Billy Mays pitches from beyond the grave
Filed under: Company News, People, Media
Although Billy Mays died two weeks ago, the powers that be have determined that the show -- and Mays' amazing showmanship -- must go on. Before his death, the famed pitchman recorded commercials for two new products, Mighty Tape and the Mighty Putty Super Pack. Media Enterprises, the marketing company that represents Mays' "Mighty" brands, has decided that his final impassioned pleas for sales will be shared with the public.According to reports, the last commercials show Mays at the height of his carnival-barking powers. On Mighty Tape, for example, he progresses from putting the sticky strips on leaky kitchen faucets to using them to repair a scuba hose. The latter demonstration occurs underwater, where Mays accessorizes his usual blue shirt and khaki pants with a full set of scuba gear.
Ironically, Mays' death seems to have given him an authority that he never had in life. Amid real-life reports and testimonials, customers who might once have balked at buying products from the manic showman now seem far more willing to give his wares a try. According to Media Enterprises, sales of Mays-endorsed products have jumped by 25 percent in the last two weeks.
One of the traditional worries about using a celebrity's likeness post-mortem is that doing so will seem exploitative and offensive. For this reason, death is usually a definitive end to a pitchman's career. Of course, there are exceptions, as in the case of Yul Brynner, whose posthumous anti-smoking campaign was designed to shock viewers. After all, while "don't smoke" can seem like a weak message, it gets added heft when it comes from a man who's just died of lung cancer. Conversely, James Dean's listless and distracted 1955 safe driving public-service announcement gains cruel irony when juxtaposed with his subsequent death in a car crash.
A more delicate question emerges when the pitchman's likeness is used in a way that he might never have imagined or endorsed. For example, Diet Coke's 1992 ads featuring creepily colorized clips of 1940's stars lounging in a nightclub and dancing with Paula Abdul almost certainly went against the actors' wishes. While fun to watch, these ads also inspired laws protecting the likeness rights of dead celebrities.
Fifteen years later, those laws came in handy for former rock royalty. In 2007, advertising powerhouse Saatchi & Saachi devised a campaign for AirWair's Doc Martens boots, depicting various musical icons wearing the brand from their perches in heavenly clouds. The estates of Clash lead singer Joe Strummer and Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious did not comment on the campaign, but the families of Joey Ramone and Kurt Cobain were infuriated. Ramone's brother, Mickey Leigh, said, "I never would have approved this ad, as Joey never wore these shoes. And [...] the fact that he was Jewish, and this ad is not exactly kosher, makes it that much more inappropriate, inconsiderate, and contemptible." Leigh had a point: for Ramone, the concept of lounging in a Christian version of the afterlife would have seemed ironic at best and insulting at worst. AirWair pulled the ads and swiftly fired Saatchi.
While the AirWair and Diet Coke ads are fairly clear cut, the issues aren't always quite so easy to parse. In the case of Orville Redenbacher, the agronomist and popcorn developer became closely associated with his popcorn brand in the 1980's and 1990's when he starred in several highly-successful commercials. Upon his death in 1995, however, the company that bore his name found itself without a clear replacement. Twelve years later, a combination of computer technology and shamelessness resulted in a new spot. In the frightening commercial, a computer-generated, strangely androgynous Redenbacher appeared with an MP3 player and a bag of microwave popcorn in a that horrified numerous cultural critics.
Ironically, Gary Redenbacher's, the dead pitchman's grandson, strongly endorsed the piece, stating that "Grandpa would go for it [...] This is a way to honor his legacy."
The same has been said of Mays, whose eagerness to push a product seemingly knew no bounds. A born salesman, he cut his teeth on the Atlantic City boardwalk, where he learned the art of the pitch from classic old-timers. Like his mentors, Mays crisscrossed the country from State Fairs to home shows to auto shows, working face-to-face with his customers and learning the art of sealing the deal. For Mays, death might have been yet another gimmick -- perhaps the ultimate gimmick -- for drawing in the customer and making the sale.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 21)
7-10-2009 @ 2:06PM
JIM NEWMAN said...
I'M AN OLD MAN 70'S = I LOVED BILLY'S VOICE, I ALWAYS TURNED THE SOUND UP WHEN I HEARD = I'M BILLY MAYS FOR == I LOVED IT. = I'LL MISS HIM = TRUE STORY. JIM N.
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 2:58PM
jim said...
Americans should not be allowed to pull them selves up by their own boot straps. We should rely on government to take care of all our needs. Can you imagine sending Billy Mays something you created and than receiving $750,000 per week for the next 10 years?
Why should we hope or need to achieve any success in America now that Obama is giving us all this free stuff? Work hard there are lots of lazy socialist Obama voters that depend on you!
8-11-2009 @ 1:22PM
Helga said...
