skip to main |
skip to sidebar
- Windo Bully. Starring: Marc Gill. Marketer: Prime Direct. Pitch: "The all-new universal lock for sliding windows and glass doors." Comments: I can't think of a hit in the home-security category since Telebrands' First Alert in 2004-2005. That said, this device has other applications that might get around the typical shortcomings of a 'fear and prevention' pitch. [ss]
- Slice Right. Marketer: Spark Innovators. Producer: Paddock Productions. Pitch: "The new way to cut and serve watermelon with ease." Comments: Written by yours truly. [ss]
- EZ Tote. Pitch: "The one bag that carries it all." Comments: This is a classic "better than" pitch -- and with a Swiss Army twist. It's supposedly better than a tote, better than an insulated bag, better than a Grab Bag and so on. Only novices think that pitch can work ... or that combining several products into one product designed to please everybody is a viable strategy. [ss]
- The Drib. Pitch: "Keep your clothing clean and pristine." Comments: This is the problem with a top DRTV company doing a coloring book for adults: People lose all sense of perspective and start thinking absurd products like a bib for adults could actually work. [ss]
- Sani Sticks. Marketer: Hampton Direct. Pitch: "Keep your drains clear and odor-free, all year long." Comments: Interesting product concept, but I see too many flaws for this one to do well. For one thing, very few drain-clearing solutions have been successful. You have to go back six years to Ontel's Turbo Snake to find a hit, and before that you have to go back nine years to Bob Villa's Plumber's Secret. For another thing, the 'smelly drain' problem strikes me as highly contrived. Add in that this is something you must use before you have a clog (prevention) and the uncertainty of ordering an item that requires replenishment from an unknown brand, and you can see why I think this one is unlikely to succeed. [ss]
