The George Foreman Grill initially struggled to gain traction, but a QVC appearance turned it into a cultural phenomenon and a kitchen appliance heavyweight, writes Michael Palan for The Takeout.
During his long and successful boxing career, Foreman lent his winning smile to pitch many products, such as Meineke and Doritos. After retiring from boxing in 1997, he sought to reinvent himself by marketing his own product. He partnered with inventor Michael Boehm and lent his name to an innovative dual-sided grill for the kitchen.
Known today as the George Foreman Grill, the product was manufactured and brought to market by Salton. The grill did not catch on immediately, and sales remained slow until Foreman’s first appearance on the West Chester-based television shopping network.
As he had demonstrated the product, Foreman impulsively picked up the now beautifully grilled burger and took a bite while chatting with the hosts.
The move caused the phone lines to go crazy and the grill to fly off the shelf and into people’s homes.
“It was so spontaneous,” said Salton CEO Leon Dreimann. “It was a real reaction. People saw that he eats what he sells.”
Read more about the evolution of the George Foreman Grill in The Takeout.
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