5 Second Fix
Main Pitch: "Fix, fill, repair and seal virtually anything in five seconds or less"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one with case
Bonus: 2nd one with case (free)
Marketer: Ontel
Producer: Hutton-Miller
Watch the spot
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
Previously reviewed on: June 30, 2015 (read it here)
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
Previously reviewed on: June 30, 2015 (read it here)
Rumor had it there was a lot of hype around this item earlier in the year. This triple duel confirms it. I assume the hype was based on two factors: 1) the success of mega-hits such as Mighty Putty and Flex Seal, and 2) the awesomeness of the demo. But there are problems with both of those things.
First, whatever fueled past hits has been hard to repeat.. "Fix, fill, repair and seal" is an interesting way to lay it out as there is really only one hit per verb in modern DR history. To be sure, Phil Swift has line-extended the heck out of Flex Seal (it now comes in 12 colors and in a 'shot'' variety), but that's to be expected with a one-item company. As for Mighty Putty, a 2014 attempt to bring it back was not successful.
Second, TV ruins this product's magic demo as I explained in my earlier review. I'm sure it is absolutely breathtaking in person, but in a commercial it looks like obvious trickery. It's a bit like the difference between watching Penn & Teller do their show live and watching this commercial. The marketers watched the Vegas show. Their prospects will be watching the much less amazing commercial version.
All of that means I don't think this product will survive long enough for this crazy triple duel to matter. Ontel is the best at turning weak TV items into retail hits, so I give them the edge if that's the plan. And if it came down to creative, Hutton-Miller would win. They did the best job selecting everyday demos and solved the 'been there, seen that' problem with some original magic demos that haven't been done before. They even managed to improve the wine glass demo that is in all three spots by actually putting red wine in the glass. It's that attention to small-but-important details that sets the H-M team apart.
That said, it's telling that even they had to resort to visual and sound effects to show that the light is supposed to be doing something.
