Seen On TV through its online marketplace AsSeenOnTV.com.[5]

"As Seen On TV" then moved on to retail, according to A.J. Khubani, CEO of Telebrands, who designed the logo.[6]

The red logo and phrase is now part of public domain and can be used on packaging or used in business without a fee or infringing on someone's trademark.[7]

Companies that produce generic versions of As Seen On TV products may use a modified version of the red logo, their version displaying "Like on TV" or "As Seen On TV in some countries". But this logo can be registered in some countries like trademark.[8]

In the early 21st century, As Seen On TV companies have moved to creating a presence online via "micro-websites" that offer a single product. These websites have become the standard for As Seen On TV companies and typically run adjacent with significant media presence. These sites generally offer more information on the product and offer user reviews, and allow more of a social presence to aid in product persuasion and sales. In addition to "micro-websites", companies like As Seen On TV offer a full catalog of products by offering editorial reviews.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/h-and-h-imports-inc/index.html
  2. ↑ http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=astv&ql=1
  3. ↑ http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=ASTV+Balance+Sheet&annual
  4. ↑ Lou Harry, Sam Stall (2002). As Seen on TV: 50 Amazing Products and the Commercials That Made Them Famous. Quirk Books. ISBN 1-931686-09-2.
  5. ↑ http://ir.astvinc.com
  6. ↑ "Pitch Perfect". On The Media. January 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-16. He figured out that he could build brand recognition by blanketing the airwaves with cheap direct-to-consumer commercials, and then take the product into retail stores where he slapped an "As Seen On TV" logo on them, which he designed himself. It’s a very lucrative formula, he told me, so that’s what he’s been doing ever since.
  7. ↑ Ad Track: Marketers bet on lucky 777; that's July 7, 2007 http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2007-05-29-ad-track-lucky_N.htm Q: Does someone own the famous ad phrase "As Seen On TV" or the familiar logo that has that phrase in a TV-shaped red box?
  8. ↑ Ad Track: http://www.wipo.int/cgi-mad/guest/ifetch5?ENG+MADRID-FULL.vdb+11-00+41311751-KEY+256+0+772321+BASICHTML-ENG+1+1+1+25+SEP-0/HITNUM,PN,MAR,,,IMAGE+MAR%2f%22AS+SEEN+ON+TV%22+
  9. ↑ Ad Track:http://www.asseenitontv.com