The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Snuggie TV Technology

Judge rules Snuggies are blankets, not clothes

Author

By Lisa Lacy | n/a

February 20, 2017 | 3 min read

Internet – and Liz Lemon - favorite Snuggie, the self-proclaimed blanket with sleeves, was the subject of a recent US trade court ruling that found the product should be classified as a blanket for tax purposes – and not as a robe or priestly vestment.

Snuggie pic

Snuggie Pic

That’s according to Bloomberg, which reported the court rejected an argument from the Justice Department that Snuggies are clothing and should therefore be subject to higher import taxes.

Bloomberg said the judge found Snuggies don’t have closures and are marketed as blankets. Further, Bloomberg reported the judge rejected the Justice Department’s claim Snuggies were akin to priestly vestments or scholastic robes.

The ruling means that instead of facing a 14.9% import tax rate, Snuggie importers will pay 8.5%, Bloomberg said.

It’s good news for direct response marketing company Allstar Products Group, which distributes Snuggie. In 2015, Allstar agreed to an $8m settlement with the New York Attorney General over deceptive marketing practices.

Snuggie burst on to the As Seen on TV scene in 2009 and, as of 2013, had sold over 30m units and made over $500m. It reportedly aped an earlier product, the Slanket, but the je ne sais quoi of its infomercials caught the attention of cultural luminaries like Ellen, Bill Maher and the hosts of the Today Show and Fox and Friends, as well as Bruce Willis, among others, and the rest is history.

Snuggie TV Technology

More from Snuggie

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +