Lumbar Express

Description: An inflatable back cushion
Main Pitch: "Instant comfort and support where you need it most ... auto-inflates in seconds"
Main Offer: $10 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Watch the spot

Many marketers have been down this road (including Telebrands) with nothing to show for it. At one point, I was logging a flop per year. The most notable recent attempt was Allstar's Backtastic, which came on the heels of its success with Forever Comfy. No dice. It's one of those odd things: Butt cushion? Hit. Back cushion? Bomb. Go figure.

S7 Analysis: One reason back cushions fail is the same reason head cushions (aka pillows) fail: It's hard to make an engaging commercial about people relaxing. If so, this project may overcome that challenge with its magic demo (it auto-inflates), which also signals that the product is different from what people have seen before.

Weekly Round-Up

1. Power Oxide 7. Starring: Brian Fasulo. Marketer: Harvest. Producer: Bluewater. Pitch: "Combines the power of seven essential cleaners into one powerful solution." Comments: Good commercial, but as I explained in my review of My Cleaning Secret, the path to success in this category seems to be avoiding territory already occupied by the mega-brands. This pitch leads with tile and glass, two heavily occupied territories. The 'Swiss Army' pitch (7 in 1) won't help, either. [ss]
 
2. Jacket Pack it Pets. Marketer: Jay at Play. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "It's a jacket. It's a pet." Comments: In my most recent Response column, I made plush toys my No. 2 worst category for DRTV. Case closed, right? Not so fast: The footnote disclaimer on that entry states: "with the notable exception of Jay At Play." This is their only business, so they know how to make it work. Besides, if Janimals is working, then this product (which is essentially a jacket version) should work as well. [ss]
 
3. Magic Mist. Marketer: Will It Launch? Pitch: "All natural 4-in-1 laundry solution that releases wrinkles like magic." Comments: No, it won't launch. As I wrote in my 2012 review of the last attempt at something like this (Quik Press), P&G's Downy Wrinkle Releaser "became hard to find for good reason." Not to repeat myself, but the 'Swiss Army' pitch (4 in 1) won't help, either. [ss]
 
4. My Secret Bra. Starring: Taylor Baldwin. Marketer: Ontel. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "Supports you like a bra should, but lets you wear all those clothes that look so good." Comments: This is a second attempt at a project originally called Strapless Secret, which I reviewed back in March of 2014. Besides the new name, it seems the addition of Taylor is the only change. [ss]
 
5. Mr. Tomato. Pitch: "Grows delicious cherry tomato plants right inside of your water bottle." Comments: This was already tried once under the name Tomato Garden Caps. As that project was a 'fast fail,' it's not hard to predict the future of this project. [ss]
 
6. Pillow Huggers. Pitch: "Turns into the world's most adorable pillow case." Comments: This one isn't from Jay at Play, so ... bomb. I can guess what argument got it the green light: Pillow Pets was a huge hit, so pillow case pets are a sure thing! [ss]

Veggetti Pro

Description: A vegetable slicer
Main Pitch: "The fast, easy way to turn veggies into delicious healthy spaghetti"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one with thin & thick Spiral Blade, recipe guide
Bonus: Ribbon Slicing Blade (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Ontel
Watch the spot

Emson beat Ontel to market with this idea by almost a full year, but they may have been too early. Their version was called the Big Boss Slice-A-Roo. Back then, I thought the product was a great idea for a Veggetti deluxe. I suppose it also makes sense for "pro" strategy, which is what this literally is.

Since I haven't heard anything further about the Emson item, and since Veggetti has clearly won its duel with Skinny Gourmet, Ontel could have this one all to itself. But will it succeed? The higher price point, larger size and greater complexity of the item vs. the original give me cause for doubt.

S7 Analysis: In my original review of Veggetti, I gave the project 2 out of 5 stars. The main reason: I think the veggie spaghetti pitch is not targeted to the mass market. And despite winning it duel and appearing on store shelves (e.g. at Wal-Mart), Veggetti did not make my mid-year True Top Spenders of 2014 list, which may be an indication I was on to something. On the other hand, the buying group is clearly a lot larger than I thought. This test will be a good confirmation either way.

Zigamazoos

Description: Plush toys
Main Pitch: "Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze and they stick out their tongues and make sounds that are fun"
Main Offer: $14.95 for one
Bonus: 2nd one of your choice (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Allstar
Watch the spot

I think I have made it clear in (myriad) past reviews how I feel about anything in the plush-toy category. Just in case, I also recently named it the second worst category for DRTV (see my January column in Response magazine).

With that degree of bias, it's impossible for me to look at a plush toy objectively, so I'm going to leave it at that.

Magic Pens

Description: Special markers
Main Pitch: "Transform regular drawings into magical works of art"
Main Offer: 9 color-changing pens, 9 eraser pens, 2 magic pens
Bonus: Magic blow pen & magic stencil pack (free), free shipping
Brand: Wham-O
Marketer: IdeaVillage
Watch it on iSpot.tv

Markers have a lot of play value, but with so many variations on the market, it's hard to make them seem exciting. That is to say, I see no real 'wow' here that could generate the pester power needed to make this one a success.