- Comfi Step. Marketer: Global TV. Pitch: "The incredibly comfortable socks with the shock-absorbing, comfi-gel heel." Comments: Not much to like here, unfortunately. The pitch puts the product too close to the insole category for my liking (see my Copper Step review for more), and socks haven't fared much better (see No Sweat Socks, Bunion Bliss). The jingle is also a questionable choice. Old school! [ss]
- 75th Anniversary Santa Fe Super Chief (Lionel Train) Clock. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "You'll thrill as this super-train speeds around the clock face on the hour while you listen to the sounds of the diesels and the blast of the horn." Comments: Speaking of the Lionel Train Clock ... This has similarities to that 1999-2000 Emson hit, but notice how much information I had to jam into the title and description of this post. Similarly, it's almost 22 seconds (73% of a typical commercial) before this spot is able to explain itself and get to the product. There's just too much information for a TV spot, and that's probably one reason why the Website is already down. [ss]
- Bark Stop. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "Stop your dog's barking the simple, fast & humane way." Comments: An apparent 'fast fail.' Since Telebrands' Bark Off (a 2010 hit), this category has had a mixed history. Emson rolled out with Pet Command (a 2014 True Top Spender), but Ontel's Bark Away flopped the same year. [ss]
- Fuzz Secret. Marketer: Global TV. Producer: Concepts. Pitch: "The amazing 3-in-1 tool for reviving any sweater or fabric." Comments: I've seen this product, and a few like it, several times over the years. The consensus was always that sweater pilling isn't frequent enough or high enough on the problem scale for the project to go forward. Now that someone has gone forward, we'll get to find out if the consensus was wrong. [ss]
- Miracle 360 Planter. Brand: Gardener's Collection. Pitch: "Grows from the top and all around, giving you thick, lush plants." Comments: A truly bizarre creative approach. Sort of like Red Bull meets DRTV. [ss]
- My Anywhere Garden. Brand: Gardener's Collection. Pitch: "The fast, easy way to garden with no digging, no bending, no hassle." Comments: This creative is more traditional, but it's all over the place. It opens with tomatoes, shows flowers in bloom and then goes inside the house. It's as if the marketer were unable to pick a pitch and so decided to try them all at once. [ss]
Special thanks to Dave D. for his help this week.
