As Seen on PITCHMEN May 27, 2009... Spin Gym. "It doesn't look like you're doing much..." Yes, that is an actual quote from the spot, and pretty much sums it all up. I love this product. Ingenious. I'm just a bit skeptical that it will do much of anything. I guess it probably works as well as the Health Rider that my grandpa bought from an infomercial in the 80's...and I suppose they are, as usual, targeting the couch workout crowd...
If the pricing in the ad is a bit high for you, I've found a way to make your own for cheap. Just use a button and a string, as shown by this 6-year old girl, and pull the string tight to see the button spin. It's fun AND a workout!Unlike the Spin Gym, the button and string gym does NOT promise results, so don't email me to get your $0.05 back! See one unsatisfied customer below, and be warned.
Mighty Blast. Cool. I know, we're only allowed to have one absolute favorite product, and my favorite is still the OUT Instant Stain Remover, but Mighty Blast is pretty darn cool. "Blast away stains from up to 6 feet away!" The product looks pretty simple. Spill something disgusting on your carpet, then grab this 1970's looking aerosol can and spray the stain until it completely disappears. My only question, stolen from the blockbuster infomercial film, "Envy" is "where does the $*#@ go?" In the hugely entertaining film, Va-POOH-Rize makes $*#@ disappear...literally. Mighty Blast makes any stain, not limited to $*@# vanish. I still may ask where it goes, but I really don't care. This product is cool! www.mightyblast.com *
*Legal Disclaimer: Madison Keane, and all affiliates of www.AsSeenOnTVFan.com had absolutely nothing to do with the marketing of Mighty Blast. Additionally, Mighty Blast and all affiliates of said company are not paying Madison Keane in any form. However, if they would like to pay Madison Keane for the great exposure from her honest response, she will most likely return their email request favorably. But no matter what, her opinions expressed herein remain her honest opinions. Mighty Blast rules!
Wearable Towel. Hilarious. Honestly, who could have predicted that the blanket with sleeves would have been the infomercial phenomenon of the decade? With that in mind, I refuse to say that the towel with arm holes won't be a success. However, that won't stop me from saying that the Wearable Towel is a weird idea...and a hilarious ad. The venerable Snuggie is just a backwards robe. I'm sorry to spoil it for you if that wasn't clear to you before, but it's pretty clear unless you've never danced in a backwards robe before. The Wearable Towel is, however, a 100% new idea. There has never been a mass-marketed towel with arm holes before...but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea. See if you can keep up while I explain the complexities behind why the Snuggie is a HUGE success, and the Wearable Towel....well, not so much. Yes, you could wear a bathrobe backwards if you want to keep warm while sitting on the couch and working the remote control, but you wouldn't wear a robe backwards to keep warm. Whereas, you CAN wear a robe after you towel off in the bathroom, and it will provide all the benefits of the Wearable Towel without looking weird. I own a robe, so I won't buy a Wearable Towel. Now for my male audience. If you want to be cool, sexy, fun, exciting and hopelessly interesting, then buy a Wearable Towel and wear it as a toga when you go to the beach. Then, please take pictures of yourself at the beach and send to me. I will gladly share with my thousands of readers to show just how cool you are. http://www.wearabletowel.com/
Pitchmen. On the 5/20 episode of Pitchmen, Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan pitched two tool products head to head. Although, I'm much more of a PedEgg pedicure kind of woman, these two particular tool products are pretty intriguing. As we've seen and learned time and time again, successful infomercial products solve problems that everyday Americans face. The Tool Band-It is basically a HUGE magnet that wraps around your arm like a blood pressure monitor. The goal is to keep all of your tools, nails, screws, and whatever else you use to hang a picture or fix a toilet, always within reach. Kind of like a tool belt, but with magnets. It's got magnets you see! Just be sure to avoid using the Tool Band-It around anything metal like metal framing, ladders, door handles, sharp knives or jewelry... Tool Band-It:
Grab-It. Sadly, I am unable to link their video here, but you can check out the Grab-Itinfomercial at http://www.4grabit.com/. Now This is truly a unique idea! Unless you are a professional carpenter, I guarantee that you have stripped quite a few screws in your day...and if you are a professional carpenter, you have certainly stripped even more screws. The GrabIt simply removes stripped screws. Nuff Said. But if you really want to see what else can be said in a -minute infomercial, check out their website.
Blox. OK. I've said it before, I really like Blox. The demos are incredible! I just saw new talent for Blox on HSN. I say, bring back Jason! He was such a good host...I actually miss him. I'll keep my eyes out for him with other products. I've posted two videos, one with Jason, and one with the new "other" talent. I think you'll agree which one is best...see what a difference the host makes? I can say that because I know that I would be a HORRIBLE host! Enjoy...
