How 1 Infomercial Made Millions, Then Ruined a Life

This is a story about the horrifying downfall of the ShamWow Guy. ShamWow took the United States by storm, making millions. Its success was driven by an infomercial hosted by Vince Offer, which broke the traditional infomercial mold with its self-aware, humorous, and engaging style. Initially mistaken for a parody, the ad became a cult sensation and continues to attract thousands of views today.

However, the fame ultimately led to Offer’s downfall. He became entangled in scandals that forced him out of the limelight, and he never fully recovered.

In 2007, filmmaker and entrepreneur Offer Shlomi, under the name Vince Offer, shot a two-minute commercial for ShamWow, a cleaning towel that could supposedly absorb twenty times its weight in liquid. Unlike the aggressive pitchmen of that era, Offer’s laid-back style and casual delivery stood out. His approach worked, and millions of ShamWows were sold.

Before ShamWow, Offer had moderate success selling the Slap Chop, a vegetable dicer. By 1996, he had sold enough to fund his independent film, The Underground Comedy Movie, which flopped but gained some attention through late-night infomercials, selling 100,000 copies.

In 2006, Offer developed a new super-absorbent towel, eventually naming it ShamWow, inspired by the French word "chamois." The commercial, produced in Glendale, California, for $20,000, began airing in 2008. Offer’s offbeat sales pitch captivated audiences, with Slate columnist Seth Stevenson praising his down-to-earth persona.

The ShamWow set, priced at $19.95, cost only $1.33 wholesale. Offer masterfully elevated its perceived value, making it seem like an essential household item. Some fans took their admiration to extremes, such as a Chicago Tribune columnist who tested ShamWow as a baby diaper substitute. However, critics, including Billy Mays, were unimpressed. Mays argued that ShamWow was too similar to Zorbeez, a towel he had pitched earlier. In a 2009 Popular Mechanics test, ShamWow outperformed Zorbeez, proving far more absorbent.

Despite ShamWow’s success, controversy followed. Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics found Offer’s claim that ShamWow could absorb twenty times its weight to be exaggerated—it was closer to ten to twelve times. However, this had little impact on sales, and Offer became known as "The ShamWow Guy."

Following ShamWow, Offer revived the Slap Chop with a new infomercial, using the same formula but with added humor and innuendos. While not as successful, it gained traction. Billy Mays, however, was outraged, accusing Offer of copying his Quick Chop and grater combo. On The Adam Carolla Show in 2009, Mays directly called Offer a copycat, pointing out that his own infomercials predated Offer’s versions.

Offer never responded to the accusations because he was facing the worst period of his life. On February 7, 2009, he was arrested in Miami Beach after a violent altercation with a woman, leaving both with injuries. The police report stated that the woman bit Offer’s tongue and refused to let go, prompting him to punch her. Photos of the bloody scene went viral, tarnishing his reputation permanently. Though no formal charges were filed, the damage was irreversible.

After disappearing for years, Offer made several unsuccessful attempts to recreate ShamWow’s success with new products, but he never regained his former status. Some say fame changed him; others believe it merely exposed who he always was. Today, he remains a figure of fascination for all the wrong reasons.

0:00 The Rise and Fall of the ShamWow Guy
0:58 How Vince Offer Made ShamWow a Viral Sensation
2:04 Underground Comedy Movie
2:30 The Origin of ShamWow
3:12 ShamWow Profit Margin
4:05 Billy Mays
4:21 Zorbeez vs ShamWow
4:39 The ShamWow Controversy & Advertising Scandals
5:00 The Rise Vince Offer
5:36 Billy Mays's Quick Chop
5:50 Vince Offer Copycat
6:33 Vince Offer’s Arrest & Public Downfall
7:36 The ShamWow Guy Demise