Special effects, celebrities and dramatic plots are the stuff of feature films, but Denver-area video-production companies are increasingly incorporating them in the once-maligned genre of infomercials.
For some, the infomercial market makes up a significant portion of their business.
Littleton-based Moxie Media Group is part of the trend, producing infomercials focused on entertaining and holding viewers’ attention rather than simply enticing them to buy on impulse.
Moxie recently landed a $400,000 contract to produce a recruiting infomercial for New York-based Avon Products Inc., the world’s largest direct vendor of beauty products.
In the production, Deborah Norville, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, interviewed real Avon representatives about how they achieved financial success. The 30-minute paid program also featured commentary from finance expert Suze Orman.
Instead of a cliche infomercial, the production company tries to impart valuable information to the viewer, said Moxie chief executive Mike Schrader.
“Most infomercials ask the audience to take action by calling in and buying; we’re asking them to call and get more information,” he said.
The infomercial aired in April on three channels, including the Oxygen Network, and will continue airing through December, typically in 6 a.m. time slots.
Schrader was originally the executive vice president of BVP Media Inc. in 1994. He took over the company in 2003, renamed it and recruited the core creative team of six employees.
Infomercials account for 25 percent of Schrader’s business.
Denver-based PrimeTime Media also took a different approach for an infomercial it completed in June for ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers.
Bruce Grode, chief executive, called it a “docu-drama” because producers followed two patients before their dental implants, during surgery and after surgery to see what their experience was like.
“And along the way, we are explaining a brand-new technology that’s revolutionary,” Grode said. “So you’re interweaving a story and building the story along so people stay tuned.”
The infomercial is designed to run on network-affiliate channels between 6 and 8 p.m., as well as the usual 1-to-6 a.m. slots.
“In some markets, that half-hour program won the time period as far as audience viewership,” he said.
Infomercials account for 40 percent of PrimeTime Media’s business, while the rest is dedicated to short-form commercials.
He said the cost to produce a 30-minute infomercial ranges from $30,000 to $750,000, depending on location, special effects and the type of film used.
“Lines have blurred now,” Grode said. “Instead of creating an impulse buy, you’re creating an educational opportunity for people who had no idea that the product or service existed.”
Sara Castellanos: 303-954-1381 or scastellanos@denverpost.com
