Joe Sugarman

Joseph Sugarman (April 25, 1938 – March 18, 2022) was an American direct marketing entrepreneur, copywriter, and founder of JS&A Group and BluBlocker Corporation. He was known for his work in direct-response advertising, including mail-order marketing, long-form print advertisements, and television infomercials.

Early life and education Joe Sugarman was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and raised in the Chicago area. He attended the University of Miami, where he studied electrical engineering, and later served in the United States Army, including service in West Germany.

JS&A Group and mail-order marketing Sugarman founded JS&A Group in 1971, a mail-order company that marketed consumer electronics and technological novelty products directly to consumers through print advertising.

His company sold emerging consumer technologies including pocket calculators, digital watches, and electronic chess computers.

The dispute received national media attention. United Press International reported that Sugarman publicly criticized the FTC’s actions and undertook advertising campaigns attacking the agency. Time magazine described the case as part of a broader confrontation between the FTC and mail-order firms during that period, noting Sugarman’s public opposition to the agency.

Direct-response television and infomercials Sugarman later expanded into television advertising using direct-response infomercials.

His infomercials frequently featured street interviews, product demonstrations, and conversational presentations combined with toll-free telephone ordering systems, allowing viewers to purchase products directly.

Awards and recognition Sugarman received industry recognition including being named Direct Marketer of the Year in 1979 and receiving the Maxwell Sackheim Award.

Publications Sugarman authored several books on marketing and persuasion, including:

Success Forces (1980) Advertising Secrets of the Written Word (1998) Triggers (1999) The Adweek Copywriting Handbook (2006)

His books have been used as instructional material in marketing and advertising education.

Personal life and death Sugarman lived in Las Vegas, Nevada, in his later years.

He died on March 18, 2022, at the age of 83.