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Thursday
29Oct2009

Humble Beginnings.

DateThursday, October 29, 2009

While costume contest entries are pouring in, I figured we could take a little trip down memory lane..

Here is the original Oxi-Clean spot..

You can see how much his on-air style had evolved between then and his latest commercials.

In his earlier days on TV, the Home-Show/Boardwalk/Traveling-Pitchman essence to his approach was more apparent. 

Mostly because, well, he spent a good portion of his life behind a booth, hawking various products on a daily basis to passers-by.  (I know, because a lot of that time I was the kid sitting under the booth playing with my Ninja Turtle toys.)

In this setting, a pitchman must first gain a potential buyer's attention by first selling himself.  Even if the people weren't going to buy the product, at least he entertained them.

He seemed to maintain that mentality throughout his entire career.  A Pitchman until the end.

 

Not that there's ever been any doubt, but:

My dad definitely knew how to pitch.

 

~B3

AuthorBilly Mays III | Comment10 Comments |

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Reader Comments (10)

I see now how in this and earlier OrangeGlo commercials that he was used to pitching directly to living people. I never really noticed that before. I think that always was kinda there even in his later ads in his mannerisms and it sure did work!
October 29, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJoey
I remember this!This pitch is the one that got me hooked on Billy Jr.And also all the products he would "pitch" . Thanks Billy Jr. And thanks Billy III for sharing!
October 29, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterliberty12
I remember that ad like it was yesterday. he got famous so quick
October 29, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterShawn M
It's scary how much of that I remembered verbatim. Annoyed the heck out of me at the time, because it was always on. But neat seeing it now.
October 29, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJames
I LOVE the watch he is wearing in this ad.
October 29, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJake
My partner and I went to the to the V3 Mustache Masquerade party at the salvador dali museum there was over 100 people and it was a blast. Its was a large group of painting contractors, it was just a great group of really nice people. I dressed up like Billly Mays and had my bottle of Oxiclean which I drank and other people it was really funny and my zorbees towels with me. So many people there knew your billy and I have always been a big fan. I emailed some photos and I am going back out tonight. I will email the video I have a few clips and hopefully you can edit them for me. Your dad was a great man. Rest in peace billy and god bless you.
October 31, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJeffrey Kaplan
Truly a great man. I was proud to where a costume to emulate an icon!
October 31, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKevLar
This takes me back. Really. I can remember watching this commercial years ago thinking, "Okay... I should know who Billy Mays is, because he keeps introducing himself at the beginning." I was convinced he was famous in some other way. It wasn't until college that I realized that he was famous for doing exactly what he was right there -- pitching.

He played a bigger part of my college years than I'd care to admit -- in my last semester I would go back and forth imitating him with my floor mates pitching products he would never sell a la Billy Mays. "Hi, BILLY MAYS HERE for Diet Orange Sunkist -- the only Sunkist that quenches your THIRST time the FIRST time." or "Hi, BILLY MAYS HERE for Taylor Hall Dining (the dining hall in our building) the only dining hall that serves up potatoes, eggs and even Jell-O.

Those were some good times, and it wasn't until after I got out of college that I discovered the wonder that is Pitchmen. I'm geek-cited for the second season, but haven't yet gathered enough mental energy to watch the tribute episode. Maybe someday.
October 31, 2009 | Unregistered Commentermitchsurp
Was there anything he couldn't sell?
November 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterIm So Classy
We used to watch Billy every chance we got on HSN. We were hooked when we purchased the 16oz Orange Clean concentrate.

We purchased Orange Clean in the Gallon for a few years until it was no longer available.

I miss the commercials.

Joe
November 5, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJoe Feser

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