As Seen On TV Blog | News | New | Products | Infomercial

As an As Seen On TV products blogger, I’m constantly introduced to the amazing new inventions brought to us through direct response television marketing.  I generally think most of these infomercial products are pretty good ideas, but every so often, a product emerges that I am pretty sure I just absolutely cannot live without--I may have mentioned my affinity for my Instyler or my desire for a Forever Lazy.  A new product available through SeenOnTVExpress.com has just climbed to the top of my infomercial wish list:  the Trendy Top.

Low-rise pants long ago replaced the high-waisted jeans preferred by Steve Urkel and your mom in the eighties.  Though some people make it a point of pride to have their underwear hanging out several inches (or feet) above the belt line, not everyone appreciates showing off their skivvies in public.  You may remember General Larry Platt’s scathing musical criticism on low-hanging pants on the hit series American Idol:

Now, not all of us have our “Pants on the Ground,” but with short, form fitting shirts that ride up and low-rise jeans that slide down, some of us end up showing more than we intended when we wear our favorite fashions.  That’s where Trendy Top comes in.

Trendy Top is billed as “the top that’s not.”  Trendy Top is a fabric tube that fits over your hips to provide coverage when movement creates a gap between your top and bottom.  When you’re not in the mood to moon the entire office staff, Trendy Top keeps your back side covered.  It prevents the unsightly display of your muffin top when you reach overheard.  Because it is made of a soft, natural cotton blend fabric that provides multi-directional stretch, Trendy Top stays put even when your clothes don’t.  Trendy Top provides the layered look that is so popular right now without the heat and bunching that come with wearing two shirts.

When you’d rather look like this . . .

. . . than this . . .

Trendy Top is the perfect solution.

Keep it covered, girls.

It has been a while since the SeenOnTV Express blog looked at some of the famous faces of infomercial products.  Ron Popeil may have been the biggest name in infomercials for the previous generation, but more recently, Billy Mays was the name most people associated with As Seen On TV marketing.  However, Mays’s death in 2009 left DRTV marketing looking for a new spokesman, and Mays’s friend and colleague Anthony Sullivan quickly became a household name by selling As Seen On TV household products.

Born in 1969 in Devon, England, Anthony “Sully” Sullivan perfected his pitch on the streets of London, modeling his techniques after the street vendors of that famed city.  When he came to the United States in the 1990′s, he became a product demonstrator and pitchman for the product that would come to be known as the Smart Mop.  When Home Shopping Network (HSN) executives spied Sully, they quickly hired him and launched the Smart Mop into a top-selling As Seen On TV cleaning product.

Before long, Sully was so successful that HSN promoted him to prime time.  After he fulfilled his one-year contract as network show host, Sully realized that he was destined for greater things.  He left HSN to launch his own business, Sullivan Productions.  Sullivan Productions is the creator of commercials for some of the hottest selling infomercial products:

• Swivel Sweeper
• Kaboom
• OxiClean
• Aluma Wallet
• Jupiter Jack
• Heeltastic
• One Second Needle
• H20 Mop
• and more

In 2009, Sully co-starred in the Discovery Channel series Pitchmen, for which he was an Executive Producer, along with fellow infomercial star Billy Mays.  After Mays’s death, Sully continued the series alone in 2010 and 2011.  The series is now available on DVD.

Though Mays’s death left a void, Sully was quickly able to fill his friend’s shoes, becoming the new face of OxiClean, and in fact, the most recognizable face of infomercial products today.  Sully is the main spokesman for A.J. Khubani’s Telebrands, leader in direct response television marketing and creator of the “As Seen On TV” logo.

According to his website, Sully has “launched over twenty products, sold hundreds of millions of millions of dollars worth of merchandise and has been recognized a record breaking three times for making the best commercial of the year by the Electronic Retailing Association.”   He has appeared on The Late Show with Conan O’Brien, and he has been featured on NBC’s 20-20, ABC’s Nightline , CBS, USA Network , BBC, Fox News, Rachel Ray, and Access Hollywood.

