Infomercial is a portmanteau word that was coined in the late twentieth century. A portmanteau is a word that is composed by blending the sounds and the meaning of two different words. We will examine the meaning of the word infomercial, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
An infomercial is a television program that is in fact a long commercial disguised as entertainment. Infomercials are often thirty minutes or an hour long in order to fit into programming schedules. Infomercials are usually broadcast when few people are watching television, such as during the middle of the night or early on Sunday morning. Ron Popeil, founder and president of Ronco is known as the father of the infomercial, promoting his products in this manner as early as the 1950s. The term infomercial, first coined in the 1980s, is a portmanteau of the words information and commercial. Infomercials are not held in high regard and are often the subjects of humor, yet the use of infomercials as a marketing tool often yields high sales.
Examples
Calling each segment an infomercial, Co-President Sue Koch introduced each one, beginning with technology presented by MDCCW Treasurer Kathy Loy, Fennimore, and Jan Block, Grant Vicariate president from Lancaster. (The Catholic Herald)
With help from teachers and guest speakers, students were able to create infomercials using geometry, language arts literacy, and newly acquired arts skills through the S + M (ART) = S2 program. (The Hoptacong Lake Regional News)
Ronco Brands, the household gadget maker made famous by Ron Popeil in late-night infomercials, is now pitching an entirely different deal — and it has nothing to do with the Veg-O-Matics, Ronco Pocket Fisherman or the Ronco 5 Minute Pasta Wizard. (The New York Post)