Buzz
Over the past 20 years, chances are you’ve owned a Snuggie at some point. Whether bought as a joke or for its cozy functionality (and yes, it does keep you warm), over 30 million of these iconic sleeved blankets have been sold since they first hit the market in 2008. While most people know about the quirky infomercial that boosted its popularity, here are 15 lesser-known facts about the Snuggie.
1. THE SNUGGIE WASN’T THE PIONEER OF SLEEVED BLANKETS.
While the Snuggie is the most recognizable name in the world of oversized, full-body blankets—competing with brands like Toasty Wrap and Hoodie-Footie—it wasn’t the first of its kind. That distinction goes to the Slanket, created by Gary Clegg in a University of Maine dorm in 1998 and launched commercially in the early 2000s, predating the Snuggie by several years. In a conversation with The New York Times, Clegg described the Snuggie as a “low-quality imitation” of his Slanket, claiming it “compromises the originality” of his invention.
Scott Boilen, president and CEO of Allstar Marketing Group, the company behind the Snuggie, openly acknowledges they didn’t pioneer the concept. “We’d noticed similar products in catalogs long before the Slanket even existed,” Boilen shared with The New York Times. “We believed that with a creative ad campaign and a competitive price point, it could sell well … Imagine if there were still only one car manufacturer—none of us would be doing very well.”
2. ITS CREATOR DIDN’T EXPECT IT TO BECOME A PHENOMENON.
Boilen himself was surprised by the Snuggie’s rapid and overwhelming success. Its creation was part of a broader strategy, as the company tested 80 products that year. “If we were limited to testing just 50 items, the Snuggie might not have even been considered,” Boilen explained to Yahoo! Finance.
3. THE SNUGGIE’S POPULARITY BENEFITED ITS COMPETITORS TOO.
While the Snuggie grabbed more attention (and inspired numerous parodies), its success also helped its rivals. Between 2008 and 2009, Slanket’s sales more than doubled, jumping from $4.2 million to an estimated $9 million. “Their infomercial has increased overall awareness of the product category,” Clegg noted.
4. ABSURDITY WAS A DELIBERATE PART OF THE MARKETING STRATEGY.
Much like the Clapper and other iconic As Seen on TV items, the Snuggie’s original commercial leveraged its sheer absurdity to capture attention, which quickly turned into sales. This approach was intentional. “There’s an element of silliness to it,” Boilen remarked about the ad. “That’s what grabs people’s interest.”
5. THE COMMERCIAL AIMED TO BUILD PRODUCT AWARENESS, NOT DIRECT SALES.
A lesser-known fact about the As Seen on TV industry is that those exaggerated commercials aren’t primarily designed to drive direct sales. Instead, their purpose is to generate product awareness, encouraging major retailers like Wal-Mart to stock the item. Approximately 95 percent of sales come from these retail channels.
“We could conduct countless focus groups to predict consumer behavior, but when a TV ad airs and someone is motivated to visit a website, call a number, and place an order with their credit card from an unfamiliar company, that’s a strong indicator they’ll also purchase it in stores,” Boilen told BuzzFeed. “Once awareness reaches a certain threshold, retail sales follow.”
6. THE SNUGGIE WAS ALREADY PROFITABLE BEFORE REACHING RETAIL STORES.
Although retail distribution is the endgame for most As Seen on TV products, the Snuggie managed to turn a profit even before appearing on physical store shelves. By February 2009, customers could buy a Snuggie at Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond. In a conversation with The New York Times around that time, Boilen forecasted that “every major retailer” would stock it by the fall season.
7. THE SNUGGIE HALTED SLANKET’S PLANS FOR BIG-BOX RETAIL EXPANSION.
While the overall market for sleeved blankets is vast, the retail landscape operates differently. Clegg, the creator of the Slanket, was poised to introduce his product to major retailers, but those plans stalled when the Snuggie emerged. “In 2008, we were thriving and preparing to pitch to big-box stores that summer,” Clegg explained to American Express OPEN Forum. “However, everything changed in August when Snuggie’s test commercials aired … Initially, I was disheartened, but I realized there was little I could do.” When questioned about pursuing legal action, Clegg dismissed the idea: “It never crossed my mind. Plus, securing a textile patent is notoriously difficult—it’s akin to patenting socks or T-shirts.”
8. ITS ORIGIN MIGHT TRACE BACK TO DR. SEUSS.
Dr. Seuss Wiki
The Snuggie has drawn comparisons to various things; Jay Leno once joked, “Why not just wear your robe backward?” while Ellen DeGeneres quipped, “They should include a pointed hat to complete the wizard look.” However, many believe the Snuggie’s design was inspired by a literary creation: the Thneed from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a versatile fabric that can serve as clothing, a hammock, or even a toothbrush holder.
9. IT WAS AMONG THE FIRST PRODUCTS TO LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESSFULLY.
10. THEY PAIR PERFECTLY WITH BEER.
While Snuggie commercials highlighted its use at home or sporting events, bar enthusiasts quickly embraced it. In 2009, a group of beer-loving Snuggie fans launched the first Snuggie Pub Crawl in Cincinnati, Ohio. This trend caught on, with over 100 similar events taking place in the following years.
11. CONSERVATIVES EMBRACED THEM.
In 2009, Derek Hunter of Americans for Tax Reform—who confessed to purchasing his Snuggie in a less-than-sober state—persuaded several conservative figures, including Andrew Breitbart and Tucker Carlson, to pose in his blue Snuggie. He even got his boss, ATR president Grover Norquist, to join in. The photos were posted to his Facebook group, The Snuggie Cult. “It exploded from there,” Hunter told Politico. “Within an hour, I was flooded with messages from people wanting to see it, try it on, and take pictures in it. I thought, why not make it fun?”
12. OPRAH WAS ALSO A FAN.
Few celebrity endorsements carry as much weight as Oprah Winfrey’s. In March 2009, Snuggie’s “designer” collection—featuring various colors and patterns—received Oprah’s stamp of approval on The Oprah Winfrey Show (with Tyler Perry awkwardly sitting beside her in a zebra-print blanket). True to her style, every audience member went home with one. (You get a Snuggie, you get a Snuggie, everyone gets a Snuggie!)
13. SPORTS FANS TURNED SNUGGIES INTO A COMPETITION.
On March 5, 2010, around 20,000 Cleveland Cavaliers fans dressed in Snuggies attended a game where their team defeated the Detroit Pistons by seven points. The turnout was significant enough to earn a Guinness World Record, but the achievement was short-lived. Just a month later, 43,510 Los Angeles Angels fans wore similar attire, shattering Cleveland’s record.
14. THE “BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE” OFFER WASN’T AS GOOD AS IT SEEMED.
In 2015, Allstar Products Group, the parent company of Snuggie, agreed to pay roughly $8 million to settle claims that customers were misled by a buy one, get one free promotion. “This settlement compensates thousands of consumers nationwide who thought they were getting a fair deal but were instead hit with unexpected fees and extra products,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stated. Customers who signed up for two Snuggies at $19.95 ended up paying nearly double that amount after additional charges.
15. THE REASON FOR THE SNUGGIE’S POPULARITY REMAINS A MYSTERY.
Even its creator can’t pinpoint why the Snuggie became a cultural sensation. “If I understood the secret to its success, we’d have a dozen more products like it,” Boilen remarked. “It simply resonated with people at the right moment.”
