May 23, 2014

Weekly Round-Up

  1. Squishy Sand. Marketer: IdeaVillage. Producer: As Seen on Productions. Pitch: "The amazing new kind of sand that's made for playing indoors." Comments: Kid items are unpredictable, but this seems like every child's dream come true. [ss]
    2.  
  2. Rox. Pitch: "The last-lasting ice that won't water down your drink." Comments: Strange commercial. The spot opens with "Americans love cold drinks ..." The way she says it and the way it's shot, it feels like a training video for foreign spies. Then the spot turns scientific with a discussion of surface area and spheres. This was definitely not written by a pro. In any case, this product is really for Scotch drinkers. Trying to make it solve a problem for soda drinkers was necessary, but it won't work. [ss]
    3.  
  3. Fresh'n Crisp. Pitch: "Can dramatically save your produce longer and save you money." Comments: Attempt #432 to repeat the success of Debbie Meyer Green Bag. It has long been clear that the 2007-2008 Allstar hit was an outlier, not a category. Even this particular concept has been tried before: IdeaVillage called it Fridge Balls. [ss]
    4.  
  4. Kidems Wheelsox. Pitch: "Don't cover your ears, cover their wheels." Comments: This is a very narrow problem for a segment of a segment. Prediction: Bomb. [ss]
    5.  
  5. Magic Leash. Pitch: "Gain control of your dog, your pace and your peace of mind." Comments: I like this item and the pitch, but leashes have a terrible track record on DRTV. [ss]
    6.  
  6. Sweda Power Port. Marketer: IdeaVillage. Pitch: "Charge all your portable electronics at the same time, in the same place." Comments: An apparent 'fast fail.' (Link goes to spot.) [ss]
    7.  
  7. Velvet Burst. Pitch: "Infused velvet canvas ... magically releases colors when it comes in contact with water." Comments: I couldn't find a live site for this one (link goes to spot), but that might not mean anything. As for the item: Your guess is as good as mine. [ss]
    8.  
  8. Window Garden. Marketer: Allstar. Pitch: "Grow an indoor garden all year long." Comments: Another apparent 'fast fail.' [ss]
    9.  
  9. Wow Cakes. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Pitch: "Make delicious single-serve cakes in seconds." Comments: Dessert items are more miss than hit, and individual desserts haven't fared well at all. Examples include: My Lil' Piemaker, Cake Cone and Brownie Derby. [ss]

at