I would never consider myself a GREAT cook, but I love to experiment with new recipes and new ways of cooking when I can. I happened to see an episode of Avec Eric one day and was really intrigued by the dishes he created. Eric’s recipes were elegant yet seemed simple enough to make on my own.
I visited the As Seen on TV Network hosted site and decided to purchase the great combo offer that included the entire Season 1 DVD of Avec Eric and Eric Ripert’s On The Line book. I’ve been continually amazed by the dishes I can now create in my own home!
Eric Ripert shows the average person how to incorporate inspiration from people, places and things in their own lives to create amazingly meaningful and delicious meals. One of my favorite dishes so far has been the Pork Loin with Garlic Mushrooms and Sage Pan Jus. My family ate every bite of it and it made me feel like a 4-star chef.
I’m very impressed with Eric Ripert’s knowledge, direction and passion and love his show, Avec Eric!
Please tell us about the dishes you’ve created from Eric’s DVD’s and be sure to tell us all about your favorite recipes. Share any tips you might have will all of us food lovers!
Live video chat by Ustream
(Inventors discuss their PitchMen! Casting Call experience with Pitch It to the Pros)
The 2009 ERA Day two got off to a little slower start today for everyone but things are now “all systems go.” Event the event coordinators were an hour later announcing the start of the day.
For the most part, the traffic congregates around two places. Nope, not the VIP lounge. Nope, not the catwalk.
The two places traffic is centered around is the Discovery Channel booth and the livemercial booth where taping for Season Two of “PitchMen” is well underway.
Want to get a glimpse of most of the inventors trying out for today’s PitchMen casting call?
Then check out the UStream footage on this post or at livemercial.com where most stop by and talk about their experience when they’re done.
Discovery Channel announced in a press release that PitchMen has been picked up for a second season. According to the press release, the format for the second season is being developed by Anthony Sullivan, Billy May’s son, Billy Mays, III, as well as Thom Beers, CEO of Original Productions - producer of PitchMen season 1. Some of you might know Thom Beers for his “Amercian Chopper” fame.
As we find out more, we’ll pass it along.
Missed PitchMen: A Tribute to Billy Mays?
Well, don’t worry, the PitchMen: A Tribute to Billy Mays will be re-airing on Friday, July 24 at 10PM EST on Discovery Channel.
It’s with bittersweet pleasure that As Seen on TV Network will run a liveblog of the Discovery Channel “PitchMen” Tribute show to the late Billy Mays. The show will begin on Discovery Channel on July 9th at 9pm ET. If you can get to your television even for a little bit, please make sure you watch the show. Otherwise, please tune in here to learn about the highlights so you can watch it again on reruns or TiVo or the like.
The Show is titled: “PitchMen: A Tribute to Billy Mays.”
The Paul Bearers work the Billy Mas uniform. Folks gather around the home to watch the last episode of PitchMen. The Mays family, the Sullivan Productions team, and the creator of the Mighty Mendit Series.
This is going to be hard to watch, but I won’t be able to turn away.
“I don’t think Steven Spielberg could have dreamt up Billy Mays,” - Anthony Sullivan.
They got a great, “Hi, Billy Mays here,” segment, from producers to PitchMen highlights.
Now they’re showing the many viral imitators of the man.
“It was all in fun…cause nobody had a reason to attack my dad.” Billy May, III.
Commercial Break :09 after
(OxiClean has a tribute commercial to Billy Mays. “From the entire OxiClean Family, thanks for all the great memories.”)
William Darryl Mays, Jr. is his real name. You learn this during the quick bio. There are interviews with those on the Atlantic City boardwalk who helped Billy his start. He ran the pitch circuit for 12 circuits.
“Making his living, $20 at a time,”PitchMen Narrator.
I forgot how many products Billy’s pitched. It’s an impressive list.
“He made us legitimate,” Al Spino
More products and antics are to come…
Commercial break :18 after
The story of Orange Glo -
interview with the founder. OrangeGlo was a natural-based product. OrangeGlo sold so much that the company went to their next product: OxiClean. By Billy’s touch, the product went from infomercial to shopping products.
Might Mendit, Awesome Auger, Mighty Putty…and the list went on.
The story of “What Odor,” - after the show of PitchMen, “What Odor?” became the#1 searched term on Google the next day.
The story of EZ Crunch Bowl - after the PitchMen show, Ethan Zohn’s product has gone to market.
The story of Awesome Auger - we have posts to tell this story. It’s heart-tugging. Tommy Motosko has the voicemail Billy left regardinge reception the product received after the PitchMen episode aired. Tommy is having trouble keeping in the tears. He ain’t the only one…
Commercial break :27 after
“I mean, Billy loved his family. It was the one thing he truly loved,” Sully.
Oh dear, Billy was such a mother’s son. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.
Billy, II training Billy, III.
Father and son talk about how life on the road. Billy, III didn’t really get to really know his father until he went to college down in Florida.
Then the center of his world, his daughter.
Commercial break :38 after
PitchMenrecap.
