I've written a lot in this space about endorsements and commercials that don't work.
It obviously involves athletes because that's what I talk about. So I think it's appropriate to talk about an ad that doesn't involve any jocks, but might be the best Made-For-TV commercial of all time. It's the ShamWow!
It's a supertowel that holds 20 times it's weight in liquid, it costs $19.95 (like all TV products) and for some reason, it's apparently important to say that it's made in Germany. Other than spending a lot of money on paper towels, there's really no reason for me to have this product. But I was so convinced, after seeing the commercial so many times, that I was basically begging my wife to throw it in the cart at Bed, Bath & Beyond this weekend.
I
was talked down, but it made me think, when was the last time I saw something on TV and ordered it? It was the George Foreman grill. What's amazing about that is that was more than 10 years ago. Makes you think about how much, in this world of product pitches, doesn't work.
Why? Because people don't get it. If you want to sell me the "Perfect Pushup," show me an overweight man doing it, not some ripped Navy Seal. And if you're going to try to sell me the Bowflex, you have to devote a minute or two to show me how I could possibly assemble it without the Best Buy "Geek Squad."
Take the poll below. We are also accepting write-in votes (please include your experiences such as if the product worked or not, if you bought it) at sportsbiz@cnbc.comand we're even considering a bracket if there's enough debate here.
Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com