Dueling Bond Wands

Bondtastic

Main Pitch: "Uses liquid plastic and revolutionary UV light technology to bond and repair about anything"
Main Offer: $10 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Lenfest
Watch the spot

Lazer Bond

Main Pitch: "Liquid plastic that creates a rock solid bond on virtually any surface"
Main Offer: $10 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

From what I understand, this product actually works -- and that presents an interesting dilemma. How do you get people to believe that what looks like an obvious gimmick is actually doing something? Especially when you're using a DRTV format? I can read the viewer's mind, and he'll be thinking something like this:

Nice try, TV guys! Trying to get me to buy plain old Super Glue because you put an LED on the end! How stupid do you think I am? Next you'll tell me LEDs can remove hair or whiten my teeth!

And how would you convince them you're not full of it (this time)? By towing a semi? Lifting a bus? Floating in a boat that used to have a giant hole in it? Been there, seen that!

As it turns out, the Telebrands commercial tries most of that. They lift a pallet of cinder blocks and repair a wake board. Meanwhile, the Lenfest spot skips the over-the-top demos altogether, settling for more common fare. In both spots, the product is used to repair weights and seal fish tanks. Etc. But no demo, whether big or small, comes close to being convincing.

The best attempt to solve the dilemma is actually some clever audio work. In the Telebrands commercial, you can hear the product "tap-tap-tap" as it hits the glue its light has allegedly hardened. Smart technique. But it's a big stretch to go from believing an LED can make glue dry faster to believing it turns a $10 pen into an arc welder.

Damp Stopper

Description: A dehumidifier
Main Pitch: "Keeps dark, damp spaces humidity-free"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

Products like these tend to fail on DRTV because they violate one its central tenets: A good product should be demonstrable -- or at least visually interesting in some way. Like air humidifiers (e.g. Aqua Stone) and air purifiers (e.g. Ionic Maxx), this type of product just sits there. Prospects are asked to buy it and then 'wait and see' if it does anything for them -- in other words, to delay gratification for something they bought on impulse. You can see the problem.

S7 Analysis: Demonstrability is not one of the S7 criteria, but it was one of the criteria on my older lists. Perhaps it's time I brought it back?

Weekly Round-Up

1. Key Ninja. Starring: Justin Credible. Marketer: Vante. Pitch: "Modern-day key organizer that holds up to 12 keys of any size and can extend to fit up to 30." Comments: From the quirky creatives who brought you Wallet Ninja and already tried by Spark Innovators (see Clever Key). I applaud their attempt to create a unique DR style -- or mimic one -- but that style will only appeal to young men (i.e. not the typical TV buyer). Then again, that's probably the right target for this sort of gadget. [ss]
 
2. BoPo Nail Polish. Pitch: "The amazing kid-safe nail polish you brush on and peel off." Comments: With the exception of Hot Designs, this has been a low-success category. Going even younger doesn't seem like a winning strategy. That said, I can see young girls and their moms liking this concept. [ss]
 
3. Bunch O Balloons. Marketer: Zuru Toys. Pitch: "Fill and tie 100 water balloons in just 60 seconds." Comments: The brand version of Balloon Bonanza. [ss]
 
4. Catch A Critter. Producer: Cole Media. Pitch: "Keeps pets occupied and eliminates boredom." Comments: Pet boredom has been used to help pet owners rationalize a DRTV purchase, but I don't think it's strong enough to stand alone as a problem. The closest hit to this product, Crazy Critters, solved a different and more pressing problem for pet owners. [ss]
 
5. Hummingbird Cafe. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Pitch: "The amazing hummingbird feeders that lets you get up close and personal." Comments: A lesser, regional version of My Spy Birdhouse (a 2013 True Top Spender) -- and too soon after that Lenfest hit. [ss]
 
6. Magic Pens. Brand: Wham-O. Pitch: "Transform regular drawings into magical works of art." Comments: This strikes me as an analog toy in a digital world. [ss]

Posture Fix

Description: A posture belt
Main Pitch: "Aligns your spine to help decompress your lower back and relieve pain"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Tristar
Watch the spot

This product is similar to an item Telebrands tested about this time last year. It's called Royal Posture, and I reviewed it in the July 2014 issue of Response. That either makes this a very delayed 'follower' project or a slow-developing duel. (Or is it a re-positioning of the V-Shape Trainer?) Because of the strange way Telebrands sometimes rolls out projects, it's hard to tell.

S7 Analysis: I have never thought poor posture was a big enough problem for a posture-correction device to be a hit. As for back pain, my review of DRTV history when Royal Posture came out indicated even that common problem may not be as big of a gold mine as previously thought -- although the success of Top Dog's BeActive Brace (a 2014 True Top Spender) calls that analysis into question.

Egg Spin

"What the ..?"

