June 02, 2011

Weekly Round-Up

Short week, so here are seven more "quick" reviews ...

  1. Cross Toner. Starring: Forbes Riley. Pitch: "Tone and tighten arms, legs, shoulders, chest and more." Comments: I have no feel for this one, but it seems a lot like Telebrands' Flex Shaper, which did not make it past the testing phase. [a]
     
  2. EZ Bagz. Pitch: "The first and only trash-can liner that refills itself." Comments: A weak problem/solution, not to mention that nesting trash bags is something people can do themselves with their favorite brand of bag. This one also runs afoul of the "how do I get more" problem (see my Dropps review). Prediction: Bomb. [a]
     
  3. Mizu Pods. Marketer: Plymouth Direct. Pitch: "The amazing new way to hydrate and decorate all your flowers and plants." Comments: Telebrands tried this last spring, and it apparently failed. Although this is a better commercial, I see no reason why this attempt would succeed. [a]
     
  4. Patch MD. Pitch: "Fall asleep and stay asleep naturally." Comments: I was involved in an attempt to market an oral spray with the same basic ingredient as this topical patch. It was a major failure. I see no reason why a patch would do any better. [a]
     
  5. Sleepy Bees. Pitch: "Neutralizes distracting outside noises while lulling your baby to sleep." Comments: With a primary focus on babies, this one is unlikely to find enough direct buyers to support a DRTV campaign. [a]
     
  6. Sweet Dream Blackberries. Pitch: "Own your own blackberry farm." Comments: I've seen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and now blackberries. Seems like 'segmenting a segment' to me. [a]
     
  7. Torso Ball. Pitch: "Sexy abs in just three minutes a day." Comments: Another odd contraption. Those ab product designers are running out of ideas! [a]