Ed Valenti

Who is Ed Valenti?

Ed Valenti is, with his partner Barry Becherone, the marketing expert credited with the formation of the infomercial, or "long-form" advertising format.

Dial Media, Inc. founded by the pair in Warwick, RI in 1975 forever changed the way products are sold on television. Valenti's infomercials first aired in the mid-1970s and aimed to sell the Miracle Slicer, Miracle Duster, Miracle Painter and Ginsu knife. The success of the Ginsu campaign led to widespread adoption of the format for a variety of products, including jewelry, cookware, mixing bowls, food storage containers and watches, among others, and eventually led to the formation of Home Shopping Channels QVC and HSN.