It was freezing cold and early in the morn as the inventors gathered, waiting to to pitch the panel their ideas, a panel headed by the master, himself, Mr. AJ Khubani. The one thing I learned early is that North Carolina bagels don’t even remotely compare to the north Jersey kind, but I still managed to ingest my share. Don’t want to appear rude to out guests, right?
The concourse of the Times Warner Cable arena was bustling with lights, camera, and action as news crews came from various Charlotte stations, covering the event for the locals. The panel consisted of AJ, myself and several Charlotte Checkers execs who rotated in and out during the day. It was a great atmosphere and the day started off right!
Right out of the gate we saw a fantastic product brought to us by Joe Marshall of California, the incredible flavor injector! It’s a three pronged culinary master that injects whatever you want, into whatever you have – teriyaki into chicken… Barbecue sauce into a London Broil… hot sauce into fish… and even your favorite booze into fruit like watermelon and pineapple! After Joe’s presentation, I was starving for some bbq and cocktails, but yeah, 9am was a tad early to indulge!
Over the next four hours we were hit by a barrage of inventors who had traveled far and near in hopes of being chosen as the next great TeleBrands inventor! We saw the Bio-Green Toilet Plunger that AJ thought was innovative, but didn’t think people would race to the phones to order one. Sue Sorrenson had the Accu-Pressure Pillow, but we know that anything that makes any kind of claim like this needs a medical study to back it up. Sauce-UP was a french fry and sauce holder for the kids in your car – not a bad idea, but a little too complicated for AJ’s likes.
Then Todd from Michigan made the grade with a great little device called the Cool Tray, a tray for your microwave food dishes, preventing you from calling 911 with third degree soup burns. AJ loved this one! Then George and Sicily came in with the Zip Hook, a small hook-type device that keeps your zipper from falling down and causing embarrassing spills (don’t make me spell this one out for you, please.) The guys didn’t really understand the need for it, but the ladies seemed to love it and AJ was impressed with the apparent need. So we saw the Sock mate, the Diaper Daddy, the Task Pro, and the Brush and Dry, but three products were ultimately picked by the panel to be shown at that night’s Charlotte Checker’s game where the audience would decide on the winner. Who will it be? Find out in an upcoming episode of TeleBrands the Blog… order now!
And don’t forget to follow all the social happenings of AJ, TeleBrands, and inventors everywhere, on FaceBook and Twitter!
TeleBrands Inventors Day
Washington DC… National Press Club
Friday, February 11, 2011, 9:00am… Celebrating National Inventors Day
On February 11, 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared it to be National Inventors’ Day, a holiday to recognize the significant contributions that inventors make to the nation and the world. And to commemorate this inspirational day, we are making the trek to our nation’s capital, holding a patriotic Inventor’s Day!
AJ Khubani, the KING of As Seen on TV and a panel of judges (including yours truly) will be deciding on who has what it takes to be the next inventor star here at TelBrands! Are you one of them?
A little bit of cool inventor’s trivia for you… National Inventors’ Day is held on the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Edison, one of the country’s greatest inventors, who held over 1,000 patents. One of his many inventions was the incandescent light bulb, developed by Edison as part of an integrated system of electric lighting in the late 1800s.
LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS IN DC… If you would like to present your product idea in Washington, please email us @ InventorsDay@TeleBrands.com, and make sure to put “Washington DC” in the subject line.
Those accepted to present (You will receive 5 minutes to present in front of AJ Khubani, CEO/Founder of TeleBrands, and a panel of judges), will be notified in advance. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any walk-ins.
Come on people, join us in DC and show us what you’ve got!
And don’t forget to follow all the social happenings of AJ, TeleBrands, and inventors everywhere, on FaceBook and Twitter!
Charlotte, North Carolina is truly a beautiful city, and last year, December 2009, we had an amazing time at TeleBrands Night during the Charlotte Checkers hockey game. Well this year it got even better – The Checkers once again had us as their guests for As Seen on TV Night – and to make it even better yet, we held our very first Inventor’s Day the morning of the game in the concourse of the Time Warner Cable Arena!
