I've been really sick all weekend. And while I sick I've watched a LOT of TV and there was an individual I really began to like...like like a lot, a lot. That individual is Billy Mays.
Billy Mays is a pimp and a television commercial and infomercial salesman most notable for promoting OxiClean, Orange Glo, and other cleaning, home-based, and maintenance products. His direct and "high energy" style and ubiquitous presence on many television commercials and home shopping channels pitching a wide array of products has gained Billy Mays a substantial amount of recognition to where he regularly gets more respect than Matthew Lesko.
Mother Mays was a virgin when she birthed the infant Billy Mays, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania in 1958. After graduating from high school Billy Mays began his career as a salesman on the Atlantic City boardwalk, selling the "Washmatik" portable washing device to passersby. Working alongside many seasoned pitchmen, he developed his trademark style of salesmanship. Billy Mays later traveled to home shows, auto shows and state fairs across the United States for a period of twelve years selling various maintenance products and tools, including cleaning products and food choppers.
At a Pittsburgh home show in 1993, Billy Mays struck up a friendship with rival salesman Max Appel, founder of Orange Glo International, a Denver-based manufacturer of cleaning products. He was then hired by the company to promote their line of cleaners, OxiClean, Orange Clean, and Orange Glo, on the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Customer response to Billy Mays' sales pitches were enthusiastic, with a sharp increase in sales after his first day on the network, although some reviews have been poor. For example, Washington Post staff writer Frank Ahrens called him "a full-volume pitchman, amped up like a candidate for a tranquilizer-gun takedown." The website Consumerama similarly panned Billy Mays' style, comparing his appearance to "a beary bouncer in a Cut and Shoot' bar" and describing his delivery as "rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat....". Consumerama awarded him its "Naked Mole-Rats of Marketing Award" for "shameless consumer abuse."
Following the success of the Home Shopping Network campaign, a line of successful television commercials and infomercials for the products was produced, featuring Billy Mays demonstrating the effectiveness of the products to viewers hands-on. The success of these commercials led to OrangeGlo International being named among the top ten privately growing companies from 1999 to 2001 by Inc. magazine, and its eventual buyout by Church and Dwight. Appel credited Mays' salesmanship for much of the company's success.
Billy Mays is the CEO and founder of Mays Promotions, Inc., based in Dunedin, Florida. His services as a pitchman became highly sought-after, and he has appeared in commercials for many diverse "as seen on TV" products.
Some Products advertised:
OxiClean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, Water, Hercules Hook wall hangers, Simoniz Fix It Scratch Remover, Your Mom, Ding King automotive dent remover, Beyondadoubt, Gopher reaching tool, Zorbeez absorbent towels, Lint-B-Gone lint brush, Samurai Shark knife sharpener, Liquid Diamond car waxing product AwesomeAuger Ground Auger, Swedish House Mafia, Weed Auger, and Power Extender gardening tools, Grip Wrench, Dr. Joel Kaplan's Male Enlargement Pump, Turbo Tiger vacuum cleaner, Poop bottom corks, Fix It car scratcher remover, Swamp Busters, Mighty Putty, Easy Off Bam!, Crocodile Cutter, Rogaine Facial Hair, Friendster, Sealtite Tire Sealant, MoarBear Material, Genco Power Solutions, Vidalia Slice Wizard, Steam Buddy wrinkle remover/creaser, Sticky Puddy, Kaboom! products, Bang! Automotive dent remover, Imontheinternet, Ultimate Ladder, Cutco Kitchenware, and a buncha other stuff you need!
NOTE OF LORE: I heard that if you go into a bathroom by yourself, with a phone, pop rocks, and root beer. Then in mix the pop rocks with the root beer then click your heels together three times saying "Billy Mays, Hays!" Then call within the next ten minutes in the mirror you'll see Billy Mays with a Hercules Hook holding his bottom. Then when you turn the light on the pop rocks and root beer will be safe to drink.