In an industry that has recently been rocked by scandal (Vince Offer’s legal troubles and Don Lapre’s federal fraud charges and suicide, for example), Anthony “Sully” Sullivan offers a sense of trust and security.  Along with his reputation and charm, Sully’s personable quips have the audience loving him.  It seems like he’ll continue as one of the industry’s leading pitchmen for years to come.

After all, as Sully says, “Life’s a pitch, and then you buy.”

A couple of weeks ago, the SeenOnTV Express blog discussed As Seen On TV kids products created to provide comfort and fun for children.  This week, we feature a special offer on an exciting children’s magazine series.  I’m pretty excited about SeenOnTV Express being able to offer Zoobooks magazines and its sister publications, Zoobies and Zootles.  Zoobooks (and Zoobies and Zootles) are children’s magazines that are all about animals.  They feature vibrant photographs and detailed, colorful illustrations that help a child to learn all about his or her favorite animals and to discover animals he or she never knew existed.  By appealing to a child’s natural love of animals, Zoobooks engages early readers and helps encourage a love of reading.

“Now, wait just a minute,” you may be saying to yourself.  ”Why is this blogger, who is so obsessed with Forever Lazy and the Instyler, getting all excited about a science magazine for kids?”

Well, let me tell you:

1. I’m an ex-librarian, so I totally dig reading.  Old librarians never die, you know . . . we just check out.
2. I’m the mom of a pre-schooler.  This may explain why I’m so enamored by the thought of an adult onesie and an easy way to fix my hair without resorting to a ponytail.  Again.

These two facets of my life have shown me how important reading is, and how critical it is to foster reading while children are still young.  In fact, my child is too young to read, but when he finds a book about something that appeals to him–animals, for example–he will sit and look at the pictures and talk about what he’s “reading” for quite a while.  In fact, books often hold his attention longer than movies or television, which just thrills my  little heart to no end.

Here is what I love about Zoobooks:

1. A magazine subscription allows a child to continually receive new reading material.  By the time your child loses his or her infatuation with one issue a new issue arrives.  Mail!  New animals!  New pictures!  New stories!  New games! What’s not to love?
2. Zoobooks are geared specifically toward young children and each publication is uniquely tailored for an appropriate age group.  Zoobies is for babies and toddlers aged 0-3; Zootles is for pre-readers and emerging readers aged 3-6; and Zoobooks is for school children aged 6-12.  These magazines are designed to reach children where they are, with text, illustrations, photography, and information appropriate for a child’s specific level of development.  Appealing to a child’s interests encourages a natural learning, without rules and rote memorization.  Children are naturally inquisitive, and Zoobooks satisfies that search for knowledge.
3. Reading with your child builds communication and involvement.  By questioning your child and commenting about what you are reading together, you build critical thinking skills:  ”Why do you think that kangaroo has a pouch?”  ”I wonder why that tarsier’s eyes are so big.”  ”How do you think it would feel to sleep upside down like a bat?”  By reading with your child, you will be actively engaged in his or her learning, thoughts, and ideas.  This type of communication can help strengthen your relationship with your child for when you have to ask more serious questions:  ”What will you do when someone offers you . . .”

As Seen On TV educational materials can be a valuable resource for your child, and I’m pleased that SeenOnTV Express can add Zoobooks, Zootles, and Zoobies magazines to our product catalog.  Other educational products we offer include Brainetics and Hooked on Phonics.

As I was researching topics for this week’s SeenOnTV Blog post, I came across an infomercial for the Double Burner, a piece of As Seen On TV exercise equipment circa 1992.  I don’t actually recall this specific infomercial--perhaps that is because in 1992 I was graduating from high school and starting college, and I may or may have been preoccupied with more important things, like prepping for the SAT or meeting cute college boys.  Though the Double Burner itself does not ring a bell with me, it definitely reflects two of the hottest fitness trends of the eighties and nineties:  the stair stepper and the cross country ski machine.

