Weekly Round-Up

1. Chair Gym. Pitch: "The easiest and most convenient way to get a total body workout in the comfort of your own home." Comments: Years ago, a similar item called the Resistance Chair gained a little traction, but the price point was high. Perhaps this version of the idea, which is given broader appeal and a front-end friendly $14.95 trial offer, will do better. [ss]  
 
2. Classy Glass. Marketer: Telebrands. Producer: Blue Moon Studios. Pitch: "The stylish new window cover that lets the light in and keeps the world out." Comments: I'm too close to this one to make a prediction, which is why it appears here. [ss]  
 
3. Grime Boss. Pitch: "Tough on grime but gentle on hands." Comments: This appears to be some sort of retail support campaign, so I am posting it here for information purposes only. [ss]  
 
4. Mighty Mouth. Pitch: "The furry dog toy stuffed with tennis balls." Marketer: Telebrands. Comments: Another attempt to determine whether Crazy Critters was an outlier or a category. The last attempt by this marketer, Sling Duck, was a fast fail. I can't see this one doing any better. [ss]  
 
5. Renew It All. Pitch: "Repair holes, rips, tears, gouges, scratches and cigarette burns." Comments: A staple catalog item that's old but hasn't been gold on DRTV in recent years. [ss]  
 
6. Ring So Brite. Pitch: "Now your diamonds can go from dull to dazzling." Producer: Blue Moon Studios. Comments: This is a second attempt at an Allstar item originally called 7 Second Sparkle. [ss]  
 
7. Sofa Sox. Pitch: "The blanket designed with your feet in mind." Comments: This is another second attempt at an Allstar product. Is someone going through their garbage? Anyway, the original was called Toasty Tootsies. [ss]  

Review: Fashion Clips

Description: Clip-on shoe accents
Main Pitch: "Turn one pair of shoes into an entire shoe wardrobe"
Main Offer: $10 for the Classic Ribbon Bow
Bonus: Cream Floral & Elegant Crystal (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: Concepts TV
Website: www.BuyFashionClips.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

This seems like another shot in the dark for Telebrands given that fashion and DR don't usually mix well. It's another 1 in 50 category. For some reason, I'm seeing a lot of attempts in such categories these days.

Review: Super Clean

Description: A foaming cleaner
Main Pitch: "Biodegradable foaming formulas literally eat the grease"
Main Offer: $19.95 for the Kitchen Cleaner, Household Cleaner, Grill Cleaner, Cleaner/Degreaser
Bonus: SuperCloth, free shipping
Website: www.SuperClean.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

This has become a very challenging category for DRTV with close to zero success since the late, great Billy Mays pitched OxiClean. If something as creative as Whip-It isn't rolling out, I don't see how a run-of-the-mill spot like this will go anywhere. The attempt to sell four different products at once won't help matters, either -- although the offer is strong to the point where I can't see them making money on the first sale. Maybe this is just an expensive attempt to gain trial?

Review: Drain Doctor

Description: A drain cleaner
Main Pitch: "Eliminate and prevent clogged drains forever"
Main Offer: $10 for one bottle plus a small bottle of Calc Away
Bonus: Double the offer
Starring: Marc Gill
Marketer: Infusion Brands
Producer: Bluewater Media
Website: www.BuyDrainDoctor.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

This commercial has great demos and, as always, Marc does an excellent job pitching the product. However, I think the category is the killer here. There are just too many similar products on the market, many that have a reputation for tackling tough clogs. Although the marketing team tries to position this product as different (love the seashell demo!), I just don't see people jumping off the couch to buy this.

Also, with the exception of Ontel's Turbo Snake, drain de-clogging products don't have a good track record. Many seem to do well on live shopping, but not on DRTV. Examples of recent failures include: Fast Attack (December 2010), Instant Plumber (June 2011) and Pushover Plunge (November 2011).

Review: Shimmer

Description: Temporary glitter tattoos
Main Pitch: "The professional body art that shines bright day and night"
Main Offer: $14.99 for the starter kit
Bonus: 2 additional colors (free)
Marketer: IdeaVillage
Producer: Concepts TV
Website: www.ShimmerBodyArt.com
Prediction: On the fence

This one is out of my area because the target demographic is kids, and I don't have a good sense of what makes that sub-genre of DRTV tick. That leaves category history. Of the two tattoo items I've seen tested recently -- Kickin' Ink (No. 8) and Hena Tatz -- neither has rolled out. That said, this is much closer to what fairs and carnivals offer, and what kids love, than a fake sleeve or henna. I can see kids pestering their parents for it, and that is always a good thing.