The only unfortunate thing we were dealt with was the incredible unseasonably cold weather that hit the south! The night before we got there it was a stifling 12 degrees which made for a frigid walk from our hotel to the arena. I mean, I was picking out golf shirts to wear and I ended up with turtlenecks and my heavy winter coat.
While the weather was a bummer, our stay was certainly not! Wow, you want to talk about an ultra-exciting day for us and everyone involved! A couple dozen inventors from all across the U.S. came to pitch their wares in hopes that the King of As Seen On TV, Mr. AJ Khubani would play Santa Claus while choosing someone’s invention as the next big TeleBrands hit product! When products actually become hits, millionaires are often made, and this group of inventors were stoked and ready for action! Some were admittedly VERY nervous, knowing that THIS was a real shot at the big time. Between the travel, and the waiting time to present their inventions, it was tough on these good people, but getting that one BIG shot was all that really mattered.
As one of the product judges on the panel, I have got to say that we met the nicest people and some of the best inventions we’ve seen yet at any of out Inventor’s Days over the past year or so. One thing that we’re happy to see is that people are REALLY coming prepared! They’re watching TeleBrands videos on You Tube, reading the blog, and are well schooled on what AJ is looking for on what will make a great TeleBrands product.
“It’s got to have mass appeal, demonstrate well on television, and retail for under $20,” say Mr. Khubani for the ten-thousandth time! “Of course the product should be somewhat unique, but the most important thing is that is HAS TO solve a common everyday problem!”
I think the people are starting to hear you load and clear, oh Informercial Maven!
Check back to the next installment on our Charlotte trip as we talk about the awesome inventions presented to us at Inventor’s Day! Ya’ll come back now!
BIG-Screen TV’s & loads of Awesome TeleBrands Products are up for grabs!
Scroll Down to See The Official Contest Order Form Below!
From the beginning, the idea of this blog has been to keep you informed and make you feel like an important part of the family here at TeleBrands. But perhaps, most importantly, we’re here to have fun! Let’s face it, what industry has the most fun products, commercials, and personalities than the AS Seen on TV genre? And while we’re at it, what would be more fun than winning some serious high-end swag just for visiting this blog? Check it out for yourself!…
GRAND PRIZE: Our Lucky Grand Prize Winner receives a beautiful brand new 50 inch LED TV!
SECOND PRIZE: 2nd Prize isn’t too shabby either as someone will win a beautiful 36 inch LED TV!
EIGHT, THIRD PRIZE WINNERSWILL WIN!Once a week for all 8 weeks of the contest we’re giving away an awesome TeleBrands 6-Pack product bundle – that’s half-a-dozen of our latest, greatest hits – and best of all… if you’re a winner, YOU get to choose the products you want!
See (and click on) all of our exciting products in the Featured Products Section to the right side of the Blog! >>>
See the form below? It couldn’t be easier to fill out and you will be automatically entered into our random drawing… It’s THAT simple! (Only one entry per person permitted.) Official Contest Rules Below >
Winners will be chosen each week*- so Don’t Wait – ENTER NOW!
OFFICIAL TeleBrand Blog As Seen on TV Giveaway CONTEST RULES
1. Selection Process: Contest winners will be chosen via random drawing. 2. One entry permitted per person. 3. All entries must be from persons 18 years or older and a current legal resident within the United States and is void where prohibited by law. 4. All entries must include the name and a current working email address. 5. This contest runs from November 1 to December 31. 6. Eligibility: Employees of Telebrands Corp., International Edge, Inc., Adcomm Advertising Co., Concepts TV Productions, Inc., PB&J Partners, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate in this Contest. 7. Prize Award: All entries will be reviewed by TeleBrands. Grand Prize: Winner will receive a 50 inch flat screen television. Second Prize: Winner will receive a 36 inch flat screen television. Third Prize: TeleBrands 6-Pack product bundle. *Eight third prize winners will be chosen (one per week during the length of the contest.) 8. Winners are responsible for paying all federal, state and local taxes associated with the prize. 9. Telebrands reserves the right to modify these rules at any time during the contest. 10. Entrants’ participation in this Contest shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, and each Entrant agrees to be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and State Courts of New Jersey. 11. Telebrands reserves the right to terminate the contest at any time, for any reason. 12. Photo of the television shown is only a depiction and not the actual item. 13. Winners will be notified by email and have 30 days to respond. If you don’t respond within that time period, you will forfeit your prize. 14. By entering the contest, all winners who are chosen give TeleBrands permission to print their name and state in the blog and in our promotional materials, ie; email. press release, web site, etc.
