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But Wait, There's More! Snuggie's Not the Original

Ads set it apart, but it wasn't the first sleeved blanket

By Sarah Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 27, 2009 12:11 PM CST
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(Newser) – Casual observers—meaning late-night TV watchers—probably think the sleeved-blanket craze started with the Snuggie. Easy mistake: The ads showing cultish, cozy Snuggie converts are everywhere, and 4 million have been sold since October, the New York Times reports. But the creator of the Slanket wants to set the record straight. Gary Clegg says he came up with the idea in 1998 and sees the Snuggie as a “cheap knockoff” that “undermines the integrity” of his product.

Clegg started selling Slankets in 2006, and last year he sold $4 million worth. But the rise of the Snuggie shows the power of a strong ad campaign. "Certain products transcend advertising and become an indelible part of popular culture," says the exec whose company markets the Snuggie. As for the original blanket with sleeves: It's not the Slanket after all. The Freedom Blanket hit the market in 2005.

In a monologue about the Snuggie, Jay Leno asked, Why don%u2019t you just put your robe on backwards?%u201D
In a monologue about the Snuggie, Jay Leno asked, "Why don%u2019t you just put your robe on backwards?%u201D   (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)
We were definitely in on the joke, said ad exec Scott Boilen. Do we expect a family to wear these to a football game? No.
"We were definitely in on the joke," said ad exec Scott Boilen. "Do we expect a family to wear these to a football game? No."   (Screen grab from YouTube video)
Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond now carry the Snuggie.
Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond now carry the Snuggie.   (Screen grab from YouTube video)
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It's more than a blanket. It's a movement.   (YouTube)

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Their infomercial is raising general awareness about the product. There’s Cadillac, and there’s Hyundai. - Greg Clegg, Slanket creator

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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Thinker
Feb 27, 2009 1:19 AM CST
WRONG. I had a blanket with sleeves (you could snap them together) in the 70s. You cold also zip it together at the feet if you wanted to. Slankets and Snuggies are ripoffs.

A parody: The WTF Blanket
YouTube

Snuggie's website and ad
getsnuggie.com

The Slanket
theslanket.com

The Freedom Blanket
freedomblanket.com

 
marketing • blankets • television advertising • Snuggie • Slanket

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