Thoughts on "Pitchmen," Episode Two

Thanks to a DVR malfunction, I didn't watch the premier of Pitchmen until it was too late to post about it. (Of course, I should have been at the premier party, to which I was invited, but such is life when you have two small children.) Anyway, I had no such problems last night and in fact caught the second episode of Pitchmen live. Here are my thoughts:

For the second episode in a row, Billy came off looking a bit like a prima donna and/or an egotist. He refused to do demos, complained about Sully having more lines and passed out signed pictures of himself. I've known Billy for a long time, and he's one of the most down-to-earth people in this business, so it's a false characterization. I hope we get to see more of Billy's true nature in future episodes. He is a genuinely nice, humble guy who has one of the smallest egos in the industry (which is full of egos).

This episode also made him look like a chicken again. Last week, he wouldn't let a car run over his hand (Impact Gel demo). This week, he wouldn't let Sully's crew weld him into a box (Dual Saw demo). But that's not the Billy I know, either. I think later episodes will correct this perception. Until then, check out the What Odor commercial or the Mighty Mendit commercial for proof that Billy isn't afraid to do his own stunts!

As for Sully, the best parts of his personality shone through: He was good natured, quick-witted and seemed generally fun to be around. His temper only had a brief cameo during the "time crunch" segment of the Shuffles project, but we've certainly all been there!

On another bright note, the interplay between Billy and Sully is coming off well, in my opinion. You can tell these guys have worked together for a long time and treat each other like brothers, complete with the occasional "family feud." Generally speaking, I also felt the second episode was better than the first, but that might have a lot to do with the Dual Saw (great item) and its inventor, a very sympathetic character. You wanted him to succeed.

Moving on, I think readers of this blog will be most interested in knowing how an industry insider like me views what happens on the show. Do things really go down like that? Is this REAL reality TV? So starting with this post, I'll be commenting each week from that perspective.

Regarding last night, the show created the false impression that a client sees a commercial for the first time at Sully's or Billy's office and is not expected to make any changes. Christen Hagan, the Shuffles inventor, is portrayed as an annoyance because -- on what appears to be her first viewing of the spot -- she thinks it's only 99% right. The Frenchman flies in from abroad to see his Dual Saw infomercial and gives it 100% the first time. In reality, no spot or infomercial is ever 100% the first time, and we use modern technologies like email to review commercials and suggest changes from the comfort of our own offices (even if they're in France). Moreover, "pickup shots" and re-shoots are more the norm than the exception! The experienced clients make just as many changes as the newbies (if not more).

More such insights to follow. Overall, however, my biggest concern about the show has to do with how interesting the DRTV process will be to outsiders. I've spoken to quite a few industry people about this, and they feel the same way. We live and breathe DRTV, yet many of us found the show to be slow in places. How will the average Joe react?

Perhaps he will be riveted when we are bored because this is all new to him. Or maybe he will change the channel. We'll see. I have no gut on this one because I am hopelessly biased. So feel free to post your thoughts, whether you are an insider or an outsider.

Review: Impact Gel

Description: Shoe insert/insole made of a high-impact gel
Main Pitch: "Absorbs more shock and pressure than other insoles"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one insole and insert set
Bonus: Second insole and insert set (just pay separate S&H)
Starring: Billy Mays
Marketer: Impact Gel Corporation
Producer: Sullivan Productions
Website: www.ImpactGel.com
Product (D7) Score: 5 out of 7
Commercial Rating: Good/Excellent

This product was featured in the premier episode of Pitchmen, the new reality show about Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan. Since I'm writing this after that episode aired, and American now knows how it did, I obviously won't be making a prediction. However, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the product and the commercial, two things that will certainly affect where the item ranks on the annual Top 50 charts for this year.

First, the product. It's in a very tough category for DRTV. I've seen many similar items (including ones I worked on) fail miserably. Indeed, I know of no insole-type product that has succeeded on DRTV besides this one. In my opinion, that's because the category is already dominated by major brands. As discussed in a previous posting (see here), crowded categories are a common trap that DRTV entrepreneurs fall into. Sometimes it works out, but most times it does not. The trick is convincing the consumer your 'better than' solution is so much better, they have to have it. That's where the creative comes in.

Sully and Billy did an excellent job establishing the required point of difference using a series of well-conceived "magic demos." This tried-and-true DRTV technique is so powerful, it can often overcome major product shortcomings (such as the crowded category problem). My only criticism pertains to the relevancy of those demos.

