If you can hum the tune “Chi-chi-chi Chia” or know the ditty to “Clap on, clap off,” you have Joe Pedott to thank. Without him, the Chia Pet (a clay figurine that sprouts a coat of herbs), the Clapper (a gadget activated by hand clapping that turns appliances on and off) and other wacky contraptions would have never become such a pervasive part of American pop culture.Though Pedott didn’t invent the products, as many Internet sites claim, he took the obscure items, which were struggling on the shelves, and, through catchy commercials, transformed them into must-have merchandise for consumers in the ’70s and ’80s. Since then, he has pulled off similar feats with other off-the-wall products, from the Chimney Sweeping Log (a log that cleans the fireplace as it burns) to the Ove Glove (a fire- and heat-resistant potholder that can withstand extremely high temperatures). And at his San Francisco-based business, Joseph Enterprises, Pedott, like a Hollywood agent, is still on the lookout for more up-and-coming inventions with star qualities and patent potential.
Photo by Somebody’s….
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