SciMark Report from May Response

Tristar's Genie Hour Glass

My SciMark Report in print for May is now available on the Response Website.

This month I wrote about an IdeaVillage/Tristar duel involving waist-training belts (Miss Belt vs. Genie Hour Glass), Telebrands' Grass Shot and Spark Innovator's Clever Key.

Coming Soon

In the upcoming June issue, I'll be reviewing yet another duel: Emson's Roto Chop vs. Telebrands' Zip Chopper. I'll also share my thoughts on IdeaVillage's The One Cafe.

Spring Cleaning 2015

Now that Memorial Day has passed, it's time for me to get busy cleaning out my closet before spring is over. Fair warning: It has been two years since my last spring cleaning, so some of these items are going to be pretty dusty!

Now, let's see what I have in here ...

• ComfiZip Bra (July 2013). Pitch: "Lift and support without the discomfort of underwire." Comments: This project was later flipped to Tristar and became Genie Zip. [ss]
 
• Digi-Tech (July 2013). Pitch: "Easily convert and share high-quality video." Comments: This was a second attempt at getting 2010's Convert-A-Classic off the ground. [ss]
 
• Engrave-It (June 2013). Pitch: "Easily etches metal, wood, glass, plastic and more." Comments: So dusty, there is now an Engrave-It Pro on the charts! [ss]
 
• Juggle Bubbles (Dec 2013). Pitch: "Amazing bubbles you can catch, pass and juggle." Comments: This one went on to become an Allstar/Lenfest True Top Spender of 2014. [ss]
 
• Kangaroo Keeper Brite (July 2013). Pitch: "Transforms the most cluttered bag into a super-organized bag instantly ... [and] now it lights up." Comments: The original Kangaroo Keeper, a 2010 hit, surprised me. While very similar to IdeaVillage's Purse Brite, a 2005 hit, it sold much better. The one difference was it didn't have a light. This project was an attempt to see if correcting that could relaunch the product. [ss]
 
• Kitty Cushion (Sept 2013). Pitch: "Self-heating cat lounge pad." Comments: This one came out about the same time as my Perfect Pet Mat. [ss]
 
• Mattress Wedge (Sep 2013). Pitch: "Closes the gap between the headboard or wall and any size bed." Comments: Another project that went on to become a True Top Spender of 2014. [ss]
 
• One Second Slicer (July 2014). Pitch: "The all-in-one food preparation station." Comments: This one could have been an "Old Gold?" feature. The original was the Vidalia Chop Wizard (No. 22 on the 2006 and No. 29 on the 2007 JW Annuals). [ss]
 
• Power Tweeze (July 2013). Pitch: "Precise and powerful grip grabs hairs the first time, every time." Comments: Tough category. The only tweezers to roll out in DRTV history were IdeaVillage's Luma Tweeze in 2006. [ss]
 
• Snap Up Shelf (March 2014). Pitch: "Turns any (shower) corner into a shelf in a snap." Comments: This one combined two Old Gold products in an attempt to create a new hit. One was Telebrands' Shelf Master (1999), the other Ontel's Snap Hook (2000-2001). [ss]
 
• TelePurse (Sept 2013). Pitch: "Convenient, fashionable way to hold your essentials." Comments: This test came several years after the Buxton Cell Phone Wallet (2009) and just a few months before Touch Purse (2014). Of the three, the latter was the most successful -- but none of these cell-phone wallets has done particularly well at retail. [ss]
 
• Wig Wag Giggle Ball (May 2014). Pitch: "Interactive toy keeps dogs happy all day as they play." Comments: After a slight renaming to Wobble Wag Giggle Ball, this became another Allstar/Lenfest rollout (currently on the charts). [ss]
 

Dueling Sprinklers

Point Perfect

Main Pitch: "The fully adjustable, flexible sprinkler"
Main Offer: $10 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Lenfest
Watch the spot

Spyder Sprinkler

Main Pitch: "The flexible sprinkler that conserves water"
Main Offer: $14.95 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Eagle Eye
Watch the spot

After revisiting the history of sprinklers for my review of Sprinkler 360 (one flop per marketer per year) I quipped, "I guess it's Emson's turn?" Who knew it was going to be a party this year?

