Weekly Round-Up

1. Monster Lights. Pitch: "Everyone in the family sleeps through the night when rooms are protected" with these under-bed lights. Comments: This is Underlight for kids -- or 'ground effects' for beds, if you prefer. No clue if kids will find it appealing, but I believe the core pitch for adults (everyone gets to sleep through the night) was a key part of the Dream Lites success story. [ss]
 
2. Draw Jammies. Producer: Concepts. Pitch: "Pajamas you can actually draw on." Comments: I've been pitched a few items like this. My general feeling as a parent of three is that it's a bad idea to encourage kids to draw on things you normally don't want them to draw on. A tip for those who buy this anyway: Hide the Sharpies! [ss]
 
3. EZ Slimming Plate. Pitch: "Looking great starts with ... [this] slimming plate." Comments: This product and its logo are very similar to Skinny Plate (see No. 7 in this Weekly Round-Up). Not sure if any of these products qualify for a duel, but this is actually the third such product tried in recent months (see also Portion Right from the same post). [ss]
 
4. Gemy Pop. Marketer: Hampton. Pitch: "The glittery glam jewelry line you design." Comments: The Website for this project is already down, so I'm going to guess 'fast fail.'. [ss]
 
5. GlowWubble. Pitch: "Looks like a bubble, plays like a ball" and now it's "bright so you can play all night." Comments: A line extension of last year's Wubble Bubble. [ss]
 
6. Lexel. Pitch: "The tough elastic sealant for every job." Comments: Sort of like Flex Shot, but without the uniqueness. Or the 'wow' factor. [ss]
 
7. Secret Twist. Marketer: On Demand. Producer: Hutton-Miller (2014's True Top Producer). Pitch: "The amazing, full-proof super pin that gives you dozens of dazzling hair styles in seconds." Comments: Great spot. This is definitely the right creative approach for selling the core demographic for these products. I especially loved the spokeswoman's delivery and style. Hair accessories are No. 5 on my list of bad categories, but this company has had one of the few recent successes (see Secret Extensions). [ss]
 
8. Smart Skewers. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Producer: Kerrmercials. Pitch: "The fast and easy way to make a fun meal in minutes." Comments: My market research shows that while a sufficient majority of people like kabobs, only about a third of people would eat them frequently if they had the opportunity. That's not enough interest to justify taking up space in a cabinet with this contraption.[ss]
 
9. Snuggle Up Fleece. Pitch: "The world's most comfortable way to spend the day relaxing in your recliner." Comments: I've seen this product before in catalogs, so it must sell well enough, but I don't think it has a shot on TV. The problem isn't nearly painful enough. In fact, the easy chairs in this commercial look pretty darn cozy and comfortable without the fleece cover! [ss]