Or Your Money Back

Alvin Eicoff, king of the late-night television infomercial, explains how to write and produce direct-response TV advertising that pays for itself on the spot — no brand building, no awareness play, just a commercial that must generate a phone call or it is a failure.

Ogilvy listed Or Your Money Back in the "Recommended Reading" appendix of Ogilvy on Advertising. Eicoff represents the purest form of Ogilvy's "We sell — or else" creed: TV advertising where the phone rings or the ad is pulled.

For a founder, Eicoff's approach is a stress test for your offer. If your product cannot be sold in a two-minute infomercial with a money-back guarantee and a toll-free number, your offer may not be compelling enough. The book teaches how to structure an offer that is irresistible on its own terms, without the crutch of brand storytelling.