From the Pre-Blog Archives
- JOSE EBER CURLING IRON (2 pay, $24.95) is a clipless curling iron that claims not to crease or damage hair. The offer includes a lifetime guarantee and three bottles of styling serum. The bonuses are a styling comb and heat-resistant travel case. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This is another "better than" product. Not being someone who uses a curling iron, I can't tell if the "better than" innovation is significant enough to generate the impulse to buy. Does a clipless curling iron solve a common and painful problem? Or do women like their clip curling irons just fine? That's the make-or-break question. Also, this product is quite expensive for short-form DRTV.
- AQUA DOTS ($19.95) are colorful dots that stick together when you spray them with water. The kit comes with 675 dots and a model-making guide. The bonus is 75 glow-in-the-dark dots. Then they offer buy one, get one free. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. The success of Floam will be difficult to replicate. The market for these products is limited to young children and their parents, and the typical DRTV buyer doesn't fit the profile. Plus, the "wacky toy" category is getting crowded on TV lately.
- BLOBBIES ($34.95) are stuffed animals that fold into themselves to form a blob. The offer includes a Blobbie storybook and a CD-ROM with games and music. The bonuses are Blobbie trading cards (think Pokemon) and stickers. Comments: Prediction? Bomb. Add to my Aqua Dots comments the fact that this item is $35, and you have a real long shot.
- CLEAN & SHIELD ($19.95) is a cleaning spray that also protects surfaces from dirt, grime and bacteria. The offer is two bottles with a bonus hand sanitizer and three microfiber clothes. Then they double the offer to four bottles, two hand sanitizers, six microfiber clothes -- and coupons for additional bottles. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. The problem is the commercial lacks credibility. They never really explain how or why it works in a way that's sufficient to overcome the viewer's natural skepticism. Paradoxically, the super-rich offer works against them, compounding the credibility problem. The consumer thinks: They're giving away so much because it probably doesn't work well.
- PROJUVA (Soft Offer/$39.95) is an anti-aging cream that has peptides and collagen to reduce lines and wrinkles. The bonuses are a Night Serum and a ProCollagen Complex. The spokesperson is Kim Alexis. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This is a VERY crowded space. You need something truly breakthrough to move the dial in this category, and I just don't see it here.
- THERMACLEAR (Soft Offer/$99.95) is an acne device that claims to work like laser treatment -- by killing the bacteria that causes certain types of acne. The bonus is a sample kit of skin-care products called ThermaClear Essentials. Comments: Could be a winner. This is a knockoff of Zeno, which I hear is doing well. And it's about $50 cheaper. But will it work on short-form DRTV? On a lead-gen basis, it just might. They'll need a half-hour show to get a payout, though.
- FOLD-A-CART (3 pay, $49.95) is a collapsible wheelbarrow that folds down to 1/3 its size. No bonus. Original Comments: Prediction? Bomb. DRTV is the wrong channel to market this. It doesn't have true mass appeal, and it's very expensive. If they use DRTV as a cheap way to advertise in support of a retail campaign, then it may make sense.
