Hair Club for Men founder Sy Sperling dead at 78
Sperling took $10,000 in credit card debt to open his own salon on Madison Avenue
Hair Club for Men founder Sy Sperling, famous for TV commercials where he proclaimed "I'm not only the Hair Club president but I'm also a client," died in Florida Wednesday. He was 78.
Sperling passed away in Boca Raton, Florida, after a lengthy illness, spokeswoman Terri Lynn said Thursday.
In the late 1960s, Sperling was a balding New York City swimming pool salesman who was growing frustrated with toupees. "If you're dating and going to be having special moments, how do you explain, 'I got to take my hair off now?'" he said.
Hair Club for Men founder Sy Sperling
Using a weaving technique he learned from his hair stylist, Sperling took $10,000 in credit card debt to open his own salon on Madison Avenue, where he perfected a system where a nylon mesh cap was glued to the scalp. The client's remaining hair would grow through it and then hair purchased from women that matched the color was woven into the mesh. The clients would then come in several times a year for adjustments.
Business took off, but had stagnated by the late 1970s. Word of mouth was unreliable as many clients weren't eager to tell their friends they were using a hair-replacement system. He began advertising on television and in 1982, he went national with commercials running 400 times daily on late-night TV. They became so ubiquitous they were spoofed on the "Tonight" show and "Saturday Night Live."
The ads featured before and after photographs of men who used the system, ending with Sperling himself who would proclaim in his slightly stilted and stiff manner, "I'm not only the Hair Club president but I'm also a client." He then held up a photo of himself without his hair. The commercials cost him $12 million annually, but were generating 10,000 calls a month.
The commercials went on to become a cultural phenomenon within the first month of airing, the company says.
By 1991, Hair Club for Men had 40 franchises. Men paid between $2,000 and $3,500 for the system and then $65 for maintenance appointments. Revenue reached $100 million annually.
The company, now referred to as Hair Club, originally offered services to men only but added services for women in 1995 to address female hair loss and thinning.
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Sperling retired in 2000 after selling the company to a private equity firm for $45 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
For years later, the company was sold to the hair care giant, Regis Corporation for $210 million, the outlet reported.
In 2013, Hair Club for Men and Women was sold again for $163.5 million, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Aderans Co. Ltd., the Journal reported. The company is seen as a leading provider of hair loss solutions that encompasses more than 150 locations throughout Asia and Europe.
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To date, Hair Club has helped more than 600,000 men and women restore their hair.
Sperling is survived by his wife, Susan, daughter Shari Sperling, son Andrew Sperling and sister, Rosalie Slute.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.