Aero Slim Grill

Description: A stovetop grill
Main Pitch:"Cuts added fat out and keeps delicious flavor in"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one, Forever Sharp knife (just pay a separate fee)
Brand: Ogreenic
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: The Schwartz Group
Website: www.AeroSlimGrill.com
Prediction: On the fence

This product has been a regular at pitch shows for years. An insider once told me that it always draws a crowd because pitchmen add an extra ingredient to generate a strong, smoky smell. However, until someone revives and popularizes Smell-O-Vision, that won't be replicable on TV.

So what about the rest of the pitch? Back in 2001, a version of this product called Mighty Pro Grill had a decent run in long form. Since then, it has been tried twice in short form -- once by Telebrands in 2009 (Grilltastic) and once by Ontel (Keoku Grill) some time after -- without success. Neither creative was particularly good (the latter being especially bizarre), so adding a top-notch production by the industry leader in food-related DR should improve results considerably.

The addition of the ceramic coating and the Orgreenic brand might also have been helpful, but both are a bit played out these days. All in all, I'm 50/50 on this one because of the creative and the fact that I have always liked this item.

[Spot is also available here.]

Still Chilled

Description: An insulated water bottle
Main Pitch: "Stays colder, longer -- guaranteed!"
Main Offer: $10 for one in black or blue
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Allstar
Producer: Concepts TV
Website: www.StillChilled.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

Allstar's 2006 hit Auto Cool happened to coincide with a summer heatwave. This item could possibly take off the same way in a similar environment. But here in the Northeast, where we are already experiencing winter temps, it just isn't appealing.

In other words, this is one of those items that, if it doesn't work, I would file for re-testing at a more appropriate time.

[Spot is also available here.]

Booty Blanket

Description: A blanket with booties
Main Pitch: "The cozy blanket with booties for your feet"
Main Offer: $14.99 for one in gray, cream or brown
Bonus: 2nd one in same color (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Website: www.BootyBlanket.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

I'm fairly certain this item was one of the many Snuggie wannabes tried during the industry's rush in 2010 to prove there's only room for one and that novelty blankets were not some quirky new category. That said, it's an interesting question whether novelty items can be resurrected at some point in the future -- and that's a hypothesis Telebrands seems determined to continue testing. Their experimentation began at the beginning of this year with Goody Hoody and continues with this item.

I'm doubtful that this concept can ever work again, but I certainly appreciate the opportunity to learn something new for free.

[Spot is also available here.]

Weekly Round-Up

1. Big Mouth Mask. Pitch: "Use anybody's face and you can take their place." Marketer: On Demand. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Comments: Depending on your tastes, this is weird, creepy -- or totally awesome! As much as I love to preach and follow tried-and-true rules, sometimes you have to take a flyer, and this product is unique enough to warrant taking a shot. The online animated version of this idea seems to be popular, so who knows? [ss]
 
2. Cupdini. Pitch: "The never-spill cup holder." Comments: Neat idea, but I don't think this issue is very high on the problem scale. How often do people drive with open containers? [ss]
 
3. Knits Cool. Pitch: "Knit your favorite fashions in minutes." Comments: Are favorite fashions knitted these days? Are young girls at all interested in knitting? Or is this a granny Rainbow Loom that should never have tested? My gut answers are no, no and yes. Knits cool? No knits not. [ss]
 
4. Magic Finder. Pitch: "You'll never lose anything ever again ." Comments: When I first saw this concept on a 'crowdfunding' site, I really liked it. Not sure how well it will do on DRTV, though, given smart phone-related items have a terrible track record. Plus, this customer skews much younger than the average TV buyer. [ss]
 
5. Softa Sofa. Pitch: "Doggie sofa that protects your furniture from hair, dirt, slobber and odors." Comments: As far as I can tell, no pet bed or blanket has ever been deemed a success, and many have been tried (Pet Cave, Bunga Bed, Pet Spread, Better Pet Blanket, Pet Rider & PetZoom Loungee). I also don't see much here to differentiate this from the dozens of similar solutions at retail. [ss]
 
6. StickO. Marketer: Will It Launch. Pitch: "Tiny but powerful universal phone mount ... travels with you everywhere you go." Comments: This is more of a premium than an item, especially with more substantial competitors on the market such as Allstar's GripGo (a rollout) and Emson's Clever Grip (undetermined). [ss]
 
7. ThermoGo. Pitch: "The comfortable heating pad that keeps you ... warm and toasty." Marketer: Edison Nation. Comments: I've had some experience in this category, none of it positive. Telebrands' Therma Scarf and Lenfest's Snap 'N Soothe come to mind. Besides seasonality, this product would really only appeal to someone who spends a lot of time outdoors ... shortly after being somewhere there's a microwave handy. The cold pitch at the end is also strange. I can't think of anyone who'd want a frozen butt? [ss]
 
8. Wonder Watch. Producer: Concepts TV. Pitch: "Extra-large numbers ... makes telling time at a glance fast and easy." Comments: After the success of EZ Eyes, many marketers (including myself) took a hard look at every other large-print gadget that had ever sold well. Some projects even made it to TV (see Clear Call). However, none found success, proving the keyboard was an outlier and not a category. [ss]

Comeback Wrap

Even The Honeymooners love it!

Description: A compression back wrap
Main Pitch: "Helps relieve the pain from stress on your back"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Website: www.ComebackWrap.com
Prediction: On the fence

Give credit to Telebrands for leaving no stone unturned in a category. Despite recently testing Royal Posture (a superior solution to this one) and making several unsuccessful attempts with other back-pain solutions (e.g. Total Posture/Sit Right), they aren't afraid to keep trying.

On the other hand, Telebrands has had success with compression wraps (Ankle Genie) and slimming wraps (Slim Away, a 2011 and 2012 True Top Spender) -- and slimming is the secondary pitch for this item.

It's a long shot, but it's still a shot.

[Spot is also available here.]