Love him or hate him, Billy Mays was a modern era television icon, and he made a huge impact on the marketing/advertising scene. Generating over $200 million/year for Church & Dwight (the parent corp.) with his Direct Response ads for a host of “problem-solving” products, like OxiClean, OrangeGlo, KaBoom, etc. You might not have bought any, but you definitely know their names. He and fellow “Pitchman” Anthony Sullivan were throwbacks to an era of less subtle (read: LOUD!) tv ads that gave way to more gentle persuasion, as audiences became deaf to the chatter of “545-5300!” and “Gimbel’s Shop At Home Service!”; we’ve come full circle, I suppose. Just like Ed McMahon, Billy Mays learned his craft on the Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk: get the crowd’s Attention, establish the Problem, demonstrate the Solution, give the Call to Action, Make the Sale: WOW, what a Formula! Here’s an example of his work: \”Kaboom\”
Sadly, Billy Mays passed away Sunday June 28 at age 50.