I love the Double Burner infomercial, I must say.  Rather than smoothly gliding through their workouts, the fitness models look like they are sludging through mud, leaving me to think the Double Burner could use a double dose of WD-40.  But even as they trudge through this difficult workout, they manage to stay sexy; Little Miss Purple-Sports-Bra-and-Pink-Slouch-Socks even manages to drop an over-the-shoulder come-hither glance.

By combining stepping action with cross-country ski arms, the Double Burner users certainly seem to be working harder than their Easy Glider using counterparts.  After all, the Easy Glider was a cross-country ski machine alone.  While Easy Glider users and Double Burner users shared similar fitness attire (spandex, anyone?), those poor Easy Gliders just didn’t have the sex appeal of the Double Burners:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=VOo0WwCuujE&NR=1

“Hey.  For the money, Easy Glider really is the best.”  Is that really a selling point?  Saying it is the best you can get for $19.95?  Still, for the budget conscious, the Easy Glider may have trumped the $177 Double Burner.  Besides, just look how pleased Little Miss Lavender Lycra is when she slides her Easy Glider under the bed.  Also?  I’m pretty sure we owned this back in the day.

The Double Burner, however, was on to something with its 2-in-1 approach to infomercial exercise equipment.  Through the process of As Seen On TV product evolution, greater things have come to pass.  My favorite example is the Bowflex Treadclimber, which combines treadmill, stair stepper, and elliptical trainer into one effective machine.  While the Treadclimber fitness models feature smokin’ hot bodies, like those oiled up Double Burners, they don’t seem like they are actively trying to seduce you.  The Bowflex Treadclimber is legit--giving you an effective calorie burning workout without having to resort to the sex-sells approach of the early nineties.  Slouch socks optional.

It is hard to believe that it has been nine years since the invention of a product that revolutionized children’s comfort and precipitated a spate of dual-purpose As Seen On TV products for kids.  What was the groundbreaking product launched in 2003?

Pillow Pets sold like crazy, becoming one of the most popular Christmas gifts in 2003.  As a stuffed animal/pillow combination, Pillow Pets appealed to kids’ love of cuddly things and it appealed to their parents’ desire to comfort their children without adding more clutter.  By serving as both a soft plush animal and a pillow, travel became easier, naptime became easier, TV time became easier.  A child playing with his favorite stuffed animal could take snuggling a step further by just falling asleep on it.

Since then, several other As Seen On TV products for children have followed the dual-purpose model of Pillow Pets:

• Happy Nappers -- Unzips and reverses from a play pillow shaped like an animal’s home to a plush animal that resides within it.  For example, a castle reveals a dragon, a doghouse reveals a puppy, and an igloo reveals a penguin.
• Blankid Buddy -- Blankid Buddies take the two-in-one animal/pillow idea to the next level.  Each Blankid Buddy is a backpack, blanket, pillow, and stuffed animal--a four-in-one cuddle companion that is ideal for travel.
• Pawggles -- Pawggles differentiate themselves by breaking away from the pillow idea.  Rather, Pawggles (from “paws” plus “giggles”) are stuffed animals that convert to funny house slippers.

The newest As Seen On TV kids’ offering in the animal/bedtime genre is CuddleUppets.  A CuddleUppet is most similar to a Blankid Buddy in that both are animal/blanket combinations.  However, each CuddleUppets animal is a puppet rather than a regular stuffed animal.  In addition, CuddleUppets feature a large blanket measuring 28″ by 39″, big enough to wrap around your child.  A CuddleUppet can be used as a puppet alone, and it can be used while your child is swaddled in the blanket.   Even as your child sleeps, the CuddleUppet puppet head can be used much as any “lovey.”

