How Brands Like Squatty Potty Are Making the Infomercial Fun Again

The old format is back in fashion

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There's a common thread that runs through Ron Popeil, Billy Mays, a motor-mouthed gal with a mortifying case of adult acne and a handsome prince whose sidekick is a pooping unicorn.

It's the persuasive personal touch. And it's one of the reasons that the decades-old infomercial—that wee-hours, hard-sell ad format—is suddenly fashionable again, with new twists for the digital era.

The crop of successful long-form ads released recently includes Poo-Pourri's scatological walk through time with the brand's fan-favorite spokeswoman Bethany, the return of Squatty Potty's adorable (and flatulent) mythical creature and a pimply coming-out party for a startup called Nerd Skincare.

"People want to buy from a human who's talking to them and saying, 'You need this product,'" said Travis Chambers, chief media hacker at Chamber.Media,

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