Billy Mays tribute July 9 on Discovery; his commercials return next week

When the world's most visible pitchman dies at the height of his fame, it's the obvious, yet painful question: What to do with all the commercials?

Billy Mays' unexpected death Sunday made that question a serious issue for the direct-response marketing industry's top names. Mays was so successful and widely used -- one tracking firm said he has up to 15 different commercials airing on TV stations across the country at the moment -- that his passing could affect the fate of companies worth many millions of dollars.

According to Bill McAlister, owner of the company that makes Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit household adhesives, more than a dozen marketers who had commercials featuring Mays got together on a conference call organized by his partner Anthony Sullivan Tuesday to discuss the issue,  joined by an attorney representing the pitchman's wife and his adult son. McAlister said the group decided to resume airing his commercials next week, after Mays' funeral and burial near Pittsburgh.

The Discovery Channel has scheduled a full-length tribute to Mays at 9 p.m. July 9, but they also made note of his death during the final episode of the series he and Sullivan filmed for the channel, Pitchmen. Brief memorial messages played leading into and out of commercial breaks during the show, and the last 10 minutes or so served as a short, powerful memorial to the 50-year-old sales dynamo.

Most of the show was a surprisingly satisfying wrap-up to the season, featuring Sullivan and Mays facing off in a battle of pitches at a Philadelphia home show. Sparked by a challenge during a radio appearance, the two agree to pitch different products at different booths in a sprawling home show; but Sullivan finds a couple of friends to throw on disguises and disrupt Mays' patter.

Despite the disruption, Mays still earned about 30 percent more money than Sullivan; later segments highlighted how many inventors featured in the series saw their products rack up millions in sales behind Mays' spirited commercial spots.

Mays' son Billy Mays III is also providing regular updates on his activities through his Twitter page while preparing for the tributes to his father and struggling with grief. "Watched the finale surrounded by cousins and friends," he messaged last night. "About two minutes of silence after the tribute at the end..."

Indeed, the show's final minutes may have been the most fitting tribute possible: showing the impact the world's best-known pitchman had on so many lives before the passing of his own.

   Here's a clip from the finale: *

Comments

[Smiley]

Billy had a huge impact on my career, and I made this tribute video for him.
Please enjoy, rate, comments and share this clip. i would love to see comments from Billy mays fans too!
RIP Billy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAtpjqqQQz4

[Cynthia]

I feel so sad for his friends & family..
For at least 30 sec every day i forgot the stress of my day and was mesmerized by his voice and smile..Thank you Billy

[Robert C.Wismar]

I thought Billy Mays as a very very good pitchman and when I heard of his death I had seat down never knew the person and started to cry for his family in my book his the best and not just he was sorry i get upset when a person that I like dies.

[christian clark]

billy mays was my idol he was so full of fun and happiness and generousity and i always wanted to be just like him im 13 by the way and i watched the season finale of pitchmen yesterday and it was inspiring at the end. like they said HE WILL BE MISSED

[Brandon]

I have been a Billy Mays fan ever since my sophmore year of high school and seeing the Oxi Clean spot. Over the years, I have purchased many of the products that he pitched and cannot say that I have been dissappointed with any of them. Particularly the Oxi Clean, Orange Glo, KABOOM! , Mighty Putty and ZORBEES! If you ever need a good laugh, vistit funnyordie.com and search "billy mays at the office"... I am going to miss seeing Billy Mays at any hour of the day and on any channel on tv. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. God bless

[james frahm]

ive seen billy for years pitching many product and probably would have cared less that he died. however after watching every episode of pitchmen on discovery channel you got to know billy the person, the friend, the father, the son . he was larger then life but from what i can tell deep down he was a guy who cared about everyone he worked with. now getting to know him on the show i am deeply sadden that the world lost such a great guy. my heart goes out to his family and to anthony and all the people he worked with . we will never forget you. billy mays no longer here