Description: A chef's knife
Main Pitch: "Made from high-quality steel heated up to 2,000 degrees, then rapidly cooled and infused with Orgreenic non-stick technology"
Main Offer: $19.99 for the 9-inch knife
Bonus: 2nd one, 8-inch Orgeenic fry pan (just pay a separate fee)
Starring: Chef Michael Ferraro
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: The Schwartz Group
Website: www.FireAndIceKnives.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed
As much as I liked Sharpware, I don't like this product. For one thing, it doesn't have the "sharpens itself for life" pitch, which is cool and unique. And unlike AeroKnife, which at least had a visible point of difference built into its design, this looks like a plain-old knife (albeit green in color).
To me, the whole "fire and ice" thing plays like the gimmick it is, and the non-stick claim falls flat because: a) it's a position that has already been taken by the aforementioned AeroKnife, which is currently at retail; and b) this isn't a ceramic knife, so we're left to wonder what "Ogreenic non-stick technology" is supposed to mean.
That said, the commercial was well conceived and executed, and Chef Ferraro is obviously a skilled knife-worker. The demos were pretty standard fare, but it would be a mistake to deviate too far from what has worked so well in the past. Actually, I hadn't seen the coconut demo before which, along with the block-of-ice demo, added "wow" and credibility to the spot.
If not for the product, I might have predicted success for this one as well. One thing is for sure: Telebrands is leaving no room for competition in the knife category.