Neckline Slimmer. As we age, our necks start to droop...or so I'm told. The same thing happens to our butts, our stomachs, and pretty much the rest of our bodies. We have purchased millions of exercise products and videos to tighten our rears, flex our fronts and to remove our cream filling from our insides. Some work and some don't, but until today, no one has solved the problem of how to slim down our sagging necks. I suppose we could stand to lose some weight, and that would help, but if I want to have a "ripped" neck, there just isn't a simple solution.
Manual workouts can be painful...
Yoga sounds good...but I'm not sure I'm really into it...
Ahhhh...but now there's an easier way to go from this to that (and apparently, the device will help you lose weight all over your face...)
Dot-A-Lot. Some ads are effective because you just can't turn away when they are aired. I like to call these spots "train wrecks..."
...not an original phrase, I know, but it couldn't be more fitting for the new Dot-A-Lot ad. The music and announcer are non-stop, in-your-face and INCREDIBLY ANNOYING! IN FACT, FOR ME, WATCHING THIS AD IS LIKE READING AN EMAIL WRITTEN IN ALL-CAPS...ANNOYING ISN'T IT?!? With all that said, is this really what kids' products are coming to? I remember when I was growing up that I could entertain myself for hours with just a paper and pencil. Sometimes, we couldn't even afford the pencil. But today, there is an endless supply of tools to help aspiring artists begin their careers as soon as they are old enough to wipe their own behinds. Dot-A-Lot clearly makes a lot of dots, but it should receive more praise for making me so dizzy that I couldn't dial the phone to purchase... I don't think I'm alone. When I went to http://www.getdotalot.com/ to check it out, the site is no longer available. Maybe I mistyped the address...I don't know...I'm still a bit dizzy.
Pitchmen. Last night on Billy Mays' and Anthony Sullivan's Pitchmen show in The Discovery Channel, we saw a cute story about Kyle Myhra, a 17-year old boy from Colorado, that won the hearts of Billy and Sully. They took him all over the country to help him pitch his products to TeleBrands, Idea Village and Media Enterprises. A very cute story, and clearly, Billy and Sully were sucked in by the story. The product itself may never make it big, but it's great to see young inventors giving everything they have to chase a dream. And, none of us can predict the hits 100% of the time, so if Billy really gets behind this, it just may work. Kyle holds his own, annd may be a future pitchman himself. Check out this local Colorado news story on Kyle:
Heel Stick. I reviewed the Heel Stick ad in March, 2009. I wasn't singing it's praises, primarily because I REALLY don't like looking at feet...especially in HD! However, according to last night's airing of Pitchmen, the media test for Heel Stick was a success - a 2.5 ratio, or $25,000 in revenue for every $10,000 spent on media. I'm surprised to see that their website isn't showing up early on Google...so I'm hoping the product continues to be successful. I'd love to see more of the Pitchmen ads successful, so here's hoping they start to show up. Check out the ad:
Rapid Lash vs. Hydrolyze Eye Treatment. Once upon a time, there were two infomercials hawking similar products. Similar benefits were promised- "make your eyes prettier...sexier..." Similar pricing was offered. But they couldn't have been more different in the way they were sold to the public. Last week, both products introduced new infomercials. Beautiful eyes, and beautiful women were the intent from both, but the visuals didn't necessarily portray the end result. As I watched the Rapid Lash spot, I couldn't help but focus on the ugly wrinkles on the extreme close-ups. In fact, the wrinkles were so distracting that I didn't manage to see the real difference between the "before" and "after." Their website does a much better job of communicating the benifits.
On the contrary, the Hydrolyze Eye Treatment was expertly executed. Beautiful eyes...beautiful models. If I didn't already have perfect eyes with no wrinkles of my own, which is why I feel so comfortable judging the wrinkles of others, then I would be tempted to buy. When you watch these ads, pay attention to the difference. You can easily predict which will be the hit.
OUT....Wow! I think we've found the new Oxi Clean. Cleaning products have been boring for the past several years, even Billy May's cleaning product ads are much tamer than they used to be. Finally, I found a product that delivers powerful cleaning demos that seem almost too good to be true. OUT Paste (http://www.outpaste.com/) is a brand new product I found this weekend that showcases truly instantaneous stain removal. The difference is that the demos are shown in real time, unlike the questionable before/afters or fancy camera switches ala ShamWow. OUT Paste looks like the real thing. Can it really work this well? I'm eager to hear about your usage experience. I'll certainly be posting mine as soon as I can get my hands on a tube.