Discovery Channel’s big surprise hit was a show in 2009 about the lives of two career pitch guys: an English gent by the name of Anthony Sullivan, and a black bearded, in your face screamer known as Billy Mays. People were surprised how good the show was and the ratings indicated that this was a tv program that could have some real legs. Unfortunately, one of the realities of life got in the way, as Billy Mays unexpectedly passed away, shocking the world, especially those closest to him. But Discovery liked the show so much that they were willing to give Billy’s partner, Sully a shot at making it work on his own. And I’m sure they’re glad they did as Pitchmen Season Two premiered and hit the ball out of the stadium and into the parking lot.
Now every great opening night has to have a great premiere party, and this one did not disappoint as northern Florida rocked. The beautiful new Tampa Museum of Art played host to a direct response celebration like no other as Sullivan Productions and TeleBrands sponsored a soiree to remember. 500 guests came to celebrate with Sully and AJ, as well as pay tribute to the late, great Mr. Mays. Industry big wigs, friends, and inventors featured in this season’s episodes posed for photos while partying hardy, and rightfully so.
Sully and his departed friend’s son, Billy the third gave heartfelt speeches about the pitchman, friend, and father who touched the lives of so many. And in a unique way of honoring the late Mays, local artists showed up with photos, prints and paintings of Billy Mays to be auctioned off in a silent auction for a charity. All proceeds from the auction went to a charity that is very dear to the team: FOCUS ON RENEWAL, from Billy’s hometown of McKees Rocks, PA.
“This was just a great night for everyone involved,” said our very own AJ Khubani, who enjoyed the night with his family by his side. “I’m so proud to be involved with Discovery Channel and Sullivan Productions as this show truly brings out the entrepreneur in all of us!”
Finally came the nine o’clock hour as the music stopped and everyone gathered to watch episode one of the 2010 season – one in which Mr. Sullivan was lit on fire while performing one of the greatest pitchman stunts of all time!
Yes, Sully, & AJ, we all want to know what in the world you can do for an encore!
I have no doubt that a great night in Tampa will be followed by a great season of Pitchmen episodes!
Last year the Discovery series, Pitchmen hit the airwaves and Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan became household names in homes all across America. Then tragedy struck as Mays passed away leaving a huge void in the world of direct. But Discovery saw something special in this show that our own AJ Khubani says, “Brings out the entrepreneur in all of us.”
Last Thursday, the premiere of Pitchmen Season Two made its debut as Sully goes solo, trying to find the inventor with the next great hit product. This year is focused on the inventors, their back stories, and how everyday people can experience the American dream – developing the next big product, with the possibility of millions in dollars as the reward.
Episode one featured inventors from all across the country making their pitches to Sully and special guest, AJ, who are hard to impress and demanding in what they want to see and hear. I know from my own personal experience from sitting in on TeleBrands Inventor’s Days that you’ve got to do your homework and know and understand the kind of stuff that sells well on direct response TV! Out of all the inventions presented, two were chosen for product testing – the Hex Light, an ingenious flash light that attaches to your arm allowing hands free movement, and Cold Fire, a fire extinguisher in a can that has amazing life-saving power!
The Hex Light straps around your forearm as tiny LED lights circle your arm while pointing directly at the intended target. When experimenting with the light, Sully said that he may not need to have a focus group review the product because he actually thinks it’s so good.
Next we were treated to the Cold Fire demonstration where a group of highly skeptical Florida firefighters put out some very tough blazes, and after all was said and done, they were convinced that this product was the real deal. Of course Mr. Sullivan was equally satisfied, which convinced him to do the ultimate pitch for this product – one he said that even the great Billy Mays would not have attempted. Yes, Sully agreed to have himself lit on fire, with the hopes that a can of Cold Fire would douse the flames before he ended up in the local Denny’s as the crispy bacon breakfast special. Talk about making for great television!