The spot doesn't prove the "impact" material does for feet what it does for Billy's hand (or Sully's hand, as the case may be). When it comes to feet, there are no magic demos, nothing to show people this is better than a name-brand insole in a way that really matters. I liked the scene that showed other inserts can break down, but it was a little apples-to-oranges given the main product is a gel insole. The real comparison viewers will make is to Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel insoles (of "Are You Gellin'" fame) and the like. They will rightfully ask: "How is this any better at protecting my feet?" And they won't come up with a good answer.

Review: Handy Valet

Description: Armchair organizer with a built-in tray and light
Main Pitch: "Eliminates clutter and keeps everything you need within easy reach"
Main Offer: $19.95 for one
Bonus: Second one free (just pay separate P&H)
Marketer: Allstar
Producer: Blue Moon Studios
Website: www.HandyValet.com
Product (D7) Score: 6 out of 7
Commercial Rating: Good/Excellent

This product has a lot going for it. It has mass appeal, solves quite a few everyday problems and is the right kind of item for the DRTV market. Its only shortcomings are that it's not super-exciting (no magic demo here), and it may not be different enough from all the low-cost, similar items already in catalogs (e.g. this one for $14.98 in the Get Organized! catalog). The light is a smart addition, but it might not be compelling enough.

As for the commercial, it's darn-near perfect. The only reason I didn't give it my highest rating is because of the product. Because it wasn't exciting, the commercial didn't have a chance to impress. Technically, however, this is top-notch work from Blue Moon once again.

Pitchmen tell their secrets to Fortune

Billy and Sully continue to do the public-relations thing to promote their new reality show (Pitchmen premiers Wednesday, April 15 at 10 PM EST on Discovery Channel). Their latest PR hit is a comprehensive article in Fortune magazine. Lots of great background stuff on the two industry icons. One of my industry mentors, Dick Wechsler of Lockard & Wechsler Direct, is also quoted.

But the most interesting part of the article is a (mostly accurate, from what I know) summary of the feud that's been brewing between Billy and Vince Offer of ShamWow fame:

As successful as Mays and Sullivan are today, they have plenty of competition. And their fiercest rival at the moment is a new phenom named Vince Offer, the man behind the ShamWow absorbent chamois cloth. Propelled by Offer's goofy charm and funny one-liners ("You followin' me, camera guy?"), the ShamWow ad has become a cultural sensation and YouTube favorite. Since it first aired in the fall of 2007, over five million sets of the absorbent cloths have been sold, says Offer. In a recent poll on CNBC.com, the ShamWow defeated the George Foreman Grill as the best As Seen on TV product of all time. And because Offer is the owner as well as the pitchman, he's making a mint.

Mays, however, dismisses Offer as a Johnny-come-lately who has broken the pitchman code by invading not one but two of his markets. Before the ShamWow came out, Mays starred in an ad for a chamois called the Zorbeez. In addition, Mays sees Offer's Slap Chop vegetable chopper, as a rip-off of a similar product Mays himself previously sold called the Quick Chop. (Never mind that chamois cloths and vegetable choppers have been sold for years.)

"You know what, rip me off once, shame on me," says Mays. "But twice? I'm coming after you and taking back what's mine." Mays has new ads for the Zorbeez and the Original Quick Chop ready to go. After Mays and Offer attended this year's Super Bowl in Tampa Bay as guests in the same suite, Mays went on the Adam Carolla radio show and said that he and Offer had exchanged words. Mays then challenged Offer to a "pitch off."

Offer says he's amused by the grandstanding. A onetime Scientologist and aspiring filmmaker who made a critically reviled gross-out humor flick back in the late '90s called The Underground Comedy Movie, Offer thinks Mays is merely posturing to drive up his ratings. "I got no beef with the guy," he says. "He's just trying to create some drama for his show." The Super Bowl incident? "Never happened," says Offer. "I think we took a picture together."

The article also includes a great video about Billy (sort of a Pitchmen preview), which you can view below.

Billy on Leno

Billy Mays appeared on Jay Leno recently to promote his new reality show (Pitchmen, which premiers Wednesday, April 15 at 10 PM EST on Discovery Channel).

Check him out in a skit with President Obama during the opening monologue and the one-on-one interview after Dana Carvey (with jokes thrown in by Carvey, who shares the couch) on NBC's Web site.

Looks like Billy had a lot of fun!