From the Pre-Blog Archives
- LE SPA ($19.95) is a spinning shower brush integrated with a European-style shower head. It has an adjustable sprayer, an extendable handle, an internal reservoir for body wash and several different attachments. The offer includes a soft spiral brush, a spinning loofa, a massage head, and a full-body brush. The bonuses are a head with deep tissue massage fingers, a spinning pumice stone and a "power brush" for cleaning bathroom tiles. It's a 10-piece kit in all. They are also selling organic body washes on the back end.
Comments: A better version of Spin Spa, so it's a guaranteed hit, right? Wrong. The big problem with this item is the type of shower head required. Handheld shower heads are common in Europe, but much less common in the United States. That means the market for this product is limited. When installation is required, you've got problems. Spin Spa is battery powered, so it doesn't present that barrier to purchase. The other issue is all the things this item does. It's a lot to cram into two minutes and still have a clear communication. We were pushing it at five! - ROTO DUSTER ($19.99) is a knockoff of Go Duster, the spinning power duster. The bonuses are an extra-long head and a micro-dusting head. Comments: Word is that Go Duster is a hit, so this should follow the normal course of a good knockoff (which it is) and capture a portion of the market.
- SPIN N' SPARKLE ($19.95) is a cordless jewelry cleaning brush that comes with a spray-on cleaning solution. It's designed to restore the luster of rings, necklaces and bracelets. The offer includes a hands-free jewelry holder, a gem polishing cloth and a precious gems care guide. The bonuses are a designer carrying bag and a second brush head. Comments: Winner! This item is mass market, and it solves a problem for women. What's not to like?
- NAILS AR NEW ($19.95) is a nail polish repair formula. It goes on like nail polish and fixes chipped, peeled or otherwise damaged nails. The offer includes a bottle of cuticle oil serum. The bonus is a second bottle of the repair formula, just pay shipping. Comments: Another winner! It solves a real problem: Women pay big bucks to have their nails done, only to ruin them a day later.
- XEN-TAN (Free Trial) is a sunless tanning cream in a tube. Features testimonials from models. The offer is a free trial, just pay S&H. The bonus is a free bottle of tan-extending lotion. Comments: Prediction? Bomb. Yes, it's free. But this item is so common, I don't think people will even find it worth the trouble of picking up the phone and placing an order. Also, the product holds little appeal for older people, the majority of DRTV buyers.
- CORE SCULPTOR (2 pay, $29.95) is an ab roller device. It resists you on the way out, and assists you on the way in. The offer includes a "Slim From Within" eating plan. The bonuses are four workout videos. This is a Sylmark product. Comments: I don't see this on the long-form lists, but I'll assume it's in support of an infomercial at that price point.
- PLATINUM HAND MAGIC ($29.95) is an anti-aging hand cream. The spot claims the cream will restore the youthful appearance of hands in just a few days. The bonus is an upgrade from a 30-day to a 60-day supply. Then they double the offer. This is a Chamonix product. Comments: Interesting idea. Narrow focus. I have no idea how big the problem perception is for this, but they are certainly talking to the right audience. It's a bit pricey for DRTV, too, but the value is there. Might just work.
- CLEAR REVOLUTION (Free Trial) is an acne system. Its point of difference is that it claims "treats all five causes of acne," which they say are excessive oil production, improper cell exfoliation, bacteria growth, irritation and inflammation. The system includes four products: a pore-purifying cleaning foam, exfoliating acne treatment gel, oil-free skin renewal complex and anti-acne spot concentrate. The offer is a free trial, just pay S&H.
Comments: Unlikely to succeed. Proactiv is the 800-lb gorilla in this category. You need a stellar product and smart marketing to compete against it. This product may be stellar, but the marketing isn't smart. For one, they are trying to sell a more complex product in short-form when a long-form is clearly needed to get people to care about the "five causes of acne." - TOPSY TURVY ($14.99) is a hanging tomato planter that grows tomatoes upside-down. The pitch is that because the planter is upside down, "water and nutrients pour directly from the root to the fruit." Can also grow cucumbers, peppers, etc. The offer includes a recipe guide. The bonus is a device that holds a tomato while you slice it.
Comments: Cool item, but it's unlikely to succeed. Besides being seasonal, it's a niche item. People who love to grow their own tomatoes, like the older Italians from the tri-state area, may be interested -- if they don't have their own preferred techniques. Everyone else will yawn and change the channel.