Obama Stamps. But not real stamps. "These stamps are for collectible, souvenir and personal usage only. They cannot be used as U.S. postage." This statement is, of course, only in the fine print. This is not a political website, but if it were, I could discuss this new infomercial product in one of two ways...please bear with me:
Liberal website: Today marks a monumental day in the history of this country. 40 years after Martin Luther King and 145 years after the death of Abraham Lincoln, we have an African American man as the leader of the free world. Hope and change. Those are the promises with
which Barack H. Obama inspired our nation during his campaign, and those were the first two promises he kept. In the dire economic situation that our 44th President inherited
from the less capable George W. Bush, Barack gives us hope that things will get better. And hope is exactly what we need to keep us going as we lose our jobs at alarming rates and lose our homes to predatory lenders. Change was announced. Change was discussed. And Change is happening. Finally, we have a House, as Senate and a President that can work together to effect real change. Health Care reform. Equality for all. A change in the way we perceive ourselves and in the way we are perceived in the international community. "Yes, we can" started as a stump speech to inspire us to hope for a better world and to give us the confidence that our government could help us change our individual lives. Today, you can celebrate in pride by purchasing 20 $1 commemorative stamps to be proudly used on packages, post cards, letters and to be saved for future generations. There's no upcharge on this one, you simply pay the face value for the stamps and continue to be inspired for the rest of Barack's 2 terms as President and for the rest of your lives as a proud member of the international community.
Conservative website: After only 100 troublesome days in office, Barack Hussein Obama is already being commemorated with a fitting souvenir. Never before has a sitting President of the United States of America been featured in so many late-night infomercials, unless yo
u count the liberal whacko's selling comedy DVDs of George W. Bush or Bill Clinton's appearance in Girls Gone Wild. Only 4 months into his first (and hopefully last) term in office, Barack is featured on the "Yes We Can" Collectible Self-Sticking Stamp set. For only $19.99, you'll get 20 stamps, featuring images of Barack and his wife Michelle. Each stamp has a face value of $1, so it sounds like a great deal, right? Well...similar to Barack himself, the stamps aren't really worth as much as they claim to be. When you read the fine print, you learn that "these stamps are for collectible, souvenir and personal usage only. They cannot be used as U.S. postage." In other words, they have "$1" printed on them, but no one would actually give you $1 to buy them from you. They have no dollar value. They are stickers...but each sticker costs $1. Personally, I like the idea because they are a symbol of our great leader. They appear to have value, but when you read the fine print, there's nothing there, and when you try to trade them for something of value, you're told that there is no money back guarantee. Luckily, the stamps only cost $20, whereas Barack has already cost $9 Trillion. I'll take the stamps any day of the week!
Speaking non-politically, again, I can't wait to see if these are successful. It's been amazing to see how many different collectible items have already been sold since President Obama first took office. This isn't the best I've seen, but I guess you never know what will work.
Who needs to watch Pitchmen on the Discovery Channel when you can see all the new DRTV spots on this site? We reviewed Billy Mays' What Odor product way back in March when it first launched...check out what we had to say:
5 good spots this week! 1. What Odor? - brand new from Billy Mays 2. Blox - repels stains, magical demos 3. Dishworx - like a normal brush, but now more expensive 4. Windshield Wonder - if you have short arms, you have to see this one! 5. Finally Fast - #2 product in recent rankings, with new $450 ad
What Odor? - Are you tired of Febreze and other air fresheners that don't have Billy Mays as a spokesman? Introducing Fresh Odor! It's exactly the same, except for the packaging that was designed by Billy's 8 year old niece. There's no need to wash your clothes anymore, even if you're sprayed by a skunk, simply spray it on and you'll be asking, "what odor?" With every purchase, they'll plant a tree (huh???). If they promised to kill a skunk with every purchase, I'd be more tempted...but in case you're still interested, you can buy the product at http://www.whatodor.com/.
Blox. Not a new product, but this is a brand new ad. Now this is one cool product. It reminds me of OxiClean back in the late 90's when they were more edgy. "Blox blocks hundreds of stains!" You have to see some of these demos...the stains literally roll off the shirt. This new spot features a new host, but I like the old onebetter. Check out Jason Williams on HSN directly below the new ad. He used to be the host for the old ads. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Britishguys. If you're interested in the product, check out http://www.preventstains.com/. Which host do you prefer?
