May 19, 2010

Review: Fushigi

Description: A chrome ball that seems to defy gravity
Main Pitch: "Mesmerize the mind and confuse the senses"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: free DVD (just pay processing)
Marketer: Zoom TV Products
Website: www.FushigiBall.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

Can a product that's all "magic demo" and no problem/solution succeed on DRTV? I don't think so. Even if the target is kids, I have serious doubts.

The Website explains the product is actually "a form of contact juggling where the operator exploits the reflective properties of a sphere through specific hand and body isolations and movements that are designed to give the appearance that the ... sphere is moving on its own or even floating." Oh. I get it now.

That sounds way too complicated for adults, let alone kids, and it also seems like it would require a lot of practice. I'm not buying the secondary benefit, either. It's supposed to be "an incredible, therapeutic form of relaxation." I've tried juggling, and there is nothing relaxing about dropping things all over the place while trying to look cool.

Anyway, the real issue here is the product violates two key S7 criteria. It isn't needed (doesn't solve a problem), and it isn't targeted to a big enough buying group to support a DRTV campaign. The only way it goes somewhere is if it catches on as a fad, like the hula hoop. But those are long odds.