I'm sorry Jim that Billy passed away, but you must be hard of hearing because he was always yelling and I muted him every time he came on, and so did all my friends. None of us would ever buy any of that stuff he tried to sell because he was always screaming his head off. And I'm over 70 the same as you are.
7-10-2009 @ 4:17PM
ed said...
Billy is a great, self made American ! Too bad aol had to spend more time on a tanned child molester instead of Billy !
7-10-2009 @ 4:27PM
Bryan said...
The major point being missed is these are signed contracts and lives of many other people behind the two items he will pitch. These same people have poured many hundreds if not thousands of dollars into these items.
The show must go on and who better to pitch your product than Billy Mays?
7-10-2009 @ 5:11PM
Dudley Haas (Wacko, Taxes) said...
I see nothing wrong here. Lots of people still work after they're dead. Billy at Miller Family Steakhouse still waits tables and she's been gone now for several years. I'm still alive, but trhe B-9 mole on my 4-head has turned "Code Blue" which is not a good sign.
7-10-2009 @ 5:25PM
Emma said...
I am in love and his name is Mr. Power Colon Cleanse http://tinyurl.com/PowerColonCleanse ! This is by far the best cleansing product available. I saw it on Oprah and thought I would give it a try. Power Colon Cleanse has pretty much changed the way I live my life. My daily chores are done in a breeze and I have more energy, not to mention more time in my day since I don't mind jumping out of bed in the mornings at 7:00 am now. This is not just a cleanser. It is also a detox. I can feel it working and have only been using it for 6 weeks.
I owe my life to http://tinyurl.com/PowerColonCleanse
7-10-2009 @ 5:37PM
Joe said...
What do you think Billy would think of them going on with the ad.
7-10-2009 @ 2:07PM
Scott said...
billy mays was good at what he did and i do not doubt that he would have said "Yes show it" especially being as there is at least one more paycheck in it for the family But personally i think it is in bad taste.
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 5:29PM
amr81 said...
Scott,
I agree with you. I just saw a Billy Mays ad that I have never seen (not one of the new ones). It makes me sad for his family. the family should get paid for his work. But the ads should not air!
7-10-2009 @ 5:59PM
Norman said...
I feel it is a tribute to the mans life works, also think you are narrow minded, but am not saying that as in any hurtful manner
7-12-2009 @ 10:15AM
Kas said...
I hate to remind all of you that have a problem w/ sound variances.. but, it wasn't Billys voice that was loud.. it was the TV / Commercial sound level.
How many times does a commercial come on that is louder than the show your watching ?? Lots!
Everyone has an opinion of commercials etc. Some people are "programed" to dislike things.. including people, programs, food etc etc etc.
So often I see people w/ no real opinon .... just what they have heard.. and end up believing because its said over and over and over over over again.
Billy's voice being loud is one of them.. it wasn't. Not when I talked to him. .... But, your tv and commercials are programed to be loud to get your attention. Duh!
As far as being paid..after the fact. I am sure .. the business man he was, he has contracts for that sort of thing.
If not.. oh well!
7-10-2009 @ 2:09PM
Maya said...
i agree with scott.
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 2:11PM
L said...
Bein someone who both knows Billy as a friend, as well as, someone whom I've had the great pleasure of working closely with. I know that Billy would both want to move forward with projects if anything, to keep friends and co-workers working, maybe to keep his family who is very important to him with an income. Or, in my opinion, a man like Billy Mays, ALWAYS kept his word, and followed thru. Even thru the end. God bless my friend , Billy Mays, and his entire family.
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 6:45PM
LEA said...
I'm truely sorry for your loss L. Billy had a bigger than life image, and he certainly had a way to get your attention. I never met him, but I know I would have liked him.
I think he would have loved knowing his final commercials would be shown, and also that his family was getting paid for them.
God bless you.
7-13-2009 @ 9:09PM
bjw said...
thanks L you confirmed what I thought.He was a great caring man....thanks again...billy ill miss u much.
7-10-2009 @ 11:15PM
David said...
Absolutely, the show must go on. I always paid attention when Billy came on in one of his commercials. Couldn't help it he was so enthusiastic about the products he presented. I have only tried one. Oxy Clean. The stuff works pretty damn good too.
I am positive Billy would want the commercials to air. It was what he did and what he would want to finish. Never met the man but I sure admired his style. I will miss his signature " A Whopping .......Value." He is probably in Heaven now hustling the angels to buy halo polish. God bless him and his whole family.
7-10-2009 @ 2:13PM
Annie said...
I think he would have loved and yes,more money for his family, but personally I agree with Scott, it's in bad taste.....
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 2:20PM
bean said...
Oh so we should never watch a television show, movie, or clip if one of the cast had past away? Silly.
Reply
7-10-2009 @ 6:44PM
Tess said...
I agree 100%!!!!!!!!!!!