January 06, 2014

Brownie Derby

Description: A hat-shaped brownie maker
Main Pitch: "A perfect deep dish brownie bowl pops out every time"
Main Offer: $10 for 2 plus an idea book
Bonus: 2 more, Springy Scribbler (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: The Schwartz Group
Website: www.BrownieDerby.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

My prediction here is based solely on the fact that DR dessert products don't have a great track record. Many have been tried, and many have failed. Telebrands has one of the few success stories (Bake Pop), but also many forgotten flops.

The biggest DR dessert item in recent history was Allstar's Perfect Brownie, but the similarities to this project end after the word "brownie" (and the involvement of the Schwartz team, which always does excellent work). That surprising hit actually solved a problem with baking brownies. More important, it made a common treat everyone eats. By contrast, this commercial asks consumers to buy two pitches: One selling a new type of dessert and the other selling the product that makes it.

Personally, I think these 'fillable dessert' makers are compelling and might have tried one myself given the opportunity. But even when I think about the category in those narrow terms, I can only come up with flops (e.g. Allstar's Fill 'N Flavor).