Some marketers excel at first selling a previously unknown problem to consumers, then offering a previously unseen solution to that problem at one incredibly low price. Such is the case with a new form of blanket known as a Snuggie™. This product incorporates oversized sleeves that allow the wearer to use his or her hands without completely unwrapping the blanket. The blanket can be worn around the house as a robe, although there is no closure device included in the design.
Other benefits of the Snuggie™ include easier access to the telephone or books. Wearers can also enjoy snacks without having to unwrap the entire blanket. The blanket is designed to be one size fits all, due to its extra long length and oversized sleeve openings. The fabric is described as a plush fleece, although it is not as dense as traditional blanket material. The fleece material used in the construction is closer to the thin foamy fleece blankets often found on hotel beds.
The Snuggie™ became a pop culture item following the release and repeated airings of a memorable if somewhat bizarre television commercial. The commercial depicted members of an extended family all enjoying the product’s benefits, from a mother talking on the telephone to a father using his laptop over the blanket. Younger children could be seen reading books or eating snacks while wearing them. At one point, the entire family sits in the bleachers, each wearing a Snuggie™, bearing a more than casual resemblance to cloistered monks in robes.
Because of this ubiquitous and relentlessly upbeat television commercial, the blanket became a target for many social pundits and satirists. One popular video parody overdubs the commercial’s original audio with a new voice-over promoting the Cult of Snuggie™. Others have commented on the product’s questionable sales tactics, since the shipping and handling costs nearly match the price of the product itself. There are also critics who question the need for a product that purportedly solves a non-existent problem.
The Snuggie™ may not be the first of its kind, however. Another inventor successfully marketed a blanket with sleeves called a Slanket™ several years before, but it has a higher retail price and is only marketed through dedicated television shopping networks such as QVC. The success of the Slanket™ most likely encouraged competitors such as the Snuggie™ to enter the niche market of consumers who enjoy the “cloistered monk” school of fashion.