CuddleUppets come in six styles and colors:

• Poodle (pink)
• Monkey (purple)
• Puppy (yellow)
• Crocodile (green)
• Elephant (blue)
• Bear (brown)

CuddleUppets features special quantity pricing; the more you buy, the more you save.  Because CuddleUppets are puppets and not mere stuffed animals, having the full menagerie can make for some fun puppet shows for your kids.

For your first SeenOnTV Express blog post of 2012, we’re going to bring back Way Back Wednesday, looking back at the As Seen On TV products that have shaped the infomercial products of today.  Since the new year brings with it resolutions to lose weight and get fit, this week’s Way Back Wednesday post is going to focus on one of the leading As Seen On TV fitness gurus.  No, we’re not talking about Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons here.  We’re talking about none other than direct response marketing’s hirsute hero Tony Little.

Tony Little is perhaps best known for marketing the Gazelle in his fitness infomercials.  The Gazelle is not a treadmill, cross coutry ski machine, or elliptical trainer; rather, it is a “glider.”  To get a low-impact aerobic workout, Gazelle users glide their legs back and forth as seen in this iconic infomercial for Tony Little’s Gazelle:

However, Tony Little does so much more than the Gazelle.  In fact, he has more than 130 products ranging from exercise equipment such as the Gazelle, the Ab Lounger, and the X-Band Exerciser to Cheeks Footwear fit body shoes.  From pillows to bison meat, Tony Little sells just about anything designed to help his followers live a healthier life.

Tony Little has become such an infomercial legend that he has been featured on ABC News’ Nightline and Forbes Video.  The Forbes feature demonstrates how Tony Little has overcome adversity in order to build an infomercial fitness empire totaling more than $3 billion in product sales:

Nightline‘s in-depth feature looked at Tony Little from all angles, from his famous hair to this “best of Tony Little” montage:

Tony Little’s As Seen On TV exercise equipment makes his workouts look completely achievable.  Whereas the current trend in infomercial fitness is videos and equipment that look hard-core, Tony Little portrays his products as low-impact yet effective.  He encourages viewers through his trademark, “You can do it!”

What you can’t do, however, is get this picture out of your head:

You’re welcome.

Much like the rest of the nation, SeenOnTV Express hits the roads during the holiday season.  With more than 3,100 road miles traveled between our two most prolific road-trippers, we see firsthand the need for proper vehicle care and maintenance.  We also see firsthand the need for a mass-media public service campaign to increase awareness of roadway rules and etiquette such as slower traffic keep right (but that’s another issue).

As Seen On TV automobile products do everything from shining you paint job to brightening your headlights to making your vehicle more fuel efficient.  Perhaps the two most important infomercial car care products to have before a road trip are Fuel Doctor and Total View Blindspot Mirrors.

Fuel Doctor FD-47 has been shown by AAA’s Automotive Research Center to improve fuel efficiency and to decrease your vehicle’s CO2 emissions.  Fuel Doctor FD-47 is not a fuel additive.  Rather, you simply plug the Fuel Doctor into the included car adapter splitter.  Fuel Doctor works by decreasing electrical interference, and its use has been shown to improve MPG by up to 25%.

Total View Blindspot Mirrors increase your field of vision and virtually eliminate blind spots.  Total View has a unique concave design that dramatically improves your field of vision, allowing you to safely change lanes and allow for proper clearance when passing–a must for anyone driving near people who have not yet been informed that slower traffic keeps right (but that’s another issue).

If you’ll be driving at night–and during a 12 hour trip, you will be–it’s important to have properly working headlights.  It is also important that the brightness of your headlights is adequate.  Cloudy, hazy headlight lenses can make driving at night dangerous, but Fast Brite Lens Restore can make your headlights clear again.  You don’t have to replace hazy headlights when you can restore them with Fast Brite.