Tensions mounted as Sully donned protective gear that would hopefully insulate him from the heat and flames long enough for firemen to extinguish the blaze. He soaked himself in flame retardant gel and applied several layers of garments as his personal team looked as if they were all ready to hurl their lunches in unison. I was squirming in my chair, myself, knowing that certain things can be faked for effect on television, but this definitely was not one of them. Sully was going all the way with this stunt, perhaps one of the bravest and most insane piece of live action ever filmed in the history of the infomercial world.
The moment of truth came as Anthony Sullivan became a human Tiki torch, diving to the ground while looking square into the camera to make his pitch – all while Cold Fire extinguished the flames from his back, head and arms!
Bravo, Sully, bravo… for one of the greatest pitches I have ever witnessed, and an utterly fantastic Season Two opener for this weekly show! Only one question comes to mind, my brother… what the hell do you do for an encore?! Guess we’ll find out in episode two airing Thursday night!
But Wait… There’s More!…
Stay tuned next time for a report on the amazing soiree that had all of Tampa talking – the Season Two Premiere Party sponsored by TeleBrands and Sullivan Productions – a red carpet event celebrating these giants of the direct response industry!
They call it the City of Brotherly Love. Of course many refer to it as the place that serves up the world’s finest cheese steaks. But this past Wednesday, the city of Philadelphia was home to a special Inventors Day, the first ever held in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania.
As usual people traveled from all over North America to show their inventions to AJ Khubani with the hopes and dreams of striking it rich and bragging to the world that their product was chosen by the King of As Seen on TV. But from the minute they arrive, inventors realize it’s not an easy task. Thirty-four people were there to show their wares, and usually only a small handful make the first round – but hopefully, Sir AJ gives it the thumbs up and wants to test it in a commercial!
“A lot of these people come a long way to pitch their ideas and I try to give every one of them the respect they deserve, and the opportunity to convince me that their creation is the next great TeleBrands product,” said AJ to television and newspaper reporters.”Many won’t make the cut, and that’s hard , but I encourage them to make their invention better or come up with something new for me.”
It’s only a natural reaction when some people are dejected and taken aback that AJ didn’t get up and dance on the table that his greatest product ever was now here before him. But then there are some who just keep on plugging away, like a woman who was back before us for a third time with her revised invention of the cereal bowl that keeps your Corn Flakes and Fruit Loops forever crunchy, never getting soggy. AJ loves cereal himself and admired her thought process and determination, but in the end, what it came down to is that he just didn’t feel the WOW factor was there – the ability to make people watching a TV commercial say, “WOW, I have got to have that!” And that is often the case with the inventions we see. So many are good products, well thought out, and definitely solve a problem. But the real question always is – Is there a big enough problem that the world NEEDS this product?
Howie Dobell came in with the GOTCHA, a device that squeezes between your wall and furniture that catches loose items that drop behind the couch or bed, such as keys, money, or jewelry. Howie gave it a lot of thought and yes it was practical and useful, but will people rush to the phone to give their credit card numbers and authorize a purchase for $19.95? The Wow factor plays an important role in the decision making process.
And then there’s the all-important matter of market size. Does the potential problem and solution appeal to a wide enough audience? We’ve seen many excellent ideas in niche markets, like for instance lawn and garden or for babies – but niche is unfortunately not for TeleBrands. You’ve got to think big when approaching Mr. K. with your stuff.
“Again, I see a lot of well thought out, useful products,” claims AJ, “But I am constantly questioning if the market size is big enough. We want to sell millions of products. It’s got to appeal to a mass market to make it as a TeleBrands product.”
It was a great day in Philly and we got to meet many wonderful people. We’ll talk about some of the neat products and good people we met in Part Two of our Philadelphia extravaganza!
Wow, I don’t know about you, but I am seriously joesning for a cheese steak! Hey, I would love to invite the guy that invented it to our next Inventor’s Day! And if we do Philly again, I’ll make sure that Pat’s and Geno’s sends over an ample supply to keep the troops happy.
