It is with great sorrow that Response Magazine, the only independent source for direct marketing, announces the passing of Arthur Schiff. Schiff, 66, died of lung cancer on Aug. 23. He was known by his colleagues for being a pioneer in the direct response industry.
During his 30-year involvement in the industry, Schiff wrote over 1800 commercials and coined the phrase, “But what, there’s more!” Yet with his achieved fame in marketing products, including Igia Hair Removal and Ginsu Knives, he preferred to remain quietly in the background, never seeking publicity.
“Arthur dreamt up the [Ginsu Knives] name in the middle of the night and turned a product that everyone had in their kitchen into a product that everyone wanted and everyone still remembers,” recalled Rob Woodrooffe, a friend of Schiff. “Arthur was an icon, mentor, gentle, humble, respectful individual that made a tremendous contribution to our industry.”
According to industry trade sources, Schiff's commercials generated over two billion dollars in client sales. His famous phrase of “But wait, there’s more!” was celebrated for almost a month by Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, and Saturday Night Live memorialized the phrase in one of their classic skits.
“Arthur was a shy, modest, unassuming, dedicated, creative genius,” said Barbara Zucker. “When Arthur wrote your commercial, he was also there to direct, produce and give you his very best on the set. He was never afraid to challenge a client's thinking if he thought the product's sales would be hurt. He was respected by all who knew him, always displaying an unimpeachable sense of integrity.”
Schiff was nominated by the Electronic Retailing Association for a Life Time Achievement award in the 1990s for his work, and the DMA honored him in 2005 during a retrospective of the best 75 commercials in the history of advertising. With this in mind, one would never know his accomplishments if they spoke to him.
Schiff’s passion for excellence and determination for giving his clients the best possible product lead to him founding his own company, Direct Response Associates almost 25 years ago. He was also a founding member of the National lnfomercial Marketing Association (NIMA), which later became the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA).
Services were held Aug. 27 at the Schlossberg Solomon Chapel, in Canton, Mass. Steve and Sharon Fradkin opened their home to receive visitors after the gravesite services. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund in Arthur's memory is being established. For additional information, please contact Barbara at bfz@dra-commercials.com or Karen Dippolito at DRA's office: 954-564-1800.