When your trip is over and you pull safely into your garage, you may realize that the road has taken its toll on your car’s exterior.  Whether it is grimy from road dirt or nicked and dinged from rocks, As Seen On TV car care products can have your car looking new again.  Restorz It Car Paint Restorer, Freedom Waterless Car Wash, the Spot Free Rinse System, and Fix It Pro Scratch Remover are some of the most popular As Seen On TV products for keeping your car shiny and new.

In the next several days, our SeenOnTV Express travelers will be making their ways home and settling back into their routines.  If you’ll be sharing the road with them in the coming days, remember this important bit of information:  SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT.

On another note, we would like to thank you for another great year at SeenOnTV Express, and we wish you happy and prosperous new year.

We’ve talked recently on the SeenOnTV Express blog about ways to look slimmer with no effort (Kymaro Body Shaper for women and Slim T for men) and ways to improve muscle tone with little effort (Flex Belt and Flex Mini).  Though there are many As Seen On TV exercise videos and equipment that are low-impact and moderate intensity, perhaps the hottest selling infomercial exercise videos are the extreme workout routines from Beachbody.

Among the best selling Beachbody videos are Insanity with Shaun T. and Tony Horton’s P90X.  Recently, Shaun T. released a new version of his popular Insanity workout entitled The Asylum, a thirty-day sports training workout.  Now, Tony Horton and Beachbody are expanding their offerings for die-hard P90X fans with the release of P90X2.

P90X2 is more than just a new set of workouts to replace P90X; it is designed to build on the successful transformation of those who have completed P90X by increasing agility and athleticism.  P90X was created to transform bodies into the best shape of their lives, replacing fat with muscle through a technique of Muscle Confusion.  P90X2 continues with Muscle Confusion but also incorporates Post-Activation Potentiation (P.A.P.), a groundbreaking exercise technique based on two additional years of research and development by the fitness experts and sports scientists at Beachbody.

P.A.P. essentially combines heavy strength training with plyometric exercise to engage more muscles during and after a workout.  This explosive combination increases stamina, agility, core strength, and overall athleticism.  P90X2 is not designed as a replacement for the original P90X; it is not simply more of the same.  Rather, P90X2 takes fitness to the next level.

In this video, Tony Horton explains the difference between the original P90X and the all new P90X2:

Because the P90X2 workouts are completely new and different from the previous series, new equipment may be necessary.  When you order the P90X2 workout kit, you have your choice of three packages, depending on what equipment needs you may have:

• P90X2 Base Kit:  12 workout DVDs, 1 How to Bring It Again DVD, P90X2 Workout Guide, P90X2 Nutrition Guide, P90X Workout Calendar
• P90X2 Deluxe Kit:  everything included in the Base Kit plus a foam roller, two 8-pound medicine balls, a premium stability ball, and two additional extreme workouts:  V-Sculpt and Chest + Shoulders + Tris
• P90X2 Ultimate Kit:  everything included in the Deluxe Kit plus Tony Horton’s PowerStands

The twelve P90X2 workouts use strength training, plyometrics, yoga, and core strength exercises and routines based on Muscle Confusion, but they incorporate P.A.P. to take your workout beyond the original transformation of P90X and into increased athletic ability, stamina, strength, and agility.  P90X2 workouts include:

• X2 Core
• Plyocide
• X2 Recovery + Mobility
• X2 Total Body
• X2 Yoga
• X2 Balance + Power
• Chest + Back + Balance
• X2 Shoulders + Arms
• Base + Back
• P.A.P. Upper
• P.A.P Lower
• X2 Ab Ripper

Staff members at SeenOnTV Express who have used the original P90X saw phenomenal results with the original program and look to build on their efforts with the all new P90X2.

Look out now.  SeenOnTV Express is going to be too hot to handle and too fast to catch . . .

