Sleeved blanket
Encyclopedia
A sleeved blanket is a unisex body-length blanket with sleeve
s usually made of fleece
or Velux material. It is similar in design to a bathrobe
that is meant to be worn backwards (i.e., with the opening in the back). The product has been marketed as the Snuggie, Snuggler, Doojo, Toasty Wrap, and Slanket, with varying sizes, colors and qualities of materials but similar basic design.
The "Snuggie" brand itself also became a phenomenon of pop culture
, outselling other brands and being referenced or imitated by many comedian
s or TV shows.
phenomenon, sometimes described humorously as a "cult
".
The product became famous after a direct response
commercial promoting the product was aired. It was featured on television programs like Today where cast and crew donned Snuggie blankets for a segment which was described as looking like a gospel choir. Others have described mass-snuggie wearing as looking like a Harry Potter
convention. The Associated Press
likened it to "...a monk's ensemble in fleece." and proclaimed it the "ultimate kitsch gift". The Snuggie initially sold singly for $14.95, and later in sets of two for $19.95.
The slanket was mentioned in an episode of NBC's 30 Rock
entitled "The Ones." The product has also been ridiculed as a "backwards robe
" or simple reinvention of the coat on radio and television talk shows in the United States. Comparisons have also been made with the Thneed - a highly-promoted, amorphous garment in the Dr Seuss story, The Lorax
.
On January 30, 2009 a group organized a pub crawl
wearing Snuggies in Cincinnati, OH. In the following months they went on to complete over 40 more across the nation. Later, a group organized a Snuggie pub crawl
in Chicago to raise money for an African orphanage, which led to similar sanctioned and independent events throughout the United States. A worker at Americans for Tax Reform
, a conservative think tank
, started the Facebook
page "The Snuggie Cult", and convinced fellow conservatives including Joe the Plumber
, Tucker Carlson
, and Andrew Breitbart
to pose wearing the robes.
The phenomenon resulted in sales of the Snuggie and its rivals that far exceeded their distributors' expectations: more than 4 million Snuggies as of December 2009 and 1 million Slankets as of February, 2009. The phenomenon has even resulted in variations such as Snuggie for Dogs and Snuggie with print - known as the "Custom Snuggie"
Australian radio program Labby, Camilla & Stav on B105
tested the claim that one can wear a Snuggie at sporting events, such as a soccer game, a football game or a basketball game. To test this, Labby and Stav wore Snuggies to a State of Origin
game. The test was successful. They also dressed a statue of Wally Lewis
, which stands in front of Suncorp Stadium
, in a Snuggie live on the air. Security guards found it amusing at first but it was removed shortly after.
In the summer of 2009, the Designer Snuggie was released to the public, as well as the Snuggie for Kids and the Snuggie for Dogs. The Snuggie became especially popular during the 2009 Holiday Season.
On March 5, 2010, at a Cavaliers game, Snuggie wearers broke a world-record for sleeved blanket wearing. Over 22,500 fans wore custom-made, limited edition Cleveland Cavaliers Snuggie blankets for 5 minutes. A Guinness World Records representative was on hand to present the official World Record certificate to KeyBank, the Cavaliers and Snuggie. However in just a little over a month the feat was broken during a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
home game when over 40,000 spectators wore a promotional Hideki Matsui
sleeved blanket for five minutes.
, as well as numerous fan pages on Facebook
. Mockings of the product and its commercial have also been made by comedians such as Jay Leno
, Ellen DeGeneres
, Bill Maher
, Jon Stewart
, Whoopi Goldberg
, and Tim Burton
, as well as website parodies and Lacie and Olivia.
Rock band Weezer
is releasing their own Snuggie blanket, which is available in solid blue with the name "Weezer" on it in white font, as of November 2009. It has been rumored to be called the "Wuggie".
The Slanket was created by Gary Clegg using a sleeping bag and was helped in the creation of his prototype by Ryan Lafayette in Maine in 1998 (before the Snuggie). Clegg's mother made him a blanket with a single sleeve for use in his cold dorm room. Clegg later developed that into the Slanket with two sleeves.
The Snuggie sleeved blanket product has been sold in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It was marketed primarily through a memorable television commercial. As of January 2009, over 20 million of the product had been sold.
Germany markets an electric version of the Snuggie that has a control with four temperature settings.
The company markets the Snuggie via its website and television commercials along with many other as seen on TV products.
