You already know we love Vince Offer but maybe you don’t. We know there are plenty of haters out there that don’t realize “Vince from ShamWow” is a character Vince Offer plays to sell a product. Yes, he has past experience in hawking goods and knows how to pitch a product but many of those that complain how “annoying” the ShamWow commercials and Vince are just don’t seem to realize it’s all an act. The cheesiness of the ShamWow and SlapChop commercials should be enough for most people to realize Vince is making fun of the industry while still doing very well selling using that same industry.

Anyway, check out this interview by CNBC and you can see a bit more of the real Vince and maybe appreciate his ShamWowza magic a bit more…

First Interview with Vince from ShamWow!
Posted By: Darren Rovell

CNBC Darren: So how did you get into infomercials?

Vince: Well, I couldn’t sell this movie I made called Underground Comedy. I put all my own money into it and I sued Anna Nicole Smith because we lost $100,000 because she backed out the day before. So I was watching television and I saw those “Girls Gone Wild” spots and thought maybe that would be a good way to sell the movie. That’s really how it started. I put the trailer on an infomercial on Comedy Central and we sold 50,000 DVD’s that way and eventually sold 50,000 more of them in stores.

CNBC Darren: How did you then make your way to the ShamWow!?

Vince: Well, I thought, ‘Why am I messing around with this young, male demographic when I can probably do something a little more mainstream.’ I had sold products in flea markets before and I thought a cleaning product would be a good idea. So, in 2006, I came up with the ShamWow! I had seen this type of product at fairs, but it wasn’t well marketed. And from there, I went to this factory in Germany that made them for me.

CNBC Darren: How did you come up with the name, ShamWow!? Some people think it would be risky to put “Sham” in the title of an infomercial product?

Vince: Well, I thought it was like a chamois, like the real leather one. My first name was “Sham It Up!,” but I didn’t really like that one. “Shamit” was taken. And then I realized that whenever I demonstrated the product people would say “Wow every time. So I thought of the ShamWow! And then added the line, “You say ‘wow’ every time.’

CNBC Darren: While we’re on the subject of lines, where did you get, “You following me, camera guy?”

Vince: I know it comes out funny, but we were filming during three different weekends in the summer of 2007 in Glendale Studios in California and I had just met the cameraman. So I was really making sure he was following me.

CNBC Darren: Most people think the funniest line in the commercial is the line where you say, “Made is Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff.” Where did you get that from?

Vince: It is made in Germany and I thought it was funny that no one ever calls attention to products made in that country. Mercedes certainly doesn’t. I’m not saying that I’ve changed things, but all of a sudden I’m hearing companies saying “German engineering.” I never heard that before. To be truthful, not much “engineering” goes into the ShamWow!

CNBC Darren: You came off as more aggressive than nice. I think people like that.

Vince: I’ve been to those flea markets and nice doesn’t get people to stop. People stop when you are aggressive and when you bring them in.

Darren: Your spot is on air all the time. Do people notice you on the streets now?

Vince: Maybe a little bit more, but my hair doesn’t normally look like that. I spiked it up because I was thinking about people falling asleep at 2 a.m. and I needed to wake them up. Plus, I gained 10 pounds.

CNBC Darren: We haven’t talked about winning this contest? What are your thoughts?

Vince: It’s really flattering. I don’t think anyone has done this before. The joke is, you think about all the money that probably went into making the first George Foreman commercials. That ShamWow! commercial was really low budget. That cost us like $20,000 to make.

You can read the rest of the interview on the CNBC.com site

Vince, we would love to do an interview with you too! Come on, show a little love for your biggest fans and contact us!

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1. Vince Offer and ShamWow Win Best “As Seen On TV” Tournament

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