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A blend of the nouns information and entertainment, the noun infotainment has been used since 1980 to designate, especially in television, the practice of presenting serious or instructive subjects in a style designed primarily to be entertaining.
I have, however, discovered that this noun was first coined in the hyphenated form info-tainment in 1937 by Shell Oil Company’s executives to designate informative material presented in an entertaining way at working-meetings (and later at other types of gatherings) organised by that company.
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—Preliminary note: I have found an early occurrence of the variant infortainment in an account of the activities organised by St. Patrick and St. John churches, Brighton—Oceola, published in the Livingston County Republican-Press (Howell, Michigan, USA) of Wednesday 28th November 1934 [page 2, column 7]—this account does not specify the exact meaning of the noun infortainment:
The Patrician Club enjoyed another evening of “infortainment” last week, and the numbers are steadily increasing. It is hoped that the young people of both parishes will all be numbered in its ranks.
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These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences of the hyphenated noun info-tainment that I have found:
—Note: I have transcribed the texts as they were published, including the typographical errors:
1-: From Shell Executives And Salesmen Have Big Show, published in The Lordsburg Liberal (Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA) of Friday 7th May 1937 [page 1, column 8]:
Guests of Nat Gammon of the Hidalgo Hotel at Lordsburg, C. H. Shivvers, division Manager for Shell Oil and party, gave gasoline and oil dealers in this vicinity a two hour motion picture show Wednesday night.
Some thirty people attended the Shell sales show for 1937.
[…]
“The Shell show given Wednesday night” said Shivvers, “is a striking example of the interesting way in which progressive firms now give their sales forces information about sales and advertising plans. “Info-tainment, as Shell executives express it, has replaced long speeches and every laugh conveys serious information more efficiently than statistics do.”
2-: From Shell Oil Holds Meet, published in the San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram (San Luis Obispo, California, USA) of Tuesday 25th May 1937 [page 8, column 4]:
W. P. “Major” Boes, local manager for Shell Oil, played host last night at a meeting of the oil company’s dealers and employees in this area.
Host and guests reviewed two motion picture films entitled “The Shell Sales Show of 1937.” One of the films showed some remarkable lessons in industry, organizing of one’s work, cleanliness, personal appearance, application and progress.
[…]
“The Shell Show,” said Boes, “is a striking example of the interesting way in which progressive firms now give their sales forces information about sales and advertising plans. “Info-tainment” as the company’s executives put it, has replaced long speeches, and every laugh conveys serious information more effectively than statistics do.”
[…]
Similar meetings will be conducted in all Southern California towns, and the troup expects to be on the road for another month.
3, 4 & 5-: From accounts of similar working-meetings organised by Shell Oil Company, published in:
3-: The Santa Maria Daily Times (Santa Maria, California, USA) of Wednesday 26th May 1937 [page 3, column 5].
4-: The Santa Ana Daily Register (Santa Ana, California, USA) of Saturday 29th May 1937 [page 7, column 1].
5-: The San Bernardino Daily Sun (San Bernardino, California, USA) of Thursday 3rd June 1937 [page 10, column 6].
6-: From Shell to Stage Sales “Jubilee”, published in the Evening Vanguard (Venice, California, USA) of Wednesday 2nd February 1938 [page 6, column 4]:
Celebrating a quarter of a century of successful business, the Silver Jubilee sales convention of Shell Oil Company opens February 9th and 10th at the Chinese theater, with an elaborate road show of dramatic novelties portraying the company’s advertising plans for 1938. […]
[…]
The big feature of the convention will be the show at the Chinese theater.
“This is a stream-lined performance you are going to see,” Division Manager R. D. Stetson told 2,000 salesmen and dealers. “We are not going to stuff you with statistics and bore you with long speeches. Instead, we’re going to present an ‘info-tainment’ which is a fast moving revue in true Hollywood style and which, as it goes along, will give you details of Shell’s 1938 sales program.”
The first act will be the unveiling of the world’s largest book, a giant volume twelve feet high, which opens to a width of twenty feet, to reveal Shell’s newspaper, magazine and outdoor advertising specimens for the current year. As the pages are turned and each advertisement is shown, the characters on the page come to life and the advertisement is enacted for the audience.
7-: From an account of the annual Sportsmen’s show, published in The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington, USA) of Tuesday 17th May 1938 [page 6, column 2]:
A novel display entitled “Ten Thousand Years in Ten Minutes,” features the familiar puppets of the Shell Oil company. The exhibit is of an educational nature, which goes back to the days of the saber-tooth tigers, mastadons and pteradactyls. In addition to these prehistoric animals, visitors see a working model of an oil refinery. “Shell’s playlet is info-tainment,” according to B. C. Gibson, division manager for the company, and portrays the history of petroleum from prehistoric times down to the present day. Professor O. J. Elshay explains how oil is produced and a shift of scene shows a refinery making gasoline, motor oils and other modern necessities. Special invitations have been issued to school children.
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