Description: An egg gadget
Main Pitch: "Scramble an egg inside the shell"
Main Offer: $10 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

This item was a hot topic toward the beginning of the year. All that buzz all but guaranteed someone was going to test it. But was the hype warranted? On the one hand, it's a highly demonstrable egg item with a magic reveal. On the other hand, it's a Spin Gym that produces a strange-looking yolky egg at a time when many people eat only egg whites (HT: SB).

S7 Analysis: For this product to be needed, it would have to make scrambling an egg easier than using a whisk or fork. After watching this commercial, my feeling is that it may make it harder. Sometimes non-S7 criterion like "wow factor" can trump all logical criteria, but I doubt that will be the case here. The hypothesis I favor is that you can't make everyday food look too weird if you want to be successful. When it comes to eggs, the Rollie EggMaster is a case in point.

Hot Lock Styler

Description: A hair styling tool
Main Pitch: "Style salon-beautiful hair at-home in minutes for body, shine and volume"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: Travel bag
Marketer: Tristar
Watch the spot

My impression of this category is that success requires either an infomercial or a commitment to brand-level advertising budgets. I can't think of a single short-form hit in DRTV history, but please use the comments section to correct me if I'm wrong.

S7 Analysis: The major challenge here is that this category is far from uncrowded. That said, the price point may be attractive enough to at least get some attention.

Weekly Round-Up

1. Get It Hoops. Starring: Dwayne Wade. Marketer: On Demand. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "Turn any room into the ultimate basketball court." Comments: Digital activities that get kids moving are popular as a potential solution for childhood obesity and/or child lethargy in general. That makes this project right on trend, and the addition of a famous basketball star won't hurt, either. From a DR perspective, the creative is excellent but there are potential challenges with the product. A recent basketball project wasn't successful (although a recent soccer project was), and no augmented-reality project has broken through yet. That said, I suspect the plan here goes beyond mere CPOs. [ss]
 
2. Aqua Camel. Starring: Beau Rials. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "The water once and walk away plant-care system." Comments: Allstar's Aqua Globes was a 2008 hit. Since then, Allstar has tried three times to repeat its success with a plant hydration product (see this Aqua Chirps review for the history). No dice. That tells me this concept may be entering Siren territory. That said, I wouldn't underestimate the selling power of this pitch team. [ss]
 
3. Pop-Up Lantern. Marketer: Harvest. Pitch: "The ultimate compact light source." Comments: Nine failed attempts to replicate the success of Olde Brooklyn Lantern and counting (see this review for the history). Even worse, this one has been tried before (see Telebrands' Pocket Lantern). Beware the Siren! [ss]
 
4. Shiwala Magic Mop. Marketer: National Express. Pitch: "Just spray, spin and let the cleaning begin." Comments: Based on its horrible track record over the last several years, I consider floor care a dead DRTV category. I think people may be confused given all the activity surrounding the Hurricane Spin Mop, but that was not a traditional short-form success. [ss]
 
5. Strand Bands. Pitch: "The peel and pull styling strands you weave, knot and braid." Comments: Did Rainbow Loom introduce a lasting trend? Or was it just a passing fad? From what I've seen, it's the latter. That is, Rainbow Loom followers had limited success in the moment and have had no success extending that moment. [ss]

During a Famine, Remember the Feasts

In my newest piece for the ERA blog, I take another shot at pyschiatry and talk about coping with the current media environment.

Click here to read it now.

Mighty Shave

Description: A compact shaver
Main Pitch: "The high performance electric shaver that's smaller than a credit card"
Main Offer: $14.99 for one with free USB adapter
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

The last attempt to sell a compact shaver was Shave Bullet in the summer of 2013. I didn't like the compact shaver pitch then, and I don't like it now. I can't see any guy choosing what amounts to a travel shaver as his preferred way to shave, and the "smart phone of shavers" concept makes even less sense to me.

S7 Analysis: Let's start with the targeted criterion. From my experience with Titanium Turbo back in 2005, I learned that only a minority of men prefer electric shavers to razors, so those who prefer small, portable electric shavers will be an even smaller segment of a segment. Then there's the uncrowded criterion. Titanium Turbo also taught me that even if an electric shaver is successful on TV, it will get lost in a sea of competitive products once it gets to retail.

V-Shape Trainer

Description: A waist-trainer for men
Main Pitch: "Look slim without the gym"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one in black
Bonus:2nd one in gray (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Tristar
Watch the spot

This is the men's version of Genie Hour Glass, which is dueling with IdeaVillage's Miss Belt right now. Reversing the pitch didn't work for Slim Ts (a 2010-2011 hit) -- Slim Tanx didn't make the cut -- and I think the same will be true here. Indeed, one reason Slim Ts worked is because it allowed men not to feel like they were wearing a girdle.

This raises an interesting question: What if someone went beyond merely changing out the talent, or changing pink to black, and re-thought the product? Would a more robust thought-process lead a waist-trainer marketer to come up with a slimming t-shirt for men? Or vice-versa? Is it possible that lack of imagination is causing us to miss opportunities?

