Some Thoughts on "Amazing" Billy...

This has been a very, very weird week. 

Ed, Farah and Michael (all who were deeply involved in marketing and advertising) were, on Sunday morning, joined by the Uber-Pitchman, Billy Mays.  I had finished my Sunday morning radio show and went directly to the airport and jumped on a plane headed for Dallas and then on to Charleston.  Once at DFW I was checking Twitter and learned of his death, just a few hours earlier.

What was really odd is that in the June edition of the American Airlines magazine there was an article about Mays...and I had just finished reading it before arriving in Dallas.

Love him or loath him...he was truly amazing (Ah Mayzing!!)...  We liked him. 

For many advertising agency types Billy was like fingernails on a chalkboard.  He wasn't polished, wasn't hip...he just "sold stuff".  And that's why we liked him.  While others would make fun of Billy...he wasn't beyond making fun of himself.  Here is a video of him ordering McDonalds food and being...Billy.  It's a classic. And it was filmed this past April.

In an age when "pitchmen" were thought to be too...old fashioned and not hip...Billy found his mark and was ready to move on to other avenues...  But not now.  So, call us silly...but we'll miss Billy Mays the self taught, self motivated, King of the Pitch.  No more..."But there's more!!"

Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications see our work or contact us at www.InsightCubed.com.  Use Twitter and follow us @MichaelLibbie.