Condoms, pregnancy tests, and Snuggies. What do these three things have in common?
You do not want to be seen buying any of them at the store.
We’ll save condoms and pregnancy tests for another day, but today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite “As Seen on TV” item, the Snuggie! These suckers have been seen everywhere lately, even making cameos in internet video sensations like Matt Cheuvront (I bet he’s not wearing pants under that Snuggie – just sayin). Over Christmas, I managed to acquire one of these backwards bath robes snuggies (a UNC flavored one to boot) and it got me to thinking about the product.
First of all, Snuggies help you realize that you can take a very commonly used product, adjust its function, and have an equally successful (or more successful) product in your hands. Take a tennis ball, for example. Obviously, it’s main purpose is for tennis, but the manufacturers could really market it for a number of other uses: a throw toy for dogs, training balls for baseball, or even doo-dads you put on the bottom of your grandma’s walker so it doesn’t screech across the floor. I can’t help but to think about how the “inventors” of the Snuggie came up with it. I can only hope it was actually from using a bath robe backwards.
The amazing thing with Snuggies is that they’ve become extremely relevant in mainstream culture. Sure, this relevance has mainly been created by the ridiculousness of the product and the countless jokes that people have made about them, but I can’t remember a product that started out on television that virtually everyone you talk to knows about.
Finally, as Abby Schoffman pointed out to me yesterday on Twitter, the new collegiate line of snuggies are a great idea, especially during the holidays. I’m sure there were countless people this year (my grandma included) that were trying to find a relatively inexpensive gift for someone and saw a Snuggie at Wal-Mart (or wherever you buy them) sporting their favorite college’s colors, so they obviously had to buy it as a gift. I’d really be interested to hear the sales numbers for Snuggies this holiday season, as I’m thinking they may be quite surprising.
As for some of the other Snuggie lines (Snuggies for pets?) I’m not sure what they were really thinking there.
Anyways, next time you find yourself cracking a joke about Snuggies, you may want to catch yourself. Its creators (who are probably rolling around in Benjamins right about now) would probably argue that the joke’s on you.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Is that a Miller High Life hat AND a Snuggie on the guy in the photo above? Classy combo. I hope you're not wearing yours to work like that guy.
The Snuggie is definitely the gift that's practical yet still on the verge of being a gag gift. Everyone makes fun of them, but they're popping up everywhere. They've become a part of pop culture. And maybe that's what the marketers were going for, which – like you said – is genius of them. Here's this reasonably priced gift that I can't resist buying for someone because it's hilarious and there are parodies everywhere, yet it's not a total waste, because it's definitely useful. Brilliant.
I think that's where they might have been going with the dog Snuggie. Let's play off the ridiculousness of our product and create something that will draw even more jokes.
Think about how much free advertising these products have received. All the TV show hosts are talking about them, and they've been worked into episodes of popular shows. I guarantee there are people out there who are throwing Snuggie parties. And like you said, the joke is really on us because I'm sure the inventors are making a ton.
You can't deny that they've got marketing chops. A million reverse robes sold is quite a feat.
Haha, even though it is freezing in our office, I've yet to bust it out for work.
Since much of the Snuggie's success has come from its pop culture relevancy and on the “gag” aspect of it, it makes me wonder if there's potential for long term success with the product or not. Once the novelty wears off, will it be any more than something we'll see on VH1's “I Love the 2000's” in 10 years? I'm sort of interested to see what the Snuggie people do about this, or if they're perfectly happy making a quick buck on a fad.
I guess we'll have to wait and see!
Heh, makes you wonder what's going to be next.
The backwards pants were patented by Criss Cross, now the backwards robe. What's next? But it does solve that horrific problem of not being able to get to remote fast enough in a blanket. But I think the real kicker is that you look like a fashionable Druid wearing it.
That is a great question. I see it just being a short-lived fad, but we shall see.
Can we get a quick moment of silence for the slanket?
Snuggie's genius came in the tacky infomercial advertisements, realized that was the best medium for their messaging.
You should all check out pics of snuggie bar crawls across the country too, good stuff.
Nice post Jackie.
What's worse than getting a Snuggie for Christmas? Getting the off brand Snuggie
Snuggie bar crawls look…fun??
Haha, thanks Danny, glad you enjoyed it.
The Snuggie is an imposter!!!
The first backwards fleece robe mass marketed and produced was the slanket. It was created by a student at the University of Maine. But the product he created had too much quality and the materials were thus more expensive.
Then along came the Snuggie. Cheaper, doesn't keep you as warm, and doesn't last as long. But people buy them. Oh, the lessons to be learned…
Haha I sense a bit of disdain in your voice when talking about the Snuggie, no? Haha. Gotta stick up for your fellow Mainenites (??) You're the second one to mention the slanket, and I'd never even heard of it, which, I guess shows how well they marketed it!
http://gizmodo.com/5190557/ultimate-battle-the-…
You're welcome
Hahahaha good find, Elisa. I wonder how the $330 one is fairing these days
http://gizmodo.com/5190557/ultimate-battle-the-…
You're welcome
Hahahaha good find, Elisa. I wonder how the $330 one is fairing these days
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