Direct-marketing pitchman Billy Mays died recently. He was the face of numerous brands such as OxiClean, Kaboom, and Orange-Glo.
So what is a brand to do once it's star is gone, and all of its marketing relies on the relationship built between star and consumer?
Different brands seem to have different viewpoints on how to treat a dead spokesman. Some companies are pulling his ads, and airing tributes to Mr. Mays. Others seem to be saying "on with the show--let's make some money."
Mays had an undeniable electricity that connected with consumers. He may have had an annoying, screeching voice, but somehow consumers were drawn to him--and the products he pitched.
So, if you are A.J. Khubanim, CEO of direct-to-consumer merchandiser Telebrands, you roll out a national marketing campaign
featuring the infomercial star -- eight days after his death.
From DailyFinance:
Mays's final pitch is for Telebrands's Jupiter Jack -- "the new revolutionary cell phone accessory for your car that turns any car radio into a wireless speaker system" (yours for only $19.99 plus shipping and handling!). The spot was filmed a month ago, and Telebrands spent millions on the airtime. Last week, Khubani decided to show it.
"We struggled with this decision," he told DailyFinance. "There's no precedent, and we really don't know what's going to happen. There could be a tremendous backlash."
Khubani says his company consulted with May's family: "We decided
collectively that this is what Billy would've wanted, and it's okay
with the family...Billy was the sole breadwinner for his
family. They're looking for a continuing revenue stream from this and
other products."
Billy Mays also served as the pitchman for many products, including Mighty Putty, Mighty Mendit, Ding King, Vidalia Slice Wizard and most recently, the Mighty Putty Super Pack--all marketed by a company called Media Enterprises. That company also decided to continue to air the last infomercials Billy Mays recorded before his death. Additionally, the company confirmed that Billy Mays television advertisements for Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit will now resume after a one-week respite in advertising in recognition of the pitchman's death.
That's one way to go, or you could do what the makers of OxiClean, Kaboom, and Orange-Glo (all marketed by Church & Dwight) have done. They pulled its Mays spots.
Or follow the lead of the Discovery Channel, whose television series "Pitchmen" starred Mays, is running re-runs of the show, plus a special, "Pitchman: A Tribute to Billy Mays." and devoting the bulk of a day to programming a Mays memorial that will include a 12-hour Pitchmen marathon, ending with the season finale, which hasn't aired before.