Comically Bad 1980 Sauna Suit Commercial Touts Weight Loss The Swedish Way

This ad for a mail order sauna suit may look like a fake commercial, but it's the real deal. Recorded from from a local Chicago TV broadcast on October 8th, 1980, the two minute commercial extols the virtues of weight-loss the Swedish way — without diet pills or strenuous exercise.

Produced on what would appear to a budget of $14.99 (which happens to be what one of these suits would set you back at the time), the commercial shows a couple wearing the air-tight outfits made from "space age fabric" while doing various activities, like jogging (in place), doing housework, gardening (ie: petting a house plant) or "just lounging around."

As a commenter on the Museum of Chicago Television's "Fuzzy Memories TV" YouTube page points out, a version of this suit was featured in a 1983 episode of CHiPs, in which Grossman (Paul Linke) wears one in an ill-conceived attempt to lose weight.

Jed Rosenzweig is the Founder and Publisher of Primetimer.