Kyoto Kleen
- WACC 21. Pitch: The "blackjack card-counting system card counting system that makes it simple to know what the casinos don't want you to know." Comments: Now, you too can know what it's like to have your thumbs smashed by the mafia in the back room of a casino! Gotta love any spot that opens with, "winner, winner, chicken dinner." [ss]
- Groove Tube. Pitch: "The portable puzzle game with a hidden maze." Comments: Cool puzzle, great spot, but not right for DRTV. [ss]
- HD Vision Zoom-Ins. Marketer: IdeaVillage. Pitch: "The world's first high definition binoculars." Comments: This is an attempted re-boot of Optica 1050, a successful DRTV campaign from a few years back. But putting a popular sunglasses brand on a pair of binoculars doesn't make much sense to me. This is the second such cross-branding attempt by this marketing team in recent history. The first was putting the Finishing Touch brand on a tooth whitener. [ss]
- Joint Mud. Pitch: "Topical relief in 18 minutes." Comments: Proven category (e.g. Super Blue Stuff), and an interesting name. I kind of like the blunt approach. However, this is another one of those 'don't spend the money' type items because the claims always attract scrutiny. [ss]
- Kyoto Kleen. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "The natural way to deodorize your home." Comments: Written by yours truly. [ss]
- Love My Face Pillow. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Pitch: "The original, patented anti-aging pillow." Comments: The pillow category has been hot (Sobakawa, Side Sleeper Pro, Total Pillow), but two pillowcases with this pitch were tried without success. [ss]
- Luggage Jacket. Pitch: "Covered, protected, easy to locate." Comments: I really like this item, but it's not for DRTV. Travel items typically don't work on DRTV because most Americans don't travel enough to need these kinds of solutions. [ss]
- Mental Math. Pitch: "Improve your grades. Astound your friends. Keep your mind sharp." Comments: This one is a bit outside of the model for short form, but I like the concept and pitch a lot. [ss]
- MSA 30X. Pitch: "Lightweight, comfortable and rechargeable sound amplifier." Comments: Terrible brand name. Unattractive product. At least third to market with a me-too solution that's higher-priced than its predecessors (e.g. Emson's Micro Plus). [ss]
- SnoreRx. Pitch: "Sleep more. Snore less." Comments: I've stopped using 'credibility' as a criterion in my product evaluations, but this item's lack thereof is certainly going to be a factor. An adhesive pad that prevents snoring? Give me a break. [ss]
- Thigh Shaper. Pitch: "Smooth your hips, tone your thighs, strengthen your calves and firm your butt." Comments: I've stopped doing full reviews of most fitness products because it's a 1-in-50 category with a lot of activity but little success. That said, I do like the clear comparison this commercial offers to a piece of gym equipment women seem to like. [ss]
- Yoshi Pro. Marketer: IdeaVillage. Pitch: "The new diamond-ceramic coated knives." Comments: IdeaVillage pioneered this strategy, which I call the 'pro strategy,' and has had the most success using it to extend the life of its products. The strategy entails periodically launching 'new and improved' versions of a product, so the retailers have cause to feature it once again. Finishing Touch, now in its 10th year and fifth incarnation, was the first success story. Then came Micro Touch and, later, HD Vision. However, this site is already down, and I think I know why. Yoshi Blade was mostly a value play -- a $60+ ceramic knife for under $20 -- and the novelty of that value has worn off as competitors have entered the category. [ss]
