Word for a kind of obviously misleading, over-sell

single-word-requests

Do you know those infomercials that present some new product that is supposed to make your life easier, but the demonstrations they give for how hard it was the old way are totally overblown to the point of being inaccurate and comical?

For instance, picture someone drenched in sweat struggling to remove bubble gum from their driveway with a jackhammer in the middle of a hurricane while the neighbor's dog is chewing on their leg - the old way, then a quick spray and wipe with a big smile on a beautiful, sunny day - the new way. The words hokey and gimmicky come to mind, but those don't quite capture it. I'm looking for a word to describe the sales pitches that make you scoff, regardless of the potential efficacy of the product being peddled.

Solution 1:

Perhaps you can term those ads as spurious

spurious (adj.)

not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source

[Dictionary.com]

Usage:

Say what? Remove bubble gum with a quick spray?! Totally spurious!

Update 1

Even absurd will fit the description well.

absurd (adj.)

utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false

[Dictionary.com]

Usage:

Look at all the absurd claims that these tele-marketers are making about the bubble gum removing spray!

Solution 2:

demonstrations they give for how hard it was the old way are totally overblown to the point of being inaccurate and comical?

I would call that hyperbole:

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.—OED

Solution 3:

You could consider using bogus which means the following:

Not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted): Elderly people are being warned to beware of bogus callers following an attempted burglary in Sutton.

[Oxford Online Dictionary]

Or sham might be appropriate: