George Foreman Grill
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| Inventor | Robert Johnson, Michael Boehm |
|---|---|
| Launch year | 1994 |
| Company | Spectrum Brands |
| Availability | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada |
| George Foreman US, George Foreman UK | |
The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, commonly known as the George Foreman Grill, is an indoor, electrically-heated grill manufactured by Spectrum Brands. It is promoted by former boxing champion George Foreman.
Since its introduction in 1994, over 100 million George Foreman grills have been sold worldwide.[1]
Contents |
History [edit]
The grill was invented by Michael Boehm and Robert Johnson, not George Foreman.[2] The connection between the boxer and the grill came about soon after George Foreman's comeback in 1994, at the age of 45 when he regained the heavyweight world championship. He was well known for eating two burgers before every match, which made him a good candidate for spokesperson for the fat-reducing grill. Boehm pitched the idea to Salton Inc. (as they were known at the time) after Foreman agreed.[3]
The Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine as it became known was promoted with distinctive infomercials which featured Foreman. A combination of his affable personality and the unique features of the product made it an instant success. Such was the popularity of these infomercials that Foreman's famous tagline, "It's so good I put my name on it!",[4] is now part of popular culture. In Asia, the grill is endorsed and promoted by both George Foreman and Jackie Chan.[5]
Design [edit]
The product has a clamshell design which simultaneously grills the top and bottom surfaces, eliminating the need to flip the food.[6] Each grilling surface is indented, angled and covered in a non-stick coating. The objective is to minimize direct contact with the food being grilled so that as much fat as possible can be drained. The drained fat is collected in a removable drip tray clearly showing the amount of fat and grease that has been drained. This concept has been marketed as a way to "knock out the fat," suggesting a more healthy way to cook. In 2006, the George Foreman "Next Grilleration" Health Grill was launched, which features detachable grilling plates for easier cleaning. The George Foreman Grill has gone through several other versions, differing in their control interfaces and design.
Reception [edit]
The worldwide popularity of the George Foreman grill has resulted in sales of over 100 million units since it was first launched, a feat that was achieved in a little over 15 years. Although Foreman has never confirmed exactly how much he has earned from the endorsement, Salton Inc paid him $137 million in 1999 in order to buy out the right to use his name.[7] Previous to that he was being paid about 40% of the profits on each grill sold (earning him $4.5 million a month in payouts at its peak), so it is estimated he has made a total of over $200 million from the endorsement, a sum that is substantially more than he earned as a boxer.[7]
Competition [edit]
The success of the George Foreman Grill spawned a variety of similar celebrity-endorsed products such as the "Evander Holyfield Real Deal Grill" and the "Carl Lewis Health Grill".[8] In the VH1 Show Hogan Knows Best, Hulk Hogan claimed that he was offered the contract for the grill first, but missed his agent's phone call because he was "picking up the kids", and thus missed out on the endorsement. Instead, he endorsed a Hulk Hogan blender, and later the "Hulk Hogan Ultimate Grill".[9][10]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "George Foreman". Thebiographychannel.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "US Patent 5,606,905". Retrieved 2012-10-28.
- ^ Port, David (2009-04-02). "Boost Your Brand — pitching a product". Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "George Foreman brand expands into ready-to-grill snack foods | In-Depth Analysis". Marketing Week. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "George Foreman Grill is the hottest new product in years". Money.cnn.com. November 7, 2000. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ a b "George Foreman: Marketing Champ Of The World". Businessweek. 2004-12-19. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "Hinari CLHG5 Carl Lewis Health Grill: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home". Amazon.co.uk. 2004-08-01. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/online/261775/Hulk-Hogan-v-George-Foreman.html. Missing or empty
|title=(help)[dead link] - ^ "George Forman Grill Article". YourBarbecue.com.
