Description: A solar-powered outdoor light
Main Pitch: "The wireless self-charging copper light that turns on at night"
Main Offer: $12.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: Kerrmercials
Watch the spot
The copper craze has passed the point of absurdity. I'm a bit embarrassed for our industry, actually. Are we so simplistic in our thinking that we can't separate the core of what makes something a hit from the superficial aspects that obviously had nothing to do with it? Put another way, do people in our business really think that simply adding a word from the brand name of a hit to any old project is going to have a positive impact on its CPO?
I don't mean to single out Telebrands. What happened here is that they tried a product called Solar Top Light in 2012 that didn't roll out. We can assume it was close and maybe just needed something to push it over the edge. It's now four years later, and copper is a huge trend, so they took a shot on a copper version. It's not a brilliant idea, but it's not the dumbest idea I've heard, either.
Besides, the commercial isn't implying this light has the same magical properties as Tommie Copper. Copper is simply the finish, and it's a good look for a light. At minimum, it doesn't hurt the pitch. The same can't always be said of the other copper items I've been reviewing lately. For example, to borrow a quip from a friend, a copper pan just seems like a good way to make your food taste like pennies.
S7 Analysis: Moving past the copper issue, lighting is a tricky category. Whenever I run an S7 analysis on any such item, it tends to fare well -- and this project is no different. Yet I know from the checkered history of the category that it deserves its spot on my 'bad categories' list. I really can't explain the discrepancy. I guess every checklist has its limitations.