S7 Analysis: For guys, not having a v-shaped waist isn't really a problem. Or to reverse that, having a v-shaped waist is an (unrealistic) aspiration for most men. That means this product isn't needed. A way to hide a beer gut is needed, but this product won't be accepted as a solution for the reason mentioned above (it looks like a girdle). Also, waist training as a concept is mis-targeted when aimed at men. They don't read all those celebrity gossip magazines featuring Kardashians that have women convinced this is the latest, must-try trend.

XtraView Mirror

Description: A rearview mirror
Main Pitch: "Gives you a true, 180-degree panoramic view"
Main Offer: $14.95 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Allstar/Lenfest
Producer: Hutton-Miller
Watch the spot

My general take on products like this is 'prevention doesn't sell.' However, most people drive every day, so maybe this pitch will resonate. It's an interesting case study in consumer psychology. Impulse buyers certainly don't go for products that solve possible problems, but maybe that's because the possible problem isn't top of mind. By contrast, people worry about what's lurking in their car's blind spots on a daily basis.

On the other hand, many cars come with blind-spot detection systems these days, so this problem is less of an issue than it once was. Moreover, the DRTV history here is not encouraging. Ontel's Total View did not make the annual charts in 2010, and another side-view mirror product from Tristar that tested back in January (ClearLane Mirror) doesn't seem to be going anywhere, either.

As for the commercial, I love the use of forced perspective in the opening. When the minivan almost backs up over the woman with the shopping cart, it looks huge! That's a clever way to exaggerate the problem.

S7 Analysis: For people who don't have blind-spot tech in their cars, this product could be said to solve a problem (i.e. it's needed) that's literally a pain in the neck. As for the category, my impression is that similar solutions are available at automotive stores, but they are less common than the spot mirrors that have been tried.

Bulb Snatcher

Description: A bulb-changing tool
Main Pitch: "The fastest, easiest, safest way to change a light bulb that's hard to reach"
Main Offer: $14.99 for the system
Bonus: 2nd system (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Tristar
Watch the spot

Once they sell the few one-percenters with cathedral ceilings who change their own bulbs -- as opposed to having someone who does it for them -- what then?

Joking aside, this commercial starts by showing too many perfectly viable solutions to the problem at hand for my liking. You come away thinking this is more of an itch than a heart attack ... which of course it is. I'm guessing changing that high-hat bulb is pretty low on the list of daily struggles for most Americans.

S7 Analysis: Besides mostly appealing to a narrow target (really short people or people with really tall ceilings) and not being needed enough to generate the impulse to buy, this solution may also not be perceived as different enough to get people excited. If I'm right, that's the trifecta as far as S7 product shortcomings are concerned.

Vita-Vein

Description: A 'vanishing lotion'
Main Pitch: "End the embarrassment of unsightly spider veins"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus:2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

This is a complicated pitch with claims that are bound to engender skepticism. Given the audience here, I think the former issue is more likely to hurt the project than the latter. If desperate enough, people will try anything -- and $20 isn't a lot to risk. But confuse people and that interferes with their impulse to buy.

S7 Analysis: This is purposefully targeted toward a segment of a segment. The question is whether that segment has a size and profile similar to Tag Away, or not. What I do know is that such projects have lower-than-average odds of success.

Weekly Round-Up

1. X-Hose Pro Extreme. Starring: Inventor Michael Berardi. Brand: Dap. Pitch: "Sold brass fittings and several major improvements." Comments: The new, new and even more improved version ... I bet people who bought the first versions of these hoses feel like total suckers right about now! As for this commercial, Mr. Berardi tries to be funny and grab attention but is clearly in desperation mode, practically begging prospects not to buy better-selling competitors Pocket Hose and Flex-Able Hose. Good luck with that. In case that doesn't work, he also tries boring the viewer into buying with patent information and a lengthy explanation of his manufacturing process. It's like they ran out of money and decided to use their corporate promotional video to complete this commercial. [ss]
 
2. Pedi Pen. Pitch: "The easy-to-use, instant callus remover." Comments: This product was tried once before under the name PediWow in January of 2010 (see No. 6 in this Weekly Round-Up). Back then, it seemed rudimentary compared to Ped Egg. Today, it seems even more rudimentary compared to Ped Egg Power (and competitors). Timing is critical. [ss]
 
3. Pooch Smooch. Pitch: "A great, convenient way to eliminate the odor-causing bacteria found on your dog's tongue." Comments: There have been several attempts to sell a solution to this problem (Ora Pup, Fresh Licks, Brushy Bowl), none of them successful. In DR, the third time is seldom the charm ... and the fourth time just makes you look uninformed. [ss]
 
4. Super Sipperz. Pitch: "Fun, exciting straws that you can build into any cool shape you imagine." Comments: Love it. Kids try to do this with regular straws. They'll go nuts for this. [ss]