Before “influencer” was a job title reserved for the likes of social media personalities marketing different products to folks scrolling aimlessly at home, infomercials existed to turn us into suckers for products we didn’t need but absolutely wanted.
From handy kitchen gadgets to creative toys you would never see at Toys R Us, here are some of the most iconic items we just had to have.
Ginsu Knives
From samurai swords to hibachi-style cooking, Japan and blades go hand-in-hand. The creators of Ginsu Knives leaned into that association for their infomercial, enticing us to buy them so we too could cut through a tomato easily instead of having to messily karate chop our way to a BLT.
The Clapper
Come on, who didn’t want to be able to turn their lights on and off with the clap of their hands? What a powerful feeling.
Ronco Food Dehydrator
Did we have any desire to dehydrate food before seeing Ronco’s infomercial? Absolutely not. But did watching those people dehydrate the entire grocery store make us want to try it too? You bet.
Slap Chop
Chopping vegetables is a tedious task, so the idea of the Slap Chop was a welcomed one for home chefs looking to cut corners and save a little time. Plus, the act of slapping the chopper looked like a fun time.
Snuggie
There were the naysayers who said Snuggies were lame and looked silly, and then there were those of us who saw their practicality and wanted one in every one of the funky patterns they came in. Hands-free coziness? Yes, please.
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Ab Roller
There were so many infomercials geared toward lazy ways to get fit, and the Ab Roller looked like one of the most promising substitutions for sit-ups and crunches, selling us on the idea at the first roll.
Shake Weight
You know we can’t talk about lazy workout tools from infomercials without mentioning the Shake Weight (honorable mentions to the Total Gym and Thighmaster). All you had to do was hang onto the weight and lightly jolt it up and down. Did we look ridiculous? Oh yeah. Did we feel the burn? Sure did.
Ped Egg
Soft, silky feet were the promise of the Ped Egg, and it collected all the dead skin you scraped off your feet in a disgusting little compartment that was somehow satisfying to empty, realizing how much gunk you scraped off your tootsies.
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The BeDazzler
Nothing was safe from the reach of the BeDazzler. Shoes, jeans, shirts, hair brushes, purses — it did not matter. We wanted to bling it all out with this bad boy.
The ShamWow
Does the ShamWow win the award for the infomercial product that was the most fun to say? The guy from the commercial meant business with his headset and shouting, and we were totally ready to leave Bounty behind us and go to battle with the ShamWow instead.
The Miracle Thaw
We wholeheartedly believed that the Miracle Thaw would be the answer to all those times we forgot to pull meat out of the freezer in time to make a home-cooked meal. The magical slab thawed meat as an alternative to filling the sink with water or defrosting in the microwave. If we were more emotionally prepared to let go of takeout on the nights we didn’t get the chicken thawed in advance, we’d have bought this thing.
Topsy Tail
Back in the ‘90s, we couldn’t just look on YouTube or TikTok for hair tutorials every time we wanted to mix up the way we styled our locks. Instead, we got sucked into every hair-oriented infomercial tool, starting with the Topsy Tail that created a tucked ponytail style everyone just had to have, including us.
Moon Sand
Moon Sand walked so the Kinetic Sand of today could run. We had stars in our eyes seeing this commercial as kids. The promise of Mom agreeing to let us play with sand indoors was almost too much excitement to handle. We’d have bought this if we could’ve gotten Mom to loosen the grip on her Wonder Wallet.
Showtime Rotisserie
We had no need to cook 14 pork chops at a time in the Showtime Rotisserie. We just really wanted to have the option and the means to do so.
Rainbow Art
Mom said no, but we begged anyway. The Rainbow Art kit was like markers and paint mixed together, and there was no need to keep the colors separated, which made it all the more fun.
Floam
Nowadays, kids are all about slime, but we still remember wanting to cover all our toys, bikes, and shoes in the squishy, beady Floam. The kids in the infomercial went nuts covering every surface imaginable in the stuff, with one kid even transforming a skeletal T-Rex into a green, scaly dinosaur.
Moon Shoes
Maybe it was the catchy jingle or just the thought that we might be able to have elevated (get it?) fun jump roping or playing hopscotch, but we desperately wanted a pair of Moon Shoes so we could attempt a Michael Jordan slam dunk at home.
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