Weekly Round-Up
- Wonder Case. Pitch: "The ultra-thin phone wallet." Comments: Written by yours truly. This is the first time I tried a "skit" in a DR commercial, and I think it came out pretty darn good. [ss]
- App Ventures. Pitch: "Turn your iPad into a virtual playhouse." Comments: Way outside of my area of expertise, but as a parent I had a lot of questions ... This is the next frontier in DR, though, to be sure. [ss]
- Dream Team Pets. Pitch: "They provide comfort and security for your children." Comments: Uncle! Enough with the plush toys and cutesy jingles! These "pets" don't even do anything interesting like light up your room. [ss]
- Fruitable Creations. Pitch: "Transform affordable, everyday fruit into extraordinary, edible creations." Comments: I always thought it was a good idea to do an at-home version of Edible Arrangements. However, this one is late to market as IdeaVillage's Pop Chef already has a considerable head start. As for the commercial, the forced rhymes and bad puns got old quickly. [ss]
- Hang-A-Bunch. Pitch: "The 6-in-1 hanger that helps reclaim your closet in seconds." Comments: It's only been about three years since Hampton's Wonder Hanger was on the charts, and this solution isn't nearly as exciting. [ss]
- No Slip Mat. Starring: Beau Rials. Marketer: Versatraction. Pitch: "Stop slippin' and start grippin'." Comments: Aqua Rug surprised me and demonstrated that many of the features of this product resonate with DRTV buyers. But there are just so many options at retail. Perhaps these guys have a different model in mind? I do like the approach the creative team used in the opening. Very attention-getting. [ss]
- Rolli Hose. Marketer: Tristar. Pitch: "Just turn the water on and this flexible, flat garden hose instantly expands." Comments: An apparent 'fast fail.' A version of the spot is still here. [ss]
- Shave Bullet. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Pitch: "The quick and easy way to shave your face any place." Comments: I can't see anyone using this product. There are much better travel shavers out there. [ss]
- Sink Shark. Pitch: "The quickest, easiest way to unclog your bathroom drains." Comments: This item reminds me of Ontel's Turbo Snake. Tough category, though. And interestingly, the larger offer actually serves to decrease the perceived value. [ss]
- Sippy RX. Pitch: "Lets you give your child the medicine they need while they sip the drink they love." Comments: Great product! But a narrow market outside of the normal bull's-eye for DRTV. Still, I have seen evidence that products targeting this demo can work (e.g. Gyro Bowl). [ss]
- Squatty Potty. Pitch: "Healthy colon, happy life" (seriously). Comments: A bizarre choice for our medium. I'm going to have to go with my "s**t solutions don't sell" theory here. I think it applies even if you make your commercial super-serious and boring to downplay the topic (which of course is the opposite of what we try to do in DR). [ss]
- Stem Friends. Pitch: "The bendable buddy that's a flower, too." Comments: More cutesy jingles and plush insanity. I can't even finish watching these spots anymore. I think editing the Barney show would be less painful. [ss]
- Thunder Leash. Marketer: Makers of ThunderShirt. Pitch: "Reduces or eliminates leash pulling quickly with no extra equipment or complicated harnesses." Comments: This company appears to be following a different model than the traditional DR one, and I don't see why a product like this wouldn't fit nicely into their line. [ss]