Dishworx. If you have dirty dishes, then you need Dishworx! Unless of course you already have one of those $1.99 brushes from the grocery store, then you really don't need Dishworx. If you ever wished you had a more complex way to clean your dishes, this is it! I must admit, I like the concept. It's kind of a knock of of the SonicScrubber (http://www.sonicscrubber.com/), one of my all-time favorites. The Dishworx demos are pretty cool, and if you call within 30 seconds of seeing the ad, you'll probably end up buying. However, if you take a few extra seconds to think about this one, you'll realize that it would be easier to clean off your dishes under the faucet with a cheap, but trusty brush. (http://www.mydishworx.com/)
Winshield Wonder. Do you have trouble reaching the inside of your windshield to get it clean? Do you wish you had a gadget that could extend your reach 4 MORE INCHES! Are you looking for one more contraption that you'll forget you have within the first week?...Then the Windshield Wonder is for you! The concept is funnier than the ad, but it's still worth checking out. (http://www.buywindshieldwonder.tv/)
FinallyFast.com. This website has had the #2 ranked ad for the past several weeks. For some reason, they decided to produce a new spot, and it appears that they have a production budget of less than $500 to produce the ad. This one is worth watching just to see that you apparently don't need to make a high quality ad to make millions off of TV. Who wants to loan me $500 so I can finally produce an ad for my invention, a blanket with sleeves?
Quick Chop. Brand new this past week, Billy introduced the Quick Chop. The product is EXACTLY the SAME as Vince Offer/Schlomi's Slap Chop. Can we take a moment to analyze the egos of these pitchmen? First, Billy launches Zorbeez...then Vince copies and blows Billy out of the water with the Sham Wow....then Vince launches the Slap Chop...and is copied within months with Billy's Quick Chop. The winning product? We'll have to wait and see, but my money is the on Slap Chop...Billy followed too soon.
This product has quite a history. A similar device was first launched in the 1960's as the Chop-o-Matic by infomercial legend, and the original TV pitchman, Ron Popeil. This was the first of many products that Ron Popeil sold over TV as the true pioneer of the infomercial. The Chop-o-Matic was a huge success then...why not try it again 50 years later??? Sadly, we're seeing less and less true innovation in infomercial products each year.
Check out the timeline of products through their fascinating videos below...first Ronco's Chop-o-Matic, then the Slap Chop, and finally, Billy May's brand new Quick Chop.
Rachel Ray had the ever-increasingly famous infomercial heroes Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan on her show on April 15. I've attached a clip for your enjoyment. She challenges them to pitch coffee cups and insulating sleeves (you know, the ones you get for free at Starbucks...). They do a great job at pulling in a crowd, though I'm sure the Rachel Ray camera crew had something to do with it. If you ever see an expert pitchman in action at a home show, they are equally as successful....Anthony Sullivan sums it up expertly, "Life's a pitch, then you buy."
Remember to catch Pitchmen tonight on the Discovery Channel.
This first aired on 4/22/09, and can be seen on Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/) or at the link below in its entirety. For infomercial fans, like us, this is as good as it gets. The video embedded below is 43 minutes long, but you can watch it in pieces and still enjoy it. Catch interviews with Ron Popeil (the father of all pitchmen), Billy Mays, the inventor of the Clapper and Chia Pet, the CEO of All Star Marketing (Snuggie, Topsy Turvy...) and MORE!
Dryer Fresh. I've heard of products that supposedly remove wrinkles without ironing, but I've been skeptical since most are more pain then they're worth. The Downy Wrinkle Release requires you to spray each garment and individually pull out each and every wrinkle...ugh! Today, I saw a spot for the first time advertising a brand new product, Dryer Fresh. Spray it on your blouse, throw in the dryer, and wrinkles will disappear. If it works, then it's a brilliant idea! I'm sick of ironing. I'm sick of expensive dry cleaners. I'm tired of pulling a dress out of my closet only to have it covered with wrinkles! Look at me, I'm starting to sound just like the ad. With a $10 BOGO, I guess I can't lose...if you want to check it out, go to http://www.buydryerfresh.com/. This ad is brand new, so I haven't seen the product in any retail stores yet.
You have to love Joe Fowler in this ad. Joe is just as energetic as Billy Mays, but so much more pleasant. Joe was made famous by the NuWave Oven (http://www.mynuwaveoven.com/) which has been a big 30 minute infomercial for years.
Billy Mays appeared on the Tonight Show after Dana Carvey, usually a very funny character. Watch Billy's unbeatable personality overshadow both Jay Leno and Dana Carvey. Maybe Billy should have his own show??? I guess we'll have to see a head to head with Conan O'Brien to be sure.
Spin Gym. "It doesn't look like you're doing much..." Yes, that is an actual quote from the spot, and pretty much sums it all up. I love this product. Ingenious. I'm just a bit skeptical that it will do much of anything. I guess it probably works as well as the Health Rider that my grandpa bought from an infomercial in the 80's...and I suppose they are, as usual, targeting the couch workout crowd...
Unlike the Spin Gym, the button and string gym does NOT promise results, so don't email me to get your $0.05 back! See one unsatisfied customer below, and be warned.
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