The Doojo sleeved blanket is a German product and its first prototype was created in 2005 by Darko Sulentic, a young engineer. Doojo is patented for all European countries and patent pending in North America conditioned by its particular design of a sleeved blanket with integrated gloves. The product obtained already 9 different Design and Innovation Awards and reaches a high popularity rate in Europe. Two additional colorful collections of blankets for babies and kids complete the range.
Another well known variant, the Toasty Wrap, has been sold via infomercials hosted by Montel Williams
as a method for saving on heating costs. However, based on the similarities of the Toasty Wrap's advertising to that of Snuggie, brandfreak.com suggests that it is probable that both brands originate with the same manufacturer.
Other variations are known as the Cuddlee (DealsDirect
), and the Dreamie which is sold in discount and variety stores.
It is sometimes marketed as a "comfy blanket".
In Europe it is becoming popular an italian version called Kanguru with a nice pocket in the middle.
Sleeve
Sleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
s usually made of fleece
Polar fleece
Polar fleece, usually referred to simply as "fleece," is a soft napped insulating synthetic fabric made from Polyethylene terephthalate or other synthetic fibers. One of the first forms was Polar Fleece created in 1979 by Malden Mills, now Polartec LLC., a new, light and strong pile fabric meant...
or Velux material. It is similar in design to a bathrobe
Bathrobe
A bathrobe, dressing gown or housecoat is a robe. A bathrobe is usually made from towelling or other absorbent textile, and may be donned while the wearer's body is wet, serving both as a towel and an informal garment...
that is meant to be worn backwards (i.e., with the opening in the back). The product has been marketed as the Snuggie, Snuggler, Doojo, Toasty Wrap, and Slanket, with varying sizes, colors and qualities of materials but similar basic design.
The "Snuggie" brand itself also became a phenomenon of pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, outselling other brands and being referenced or imitated by many comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s or TV shows.
Popularity
In late 2008 and early 2009 the "Snuggie" brand of sleeved blankets became a pop culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
phenomenon, sometimes described humorously as a "cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
".
The product became famous after a direct response
Direct response marketing
Direct-response marketing is a form of marketing designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer directly...
commercial promoting the product was aired. It was featured on television programs like Today where cast and crew donned Snuggie blankets for a segment which was described as looking like a gospel choir. Others have described mass-snuggie wearing as looking like a Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
convention. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
likened it to "...a monk's ensemble in fleece." and proclaimed it the "ultimate kitsch gift". The Snuggie initially sold singly for $14.95, and later in sets of two for $19.95.
The slanket was mentioned in an episode of NBC's 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
entitled "The Ones." The product has also been ridiculed as a "backwards robe
Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe , borrowed from Old French robe , itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba , and is related to the word rob...
" or simple reinvention of the coat on radio and television talk shows in the United States. Comparisons have also been made with the Thneed - a highly-promoted, amorphous garment in the Dr Seuss story, The Lorax
The Lorax
The Lorax is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. As in most Dr...
.
On January 30, 2009 a group organized a pub crawl
Pub crawl
A pub crawl is the act of one or more people drinking in multiple pubs or bars in a single night, normally walking or busing to each one between drinking.-Origin of the term:...
wearing Snuggies in Cincinnati, OH. In the following months they went on to complete over 40 more across the nation. Later, a group organized a Snuggie pub crawl
Pub crawl
A pub crawl is the act of one or more people drinking in multiple pubs or bars in a single night, normally walking or busing to each one between drinking.-Origin of the term:...
in Chicago to raise money for an African orphanage, which led to similar sanctioned and independent events throughout the United States. A worker at Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
, a conservative think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, started the Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page "The Snuggie Cult", and convinced fellow conservatives including Joe the Plumber
Joe the Plumber
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
, Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
, and Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart is an American publisher, commentator for the Washington Times, author, an occasional guest commentator on various news programs who has served as an editor for the Drudge Report website...
to pose wearing the robes.
