Tova Borgnine, QVC Fete 20th Anniversary

QVC revolutionary Tova Borgnine is marking a rare milestone this year: her 20th anniversary with the multimedia retailer.

Approaching QVC in November 1990, Borgnine said the proposition of selling fragrances on-air was initially met with some skepticism—given the fact that consumers couldn’t smell the scents they’d be purchasing. In breaking new ground, however, Borgnine said her eventual success was due to “passion and belief and the innate internal ability to express a picture through words.”

For giving her her big break, Borgnine credits past QVC execs Darlene Daggett and Doug Briggs, who initially green-lit her project. Twenty years later, Beauty by Tova comprises a core QVC business in the US—as well as in the UK, where Borgnine is celebrating her 15th anniversary this year. In Germany, business thrives on-air despite a language barrier.

“The number of true visionaries that have shaped this industry is a small group—and she’s definitely one of them,” said Allen Burke, director of beauty for QVC. “I also credit her with teaching us that, for our beauty customers, money is an absolutely secondary consideration. She proved that they are not only upscale but have enormously high standards.”

Looking back, Borgnine is perhaps most proud of a FiFi win in 2009 for Retailer of the Year—the first time an individual had been honored alongside a company. Another record-breaking point of achievement: selling 66,000 units of a Today’s Special Value set in the span of just ten hours.

Even today, Borgnine shows no signs of slowing down. March will see the debut of a new fragrance called Tova Turquoisé, and there will be several events later this year to commemorate Borgnine and QVC’s 20-year partnership.

“She continues to inspire us with new concepts and new products,” Burke said. “We’re expecting the next 20 years to be full of surprises.”