May 2009 – Cover Story: The Men Behind the Pitch

Famed DRTV experts Anthony ‘Sully’ Sullivan and Billy Mays
take you behind the scenes of Discovery’s new reality series,
“Pitchmen,” which promises to bring new awareness to the
industry that has turned them into commercial celebrities.

By Vitisia Paynich

Dynamic, boisterous and tenacious are just a handful of words often used to describe Billy Mays–the recognizable face behind such popular brands as OxiClean, Kaboom, Hercules Hook and the Mighty products.

“If you ask me what I am, I’m a pitchman,” Mays says adamantly. “You don’t aspire to be a pitchman or grow up wanting to be one. It happens by accident.”

Whether it’s by accident or “destiny,” what’s clear to those in the direct response world is that Mays has enough charisma and enthusiasm to turn what looks like a typical household product into marketing gold.

Mays, however, isn’t the only one with the Midas touch and a turbo-charged personality. Anthony ‘Sully’ Sullivan has earned his share of DR hits including the TapLight, Swivel Sweeper and One Sweep. This pairing of A-list pitchmen goes back to the early 1990s when they were competitors working the home-show circuit and later as memorable on-air talent on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in Tampa, Fla.

So it was only a matter of time before this DR duo would end up not only combining their producing and promotional prowess to market some of the most lucrative household products in the industry, but also collaborating on a new reality series for the Discovery Channel.

Electronic Retailer spoke with the two “Pitchmen” stars to learn more about the reality series, the inventors and their true-life stories, as well as why these DR extraordinaires believe allowing cameras to follow them around will help place the industry in a more positive light.

DR experts Anthony ‘Sully’ Sullivan (left) and Billy Mays shoot scenes for their Discovery Channel show, “Pitchmen.”

A SALESMAN IS BORN

Surprisingly, Mays and Sullivan have similar backgrounds: they both honed their craft on the streets. In 1983, Mays decided to leave his native Pittsburgh to tag along with a friend who was on his way to Atlantic City to pitch his wares on the boardwalk.

It was there that Mays became intrigued by some of the best-known pitchmen in the business and wanted to try his hand at it. Eventually, they took him under their wing and shared their trade secrets. “These pitchmen kind of handed me the baton. So, I’m pretty old school, but with a new flare,” he explains.

Mays soon began working the home-show circuit, where he continued to develop and sharpen his selling techniques.

Across the pond, Sullivan was in his late teens living in Devonshire, England, when he began selling his first product called the WashMatik–a car-cleaning mop–on the streets of London and at the Sunday flea markets.

One day, Sullivan came home, turned on the television and actually saw a commercial for the very product he was hawking. “I didn’t even know what it was at first; it was this paid program. I was completely captivated and thought ‘that is the future right there,’” he recalls.

Like Mays, Sullivan too got a job pitching products on the home-show circuit, working such events as the Ideal Home Exposition and building a network of contacts. It was at that very show in 1992, where he met DR expert John Nokes, who hired him to pitch the SmartMop throughout the U.S. During a stint at the Tampa Home Show, HSN approached Sullivan about appearing on the network.

“It was unusual to have me on because back then, the only guests they had were celebrities like Jackie Collins and Ivana Trump,” notes Sullivan. “But when I pitched the SmartMop, viewers just jumped on it. I sold 5,000 mops in 22 minutes!”

His successful run convinced HSN to ask Sullivan to appear as often as he could, which meant moving to Tampa in late 1993. Soon Sullivan found himself promoting more and more products on the network.

In 1996, Max Appel, entrepreneur and inventor of Orange Glo wood cleaner, hired Mays to pitch his product on HSN. Mays’s HSN debut proved to be a turning point in his career. He sold 6,000 bottles of Orange Glo, earning him a regular gig on home shopping.

“Billy and I had kind of known each other from the home-show circuit and there was quite a bit of competitiveness between us,” says Sullivan. When their paths crossed again at HSN, they two were both building their reputations as stellar pitchmen.

As Sullivan describes: “The two of us just went head to head at HSN and pretty much lived in the Green Room for about four years, selling all kinds of products.” Meanwhile, both men were also doing projects on the side. Sullivan moved behind the camera as a DRTV producer–forming Sullivan Productions–while Mays pitched products outside of home shopping.

Then in 2000, Appel approached both Mays and Sullivan about working together on an infomercial for his OxiClean product. Appel was impressed with Sullivan’s success with the TapLight spots and wanted him to produce his DRTV campaign with Mays as the talent.

The joint venture proved very lucrative and not only created a blockbuster hit on television, but also transformed OxiClean into a $200 million brand. Since then, Sullivan and Mays have teamed up on other DRTV campaigns such as Kaboom.

SOLD ON THE PITCH

So how did these two land their own reality show? In 2007, Chris Wilson, a former HSN cameraman, contacted Sullivan and Mays about an idea for a series featuring the two DR stars. The show would focus on the trials and tribulations that inventors encounter while trying to get their products to market. It also would tell the story behind their real-life inventions and what these people have sacrificed in order to make their dreams come true.

Sullivan says for a long time he had wanted to do a project with Mays and this television show seemed to be a perfect fit. So after discussing it with Mays, the two allowed Wilson to spend three days shooting a brief teaser. Wilson pitched the project to Warner Bros. Entertainment and within 24 hours, to Sullivan’s astonishment, the studio had an offer on the table.

Although the Warner Bros. deal seemed like a sure thing, a chance encounter with another television producer convinced Sullivan to go with Discovery. That producer turned out to be Thom Beers, best known for his work on “Deadliest Catch” and head of Original Productions. Beers wanted to take the project to the Discovery Channel and produce 13 episodes.

Mays was pleased with Sullivan’s decision. “After that one meeting, it was clear that Beers and Original Productions were going to tell our story the right way, and both Sully and I wanted Discovery to have it,” he says.

Naturally, it was no surprise that Mays and Sullivan negotiated for creative control over the show. In fact, the two share executive producer credit alongside Beers and Wilson.

SHOWING THE REAL DEAL

On April 15 at 10 p.m., “Pitchmen” debuted on the Discovery Channel. Although a big part of the show highlights Mays and Sullivan, both insist the show strikes a much deeper chord.

“I want ‘Pitchmen’ to be a good platform for how we would show us as characters–how dedicated we are to the project and how much is on the line for some of these inventors,” Sullivan says.

In the first episode, audiences are introduced to Matt Kriesel, the inventor of Impact Gel–a highly durable shoe insole. He has invested all of his savings into his invention and is even facing foreclosure on his home. Mays and Sullivan are impressed with the product and convinced that it will sell well on television. However, the two find themselves at odds with Kriesel over the pricepoint and how to actually market the insole. The desperation is apparent in the inventor’s voice, even when he’s arguing with the DR experts.

Finally, Kriesel backs down and entrusts Mays and Sullivan to do what they do best.

“When you see the back stories of these inventors, you realize that behind every product, there’s a person and a family,” notes Sullivan.

Mays adds that in some cases, a lot of these people have been duped by unscrupulous companies that promise to patent and market their products for an upfront fee without any intension of delivering. “By the time they get to us, they’re already in the hole,” says Mays.

Although both Mays and Sullivan sympathize with the inventors, the reality is that not every product has market potential. Mays says, “We go through the process of pitching the right products and making sure that we select the products with mass appeal, that can be demonstrated and that are easy to use.” Even then, Mays confesses, that doesn’t guarantee success.

Sullivan points out, however, that sometimes the person’s story is more important than the product itself. One particular episode features a 17-year-old named Kyle who drives with his mother 1,500 miles from their home in Durango, Colo., to Los Angeles just to pitch his invention. “They couldn’t afford a hotel; it was either new tires for the car or a hotel room,” notes Sullivan. “So, they slept in their car just to get a five-minute sit-down with Billy and me.”

Sullivan says the teen’s product wasn’t something they would choose, but he and Mays felt they had to give him a shot.

GOOD CHEMISTRY MAKES FOR GOOD TV

In addition to the interesting stories of the inventors, audiences will likely be entertained by the pitchmen themselves–especially when they squabble. “Billy and I always have at least one major fallout during every episode, but it wouldn’t be complete without that,” admits Sullivan.

Likening their partnership to a marriage, Mays adds, “What married couple doesn’t have arguments?”

From battles about scripts, to disagreements about product demonstrations, this feuding odd couple makes for good entertainment. Still, both insist they have nothing but the utmost respect for each other.

And while viewers will get to know these two with each episode, DR experts will see familiar names and faces in the industry–such as Telebrands, IdeaVillage and DR giant Ron Popeil–who make guest appearances.

LESSONS LEARNED

Given the state of the economy, one might think that a show about marketing products might not be a good move. But as Mays puts it: “With every great recession, comes greater innovation. The bad news is that we’re in a recession. The good news is DR is hanging in there.”

Sullivan agrees. “I think if this show can inspire one person who’s lost a job or has tough times paying the bills to take his or her idea to fruition, then it will be really worth it,” he says.

“When people see this show, they will understand that it’s more than just putting a commercial on air,” he continues. “There’s fulfillment, media buying, product development and distribution. There are millions of dollars that are involved with getting a product to market. And this show has really raised my game to a whole new level. All of a sudden,

I have this relationship with these inventors that I really hadn’t had before.”

Mays, too, hopes audiences will respond favorably to “Pitchmen.” “This show is not just about pitchmen; it’s really about the people and the products they bring to us,” he says.

“This is about their blood, sweat and tears.”