Yeah, I know you guys wanna know what’s going on… the inner dirt at TeleBrands, so to speak. Well, I can’t divulge too much info from the Top Secret file, but I’m sure I can answer your questions, concerns, and inquiries about the insane world of direct! What I unfortunately can’t do is help you in the least with any problems you might have had with a product or order. Like the old saying goes, “Dat’s not my yob, mang.” I am simply just the court jester, here to entertain and spread my mirth and merriment at a fun-tastic rate.
Okay, questions, I do see that you do have some questions. Yes you in the front row waving the Go Duster in the Iron Maiden t-shirt…
Hey Tommy,
I see there’s an upcoming TeleBrands Inventor’s Day in Philadelphia. They seem like an awful lot of fun, but I’m sure they’re actually a heck of a lot of work. What are your most memorable moments so far – good and bad? Any trouble makers or over the top people?
- Martin Short, Mississauga, Canada
Our time in Los Angeles back in March was definitely most memorable – mostly because I had the distinct honor of being on the judging panel. That was an incredibly long day because we kept accepting people to show their inventions who were showing up unannounced. We want to be nice an fair, but it does get to be too much. Even though they only get five minutes to do their pitch, we saw forty-four people that day, and combine that with the long flight and time difference, we were all ready to croak. But it was awesome having a media blitz there and being on the Today Show gave us some great exposure.
As far as over the top people, yeah, there’s always an extremely colorful person or two. It seemed that in LA, some of the flower children from the Valley waited until the very end to show us their stuff. It’s not every day you meet the guy who was the inspiration for Reverend Jim Ignatowski on Taxi, and lucky for us, we got to hang with his wife, friends, and family as well. No one ever causes trouble, in fact it’s great to meet everyone who comes out to give their all and pitch the inventions that they believe will be the next big TeleBrands product.
I’m really looking forward to hanging with the good people in the city of Brotherly Love. We’re meeting some great people wherever we go and you just never know when you’re going to find the next great invention. Now, this TeleBrands Inventor’s Day for August 11, is filled to capacity with inventors, but if you have a great idea, go to www.telebrands.com, go to the Inventors Link and let us know what you’ve got!
Dear Tommy,
What has to be the strangest or wackiest invention you’ve seen to date? – Wilma Bedrock, Las Vegas, Nevada
Hey Wilma, First off, I hope Fred and Pebbles are doing well. You know there’s been a lot of weird and wacky stuff invented and marketed in the direct industry, but I think one of the top vote getters in this category has to be one of our own – an item called the Comfort Wipe. God knows what we were thinking but this baby came and went faster than poop through a goose. And trust me, that’s a good analogy because the Comfort Wipe was a handle designed to pick up toilet paper and clean up after yourself in the bathroom without your hands going near any of the yukky stuff. It was basically developed for seniors and rather large people who have trouble reaching around and, well, you know. I don’t need to get graphic here. I could, I mean I’ve been known to go for the low hanging fruit, but I’ll spare you the gory details for one day. Yeah, it was one of the crazier things I’ve ever seen and wouldn’t you know it, it didn’t test on tv too well. I guess people can tell a crappy product when they see it. Oh no, I didn’t just say that. Uh, yeah, I think I just did.
Well, thanks for checking in today, and keep throwing me these mind boggling questions. I’m ready for ya!
The concourse of the Times Warner Cable arena was bustling with lights, camera, and action as news crews came from various Charlotte stations, covering the event for the locals. The panel consisted of AJ, myself and several Charlotte Checkers execs who rotated in and out during the day. It was a great atmosphere and the day started off right!
Over the next four hours we were hit by a barrage of inventors who had traveled far and near in hopes of being chosen as the next great TeleBrands inventor! We saw the Bio-Green Toilet Plunger that AJ thought was innovative, but didn’t think people would race to the phones to order one. Sue Sorrenson had the Accu-Pressure Pillow, but we know that anything that makes any kind of claim like this needs a medical study to back it up. Sauce-UP was a french fry and sauce holder for the kids in your car – not a bad idea, but a little too complicated for AJ’s likes.
