In 1949, Americans were astonished to see William G. “Papa”Barnard, Vita-Mix’s founder, liquefied whole eggs, whole vegetables, and whole fruits in his powerful stainless-steel whole-food mixer. Barnard, a super-salesman who was also a pioneer in whole-food nutrition and a great salesman, proclaimed Vita-Mix’s healing powers in compelling pitches that got the phones ringing and changed the course of history.
It was common for companies to create shows for the sole purpose of product placement in the early days. The infomercial was a long-form product demonstration. According to the Direct Marketing Association Papa Barnard appeared in the first US infomercial.
Infomercials have advanced a lot, just like Papa Barnard’s Vita-Mix machine. Today’s Vita-Mix5200 is capable of performing the work of 10 kitchen appliance. The blenders can make ice cream and grind whole grains into flour. They also can knead dough and liquefy whole fruits into juice.
Its many functions make it a perfect demonstration tool. Vita-Mix showcases its machines every year at more than 2,000 county fairs in the U.S.
Vita-Mix created its Vita-Mix to preserve Papa Barnard’s spirit. “Pitch Me!” video contest. Video contest. Fans can submit and create videos showing off their VitaMix skills. The Grand Prize is $10,000. Each winner could be the next Vita-Mix TV demonstrationator.
“We think ‘Pitch Me!’ is the perfect way for us to find creative people to reinterpret the Vita-Mix demonstration in their own way.” says Dan Kleps, senior manager at Vita-Mix.
Vita-Mix will vote on the contestants and choose the winner based on creativity, popularity, and overall quality of the video. To promote the contest, highly rated submissions will be broadcast on television. Vita-Mix is giving away $20,000 worth of prizes, including the $10,000 grand award.
Visit this site for more information and to submit a short video. www.vitamixtv.com.
