What is an Infomercial?
The term infomercial refers to a very specific form of TV advertising. Let’s break apart the pieces and identify the parameters and ingredients of an infomercial. 1. An infomercial is an advertisement. 2. An infomercial must be program-long. 3. An infomercial must solicit a specific direct response from the viewer. IT IS AN AD. First and foremost, an infomercial is simply another form of advertisement. It is a commercial message, and as such represents the viewpoints and serves the interest of the sponsor. It is a “paid program.” IT IS LONG FORM. Unlike conventional 30 and 60 second TV ads, an infomercial runs at least a half hour. The reason: a half hour is the smallest block of airtime a TV station will sell without interrupting its programming schedules. (NO program on TV is shorter than 30 minutes.) IT SOLICITS A “DIRECT” RESPONSE. An infomercial must solicit a response which is specific and quantifiable. The solicitation and the delivery of the response must be direct between the
