Grupo Imagem

Grupo Imagem was a Brazilian infomercial company. Its director was David Gurevish[1]
and its communications manager was Iri Catureba.

It became famous for being the pioneer in the direct response model, which was heavily used in the 1990s.[2] Extensive exposure on networks such as Band and Manchete made its infomercials true Brazilian television classics.[3]

The company was specialized in importing infomercial products into Brazil. Likewise, the infomercials came from abroad, and were dubbed into Brazilian Portuguese.[3][4] Products such as Ginsu knives, Vivarina tights, Contour Pillow and Ambervision sunglasses became famous thanks to their television airings.[3] Its phone number, 1406, telemarketing number of the Brazilian postal company (Correios), also became a pop culture symbol,[2] used by the public to call and ask for its products.[4]

History

The company appeared for the first time in 1991, during a commercial break on Jô Soares Onze e Meia, on SBT. At the time, it got a two-minute slot to sell Multicabide.[5]

In 1994, it got a 90-minute overnight slot on Rede Bandeirantes.[5] Grupo Imagem did not reveal how much money it earned, but in 1995, it received 1,700 to 2,100 calls per day.[6] That year, the company had 40 sales points in São Paulo, with a team of 140, com uma equipe de 140 customer service attendants which took turns daily.[7]

The company's method was selling products that worked efficiently.[2] Ginsu knives cut several types of products and had a 52-year warranty.[3][2] Vivarina tights were always shown as a product that never shredded.[2] Another sales tactic was showing that the consumer could want its money back in case the consumer repented buying in up to seven days.[2] It also sold a collection of cassette tapes containing Paulo Coelho's entire books.[2]

In 1995, a commentator told Jornal do Brasil that Ginsu knives are "a cock-and-bull story" and could not cut a coconut.[7]

The company remained active until the early 2000, when its focus shifted to slimming products, such as Celebrity Juice Fast and Fybersan Plus tabs.[8][9] From 2001 to 2003, the company was targeted by 99 lawsuits at São Paulo's Procon.[10]

Grupo Imagem was last known to be active in 2004, when it leased airtime on CNT.[11] Even then, the company faced consumer complaints because of the delay in sending the products.[9][8]

  • Mamonas Assassinas released a song named 1406 (in reference to the phone number used by Grupo Imagem), citing some of its products, such as Ambervision and Ginsu.[12]
  • Another characteristic, that its products led to the end of the problems of the potential consumer, was parodied in Casseta & Planeta, Urgente!, on Rede Globo, with the fictional company Organizações Tabajara.[3]
  • In the opening to Globo's 2019 telenovela Verão 90, there are references to Ginsu and Ambervision.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Jornal do Brasil - Supermercado Eletrônico". Jornal do Brasil. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Televisão aquece vendas". Jornal do Brasil. 24 September 1994. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 CASTRO, THELL DE (20 October 2019). "Nos anos 1990, propagandas toscas na TV vendiam facas com 52 anos de garantia". Notícias da TV (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Folha de S.Paulo - Mas não é só isso - 18/04/2009". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Folha de S.Paulo - Grupo Imagem vende mais de 70 produtos - 8/10/1995". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Folha de S.Paulo - Rede Globo adere às televendas - 8/10/1995". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Muita atenção com importados milagrosos". Jornal do Brasil. 17 September 1995. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Folha de S.Paulo - Cancelamento: Administradora tenta suspender pedido de suco - 31/05/2004". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Folha Online - Cotidiano - Grupo Imagem demora a entregar pedido - 05/01/2004". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Shopping na tevê". ISTOÉ Independente (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 September 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Televisão". Jornal do Brasil. 18 July 2004. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Seus problemas acabaram…disque (011) 1406. | Portal Inteligemcia". web.archive.org. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
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