Description: A bag that keeps bananas fresh
Main Pitch: "You'll never have a banana go bad again"
Main Offer: $10 for one bag
Bonus: 2nd bag (just pay processing)
Marketer: Telebrands
Website: www.BuyMonkeyBag.com
Prediction: Bomb
First, let me say that I'm impressed. I would have thought it impossible to create an entire two-minute commercial just about bananas.
Second, I am going to avoid mentioning the 800 lb gorilla in the room (get it?) and just say: There's a fine line between good DRTV cheese and bad DRTV cheese (see Magic Thimble), and this commercial crosses that line. It's hard to identify the exact moment the creative went too far, but I'd have to say it was probably when the ape gave a testimonial.
Third, if it were possible to get past the creative and just evaluate the product on its merits (it's not), I would be just as negative because of the "segement of a segment" problem, and the fact this is roughly 1/16 as useful as a Green Bag. No one has been successful at replicating Debbie Meyer's success, and I don't see how narrowing the uses to one was supposed to buck that trend.
Finally, a note to all DRTV creative people: The phrase "space-age" isn't cool or meaningful anymore. It's been more than four decades since we landed on the moon, and we don't even have a space shuttle program these days. The Space Age is clearly over. I only mention this because way too many DRTV scripts come across my desk with that retro phrase in them.