All joking aside, while the look of these products is unique, the pitch isn't much different from the Emson product. Regardless, it's unlikely that any of these will defy the history of the category.

Knee Angel

Description: A compression knee sleeve
Main Pitch: "Seven different zones for soothing relief"
Main Offer: $12.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay P&H), Rolling Knee Massager (free)
Marketer: Ontel
Watch the spot

As I wrote in my review of Telebrands' Zip Knee, this is a terrible time to attempt a non-copper knee brace (or a copper knee brace).

Naming side note: Zip Knee was an attempt to extend the Telebrands' hit Ankle Genie, which was originally called "Ankle Angel." Not sure why Zip Knee wasn't called "Knee Genie," but this product's name would have been the right choice if Telebrands had kept its original name.

S7 Analysis: Once again, the glaring lack of a check mark for the uncrowded criterion overshadows any other pros or cons.

Weekly Round-Up

1. Curl-A-Dog. Pitch: "Make the most incredible-tasting hot dogs you ever had." Comments: My guess is that this one will go the way of Boardwalk Tater Tornado and Happy Hot Dog Man. As I've theorized before, novelty food items don’t work unless someone else has already done the hard work of popularizing the idea. I've never heard of curled hot dogs, but maybe I'm out of touch? [ss]
 
2. Attach-a-Vac. Marketer: Lenfest. Pitch: "Cordless, compact power vac that fits on any broom handle." Comments: This is a unique product but also an odd one. My guess is the broom and Dustbuster in most homes are 'good enough' solutions, and that the line dustpans leave behind is much closer to an itch than a heart attack. [ss]
 
3. Cobra Max. Marketer: National Express. Pitch: "Trim your lawn quicker and easier than you've ever done before." Comments: It seems that one of these is attempted every year about this time. Several have been successful, so I guess it's not a bad idea if you can handle a seasonal seller. This one doesn't strike me as particularly exciting, but there must be a chronic frustration with edgers that is fueling all of these attempts. [ss]
 
4. Diamond White. Pitch: "Get dazzling white teeth with polished natural diamonds." Comments: This one enters the epitome of a crowded category with a low-credibility pitch. Looking at recent history, Telebrands' White Light (2005-2006) was totally unique, and IdeaVillage's Finishing Touch Smile (2012) was mostly a retail play. Otherwise, there is nothing to suggest a whitening toothpaste would make a good DR product. [ss]
 
5. Dr. Milano's Washable Potty Pads. Producer: Dynamic TV. Pitch: "Keep your pet from having untimely accidents." Comments: This is too soon after Telebrands' Bullseye Pee Pads, a 2014 True Top Spender, to have a shot. In fact, it appears that not even Telebrands can launch a similar product for this reason. [ss]
 
6. Finally Me. Pitch: The "fast, discreet and modern way to deal with an old-fashioned problem (incontinence)." Comments: Reusable adult diapers? Gross! And what an odd choice for DRTV. [ss]
 
7. Hot Straws. Pitch: "The only straw for hot drinks." Comments: I tried to think of one criterion this product meets besides "unique" and came up empty. Speaking of white teeth, the "keep teeth white" pitch is interesting. But seriously: How vain do you have to be to use a straw with your coffee to prevent tooth discoloration? [ss]
 
8. Pinion Pins. Pitch: "Hold comforters and duvets in place." Comments: A solution in search of a problem -- with a perceived-value problem to boot. $19.99 for 8 pins? [ss]
 
9. Twist-A-Plug. Marketer: Allstar. Pitch: "Easily accommodates a variety of plugs and adapters." Comments: An apparent 'fast fail.' NB: This marketer has one of the only successes in this category -- Side Socket, a 2013 True Top Spender. [ss]