With both AccuWeather and the 2012 Farmer’s Almanac predicting another cold, brutal, stormy winter, it is best to get prepared while things are still relatively pleasant outside.  Having a longstanding reputation for being The Biggest Cold Weather Wimp Ever, I am personally quite excited by all of the As Seen On TV products designed to keep me snug and cozy all winter long–without wrecking my utility bills.  Whether you are looking warm yourself, your house, or even . . .yes . . . your dog, SeenOnTV Express has the top selling infomercial products to make for a cozy winter despite the bleak forecast.

As Seen On TV Blankets and More

Wrap up in comfort to keep yourself, your kids, and your pets snug as a bug.

• Snuggie:  choose from the original Snuggie, Designer Snuggie, Snuggie Varsity, or even Custom Snuggie
• Snuggie for Kids:  especially designed in a smaller size for children
• Snuggie for Dogs:  fits much more easily than tight pet sweaters and still allows freedom of movement
• Forever Lazy:  more than a blanket with sleeves, Forever Lazy is like a blanket with sleeve and legs–one piece for warm comfort no matter what you’re doing  . . . or not doing.

As Seen On TV Heaters

The exquisite look of Amish craftmanship paired with safe, radiant heat make As Seen On TV Heaters a popular way to cut utility costs while staying cozy even on the coldest of days.

• Heat Surge Hand Crafted Amish Electric Fireplace:  puts out 4606 BTUs of heat through a realistic, flickering flame, giving the ambience of a real fireplace
• iHeater:  uses infrared heat to safely heat up to 1,000 square feet while remaining cool to the touch, saving you up to 50% on your utility bills.

Other As Seen On TV Products for Winter:

• Twin Draft Guard:  blocks drafts around windows and doors, keeping warm air in and cold air out, cutting energy costs by up to 30%
• Pet ZZZ Pad:  if a Snuggie for Dogs isn’t enough, try this unique warming pad designed for your pet’s bed

Even though there are so many products available to help keep your temperature up and your heating costs down, I’m still hoping that the predictions of another Snowpocalypse prove false.  In the meantime, bundle up.  Baby, it’s cold outside.

As the SeenOnTV Express blogger, I’m constantly being made aware of the newest, hottest As Seen On TV products.  While some of the products don’t necessarily appeal to me, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t frequently stumble across a product that I just have to have.  As Seen On TV beauty products, kitchen products, exercise equipment, fitness videos, and comfort items all make my list.  With the holidays just around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect time to share some of my favorite products–the ones I hope show up under my Christmas tree.  After all, Santa knows I’ve been very good this year.  Well–at least he knows I tried.

As Seen On TV Christmas List

• Forever Lazy – I’m not gonna lie.  This looks super cozy and comfortable.  For someone who works from home, this would be the perfect gift.  I may never wear actual clothes again.  At least until spring.
• Instyler – If I’m not mistaken, this made my list last year, but I didn’t find it in my stocking.  I think if I’m going to be spending my days in a giant, adult sized onesie, at least my hair should look good.
• Flex Seal – I know–household products shouldn’t really be on a Christmas list.  Next thing you know I’ll be asking for a blender.  But I really, really want to make a boat out of a screen door.
• Ninja Kitchen Blender – Yep.  I told you I’d be asking for a blender next.  I have a blender already.  It even has a food processing bowl.  But it is not this cool.  Not. At. All.
• Flex Mini – Seriously.  I can tone my butt without ever doing a single squat?  Sign me up.
• Any of the Beachbody videos - I don’t really like to work out, but I do really like to eat.  If I’m going to work out, I want it to be worth my time and energy.  I want it to feel like a workout, and I want results.  Beachbody workouts like P90x, Insantity, TurboFire, and Chalean Extreme are effective workouts for people who aren’t afraid to work hard to get results fast.

If I’ve been good enough this year, expect to see me in January, recovering from my Insanity workout by mixing up a healthy detox smoothie in my Ninja Kitchen Blender while wearing Forever Lazy and getting a workout boost from my Flex Mini.  And, gurrrl, my hair will look goooood.