March 13, 2014

Weekly Round-Up

  1. EZ Clasp. Marketer: SAS Group. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "The magnetic jewelry clasp that attaches to any necklace instantly." Comments: This is another attempt to bring back IdeaVillage's Clever Clasp. I wrote about the first attempt just last week. Old Gold duels are rare, but they happen. The two on my new Old Gold Tracker (which was inspired by that post) are Schticky/Sticky Buddy and Perfect Pancake/Flip Jack. Both were roll-outs, but I suspect both were fueled by the competition as much as consumer response. Let's see what happens here. [ss]
    2.  
  2. Cabinet Brite. Pitch: "The kitchen cabinet restorer that brings your kitchen back to model-home new in no time." Comments: This has been a hit or miss category -- mostly miss. That said, Dutch Glow is sitting atop the Greensheet at this writing, so best-case scenario this project will have strong competition from someone with a big headstart. [ss]
    3.  
  3. Cover Me Cami. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Pitch: "It covers the three B's with ease: Your bust, your belly, your backside." Comments: Covering cracks has been a winning strategy on DRTV, but I think it's too soon after Allstar's Trendy Top for this to be a hit. [ss]
    4.  
  4. Nebraska Slimdown. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "Learn the weight-loss secret that helped thousands." Comments: A 'fast fail.' I'm sure the name didn't help: Nebraska is one of the last places I would associate with the word "slim." [ss]
    5.  
  5. Screen Egg. Pitch: "The amazing dual-action screen cleaner that will effectively and easily clean all your favorite devices." Comments: I don't write "duel" features about lame items that are sure to bomb quickly and disappear forever. But if I did, this one would be pitted against Gwee (No. 3 in last week's round-up). I guess the one good thing about simultaneous tests of a terrible idea is the reason for failure will be unquestionable. [ss]
    6.  
  6. Shed Off. Pitch: "The amazing grooming tool that lets you vacuum hair straight from your pet." Comments: Another 'fast fail.' I chased a similar item for years, but (luckily, it would seem) it failed in the Web-test phase. [ss]
    7.  
  7. Shock Relief. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "Soothe pain away with shock relief electrotherapy." Comments: Not sure where this one was going but, considering the claims, it's probably a blessing it was a 'fast fail.' [ss]

at