The phenomenon resulted in sales of the Snuggie and its rivals that far exceeded their distributors' expectations: more than 4 million Snuggies as of December 2009 and 1 million Slankets as of February, 2009. The phenomenon has even resulted in variations such as Snuggie for Dogs and Snuggie with print - known as the "Custom Snuggie"
Australian radio program Labby, Camilla & Stav on B105
B105 FM
B105 is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting on 105.3 MHz in Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Austereo Radio Network. B105's primary audience is 10 to 24 age group.-History:...
tested the claim that one can wear a Snuggie at sporting events, such as a soccer game, a football game or a basketball game. To test this, Labby and Stav wore Snuggies to a State of Origin
State of Origin
State of Origin is the name used in Australia for one existing sporting event which involves domestic representative teams. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football, and occassionally Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the Australian...
game. The test was successful. They also dressed a statue of Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
, which stands in front of Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
, in a Snuggie live on the air. Security guards found it amusing at first but it was removed shortly after.
In the summer of 2009, the Designer Snuggie was released to the public, as well as the Snuggie for Kids and the Snuggie for Dogs. The Snuggie became especially popular during the 2009 Holiday Season.
On March 5, 2010, at a Cavaliers game, Snuggie wearers broke a world-record for sleeved blanket wearing. Over 22,500 fans wore custom-made, limited edition Cleveland Cavaliers Snuggie blankets for 5 minutes. A Guinness World Records representative was on hand to present the official World Record certificate to KeyBank, the Cavaliers and Snuggie. However in just a little over a month the feat was broken during a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
home game when over 40,000 spectators wore a promotional Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
sleeved blanket for five minutes.
Parodies
Several hundred parodies of the commercial have appeared on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, as well as numerous fan pages on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. Mockings of the product and its commercial have also been made by comedians such as Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
, Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, and Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
, as well as website parodies and Lacie and Olivia.
Rock band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
is releasing their own Snuggie blanket, which is available in solid blue with the name "Weezer" on it in white font, as of November 2009. It has been rumored to be called the "Wuggie".
Commercial variations
The product was first commercialized as the Freedom Blanket.The Slanket was created by Gary Clegg using a sleeping bag and was helped in the creation of his prototype by Ryan Lafayette in Maine in 1998 (before the Snuggie). Clegg's mother made him a blanket with a single sleeve for use in his cold dorm room. Clegg later developed that into the Slanket with two sleeves.
The Snuggie sleeved blanket product has been sold in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It was marketed primarily through a memorable television commercial. As of January 2009, over 20 million of the product had been sold.
Germany markets an electric version of the Snuggie that has a control with four temperature settings.
The company markets the Snuggie via its website and television commercials along with many other as seen on TV products.
The Doojo sleeved blanket is a German product and its first prototype was created in 2005 by Darko Sulentic, a young engineer. Doojo is patented for all European countries and patent pending in North America conditioned by its particular design of a sleeved blanket with integrated gloves. The product obtained already 9 different Design and Innovation Awards and reaches a high popularity rate in Europe. Two additional colorful collections of blankets for babies and kids complete the range.
Another well known variant, the Toasty Wrap, has been sold via infomercials hosted by Montel Williams
Montel Williams
Montel Brian Anthony Williams is an American television personality, radio talk show host and actor. He is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, and more recently as a spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance...
as a method for saving on heating costs. However, based on the similarities of the Toasty Wrap's advertising to that of Snuggie, brandfreak.com suggests that it is probable that both brands originate with the same manufacturer.
Other variations are known as the Cuddlee (DealsDirect
DealsDirect
Deals Direct was started by Paul Greenberg and Michael Rosenbaum in 2004 October. The business evolved out of an eBay retailing operation under the name of Auctionbrokers Australia into a full-fledged online retailer and swiftly grew to become the single largest online-only retailer in Australia...
), and the Dreamie which is sold in discount and variety stores.
It is sometimes marketed as a "comfy blanket".
In Europe it is becoming popular an italian version called Kanguru with a nice pocket in the middle.
See also
- CloakCloakA cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
- RobeRobeA robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe , borrowed from Old French robe , itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba , and is related to the word rob...
- ShawlShawlA shawl is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, that is often folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape...
- BathrobeBathrobeA bathrobe, dressing gown or housecoat is a robe. A bathrobe is usually made from towelling or other absorbent textile, and may be donned while the wearer's body is wet, serving both as a towel and an informal garment...
- BlanketBlanketA blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
- Hospital gownHospital gownA hospital gown, also known as a patient gown, exam gown, johnny shirt or johnny gown, is a short-sleeved, thigh-length garment worn by patients in hospitals and other medical facilities.-Utility:...
- KitschKitschKitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
External links
- Snuggie official website
- Slanket official website
- Snuggie review
- Doojo official website
- Kanguru official website