Coping with Missed DRTV Opportunities

My latest piece for the ERA blog is now live. This month, I take on the role of psychiatrist and share how I've learned to cope with missed opportunities. Pull up a couch, and click here to read it now.

Sprinkler 360

Description: A sprinkler
Main Pitch: "360-degree range of motion and custom spray patterns that water on target every time"
Main Offer: $19.95 for one
Bonus: EZ Timer (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Emson
Watch the spot

I've tracked one failed sprinkler per year since 2012. The others were: Tristar's Rainbow Mist (2014), Telebrands' Triple Play Sprinkler (2013) and Ontel's Smart Sprinkler (2012). I guess it's Emson's turn?

Incidentally, the Ontel item from 2012 looks quite similar to this item, bonus and all.

S7 Analysis: It's safe to say that DRTV history is showing us this type of product isn't needed. The category is also crowded in the sense there are plenty of 'good enough' sprinkler solutions on the shelf.

Red Shift XT

Description: Sunglasses
Main Pitch: "Tame the haze and glare, so you can clearly see what's there"
Main Offer: $10 for one pair
Bonus: 2nd pair (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Top Dog
Producer: Hutton-Miller
Watch the spot

Sunglasses have a long history of direct-response success, going back to Joe Sugarman's BluBlockers and Telebrands' Ambervision sunglasses, which celebrated 25 years in 2013. IdeaVillage brought the concept back in 2002 and again in 2008, launching a line (HD Vision) that continues selling to this day.

All of the successful sunglasses to date have had yellow (blue-blocking) lenses -- including Top Dog's Night View glasses (a 2014 True Top Spender). IdeaVillage tried to get away from yellow with HD Vision Cristal sunglasses (rose-colored lenses) and HD Vision Computer Eyes (purple lenses), but both were flops. Now comes these red-lens sunglasses. We'll see if that color can buck the trend.

I should also mention the frames: They strike me as more guy-oriented whereas past hits have favored unisex frames for the most part. That may also be a factor here. Speaking of which ...

S7 Analysis: I wonder toward whom this product is targeted? The preponderance of military people and guns in the commercial create the impression that these are primarily shooting glasses (which, incidentally, tend to have light-yellow lenses). However, that focus significantly narrows the market.

Viewer Helper

Description: A free-standing magnifier
Main Pitch: "Guaranteed to enlarge any object up to three times"
Main Offer: $14.99 for one
Bonus: Mini wallet magnifier
Marketer: Hampton
Producer: Concepts
Watch the spot

This is essentially Spark Innovator's Page Brite (a 2010 True Top Spender) with a stand. The bonus is also a previous hit: Telebrands' OWL from 2005. Combining and bringing back two successful items should be a recipe for success. At the very least, it's worth the shot.

S7 Analysis: Based on past history alone, this one meets the criteria. The stand makes it less portable and, perhaps, less needed as a result, but that's a minor issue.

Weekly Round-Up

1. Comfi Step. Marketer: Global TV. Pitch: "The incredibly comfortable socks with the shock-absorbing, comfi-gel heel." Comments: Not much to like here, unfortunately. The pitch puts the product too close to the insole category for my liking (see my Copper Step review for more), and socks haven't fared much better (see No Sweat Socks, Bunion Bliss). The jingle is also a questionable choice. Old school! [ss]
 
2. 75th Anniversary Santa Fe Super Chief (Lionel Train) Clock. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "You'll thrill as this super-train speeds around the clock face on the hour while you listen to the sounds of the diesels and the blast of the horn." Comments: Speaking of the Lionel Train Clock ... This has similarities to that 1999-2000 Emson hit, but notice how much information I had to jam into the title and description of this post. Similarly, it's almost 22 seconds (73% of a typical commercial) before this spot is able to explain itself and get to the product. There's just too much information for a TV spot, and that's probably one reason why the Website is already down. [ss]
 
3. Bark Stop. Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: "Stop your dog's barking the simple, fast & humane way." Comments: An apparent 'fast fail.' Since Telebrands' Bark Off (a 2010 hit), this category has had a mixed history. Emson rolled out with Pet Command (a 2014 True Top Spender), but Ontel's Bark Away flopped the same year. [ss]
 
4. Fuzz Secret. Marketer: Global TV. Producer: Concepts. Pitch: "The amazing 3-in-1 tool for reviving any sweater or fabric." Comments: I've seen this product, and a few like it, several times over the years. The consensus was always that sweater pilling isn't frequent enough or high enough on the problem scale for the project to go forward. Now that someone has gone forward, we'll get to find out if the consensus was wrong. [ss]
 
5. Miracle 360 Planter. Brand: Gardener's Collection. Pitch: "Grows from the top and all around, giving you thick, lush plants." Comments: A truly bizarre creative approach. Sort of like Red Bull meets DRTV. [ss]
 
6. My Anywhere Garden. Brand: Gardener's Collection. Pitch: "The fast, easy way to garden with no digging, no bending, no hassle." Comments: This creative is more traditional, but it's all over the place. It opens with tomatoes, shows flowers in bloom and then goes inside the house. It's as if the marketer were unable to pick a pitch and so decided to try them all at once. [ss]

Special thanks to Dave D. for his help this week.