Alvin Eicoff
Encyclopedia
Alvin Maurey Eicoff was widely recognized as a founder of direct response television
(DRTV) advertising. He helped pioneer the use of “1-800” numbers on television
, along with the phrase “or your money back”. Alvin was a proponent of short-form DRTV, which consisted of 120-second and 60-seconds commercials featuring a 1-800 number and a call to action. Alvin found his own advertising agency
in 1959, A. Eicoff & Company, specializing in short-form DRTV. Due to his significant contributions and accomplishments in the direct response industry, he was elected to the Direct Marketing Association
Hall of Fame and was elected as one of the 50 most influential people in television history by Advertising Age
.
Direct response television
Direct Response Television, or DRTV for short, includes any television advertising that asks consumers to respond directly to the company --- usually either by calling an 800 number or by visiting a web site. This is a form of direct response marketing....
(DRTV) advertising. He helped pioneer the use of “1-800” numbers on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, along with the phrase “or your money back”. Alvin was a proponent of short-form DRTV, which consisted of 120-second and 60-seconds commercials featuring a 1-800 number and a call to action. Alvin found his own advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
in 1959, A. Eicoff & Company, specializing in short-form DRTV. Due to his significant contributions and accomplishments in the direct response industry, he was elected to the Direct Marketing Association
Direct Marketing Association
Direct Marketing Associations are national trade organizations that seek to advance all forms of direct marketing.- International Federation of Direct Marketing Associations :...
Hall of Fame and was elected as one of the 50 most influential people in television history by Advertising Age
Advertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
.
Further reading
- Eicoff, Alvin M. Or Your Money Back (New York, NY: Crown, 1983)
- Eicoff, Alvin M. Direct Marketing Through Broadcast Media (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2000)