Billy n Sully are going back n forth on their antics. And they’re also pointing out how Billy was going to superstardom as the show was prepping to aire.
And the duo got to give back to others, help bring others along.
“The more famous he gets the more humble he gets. It’s really amazing to watch.” Sully
Then he got to do “The Tonight Show,” n do the Billy Shakespeare skit.
Sully tells about how Billy wouldn’t watch the show until it aired on Discovery Channel.
Commercial Break :47 after
AJ Khubani discussed the inherit competition between the PitchMen Billy n Sully.
“…like an old married couple,” Pete Doniegan.
Sully’s talking about Billy’s antics.
“I mean, who falls out of a chair?” Sully. The antics are classic. They really do fight like an old married couple…“a classic comic duo, and the best of friends,” narrator.
I forgot how funny it was when Billy chummed the waters for shark while Sully was swimming.
Now the family and friends are saying their goodbyes. They’re getting harder to watch as they go. “I’m superproud to have the name ‘Billy Mays,’ and trust me, if I have a son
“Billy did burn twice as bright for half as long,” Sully, “I’m gonna miss you saying, ‘Hi, Billy Mays here’...I love you brother. Rest in Peace.”
Yesterday, Discovery Channel ran a PitchMen marathon. I hope you got a chance to see all those heart-felt, quixotic, inspiring moments once again. We at As Seen on TV Network decided to forgo the liveblog of the PitchMen finale in hopes that people got a chance to get to their televisions and see it as it was intended. Discovery Channel did a nice job of paying a befitting tribute to Mays during the marathon; little clips, highlights, and messagesn sprinkled here and there throughout the day.
For those who missed the finale, below is the last few minutes of the PitchMen Finale. This youtube video was originally posted on blogs.tampabay.com. It pays a great homage to Billy Mays:
Discovery Channel Schedules Full-Length Tribute to Billy Mays July 9th
Blogs.TampaBay.com also has reported that Discovery Channel has scheduled a full-length tribute to Billy Mays for July 9th at 9pm (EST). If we find out more, we’ll pass it along.
Hearts are still heavy here. I think at this point we’re simply thankful for the reports we hear regarding the support that keeps pouring in for the Mays family.
Tune in for another As Seen on TV Network Blog’s LiveBlog of PitchMen. According to the Discovery Channel website, the episode, “Tale of Three Billys,” involves not only the Billy Mays we all know and love but also his father, Billy Mays and his son, Billy Mays, III. Not only that, but all three generations come together for the shooting of a new product, “Green Now.”
Step 1, deciding the products. Wow, someone was selling stuff about a calfing rope and an umbrella over a video camera. Which product do they pick? No One! Open Call time at Sullivan Productions…
The products people come up…
“You’d like to take everyone but you can,” Anthony Sullivan.
Then Mark Chester has walked through the store. His product, “Green Again,” a product to help renew the green back in grass. Environmentally friendly, has fertilizer, dries in 5 minutes so it can stay dry through the rain storm.
“I got to be honest Billy….I love the product,” Sully.
“I love this product, ” Billy.
Mark does a lot of jobs at residential homes and noticed all the brown spots. He did his research and found another product that found what he wanted. He spent many a-dollar to get the R&D together.
“We’ve been waiting all day for this product,” Billy.
Comercial break :10 after
If Billy and Sully love the product, then I’m going to hold off calling the product a, “spray can,” until I hear more…
Field Test: Billy and Sully take the Green Again out to the dog park to see if it will work. It’s almost amazing how the pet owners the talk to are girls. One pet owner points out how the green is darker than the grass.
“It smells and feels like spray paint,” dog owner.
“I want to know I’m not just spray painting my yard…” another dog owner.
Sully has the product being tested to make sure it’s non-toxic.
Billy Mays, III, is doing a commercial for Dan Wooley’s Ragazzi’s restaurant. Billy Mays is going to star in it. III wrote it, produced it, and directed it. The crew had to work through the lunch rush. If you’re wondering, the owner of Ragazzi’s is Billy’s brother-in-law.
As a show of respect, Sully dawns III’s PA pouch as a sign of respect. The first shots are the closeups.
“I’m sweating like I’m doing a marathon here,” Sully.
Commercial break :19 after
Billy graces his way into Ragazzi’s. “{III} is doing fine but Billy’s come in and all hell’s broken loose…and i’m running out of red wine,” Sull.
“He’s been wining n working. That’s the key to get Sully to work,” Billy.
“Him and his dad are night and day,” Sully.
“I’d work every day if he’d direct me,” Billy about his on.
GreenNow - Billy and Sull get on phone with Allstar Marketing. Allstar looks over the documentation and notes the product is not ready to go. They’ll have to work on another delivery system to make it legal. Mark claims Allstar is being to conservative.
Billy reaffirms his position that he will not put his name to something that is not safe for the environment.
Commercial break :30 after
While waiting for Green Again to get the legalities to sort out, the 3 Bill go to Sully’s house to show Sully Bill Sr’s product: a rotating taning device. Of course they have to “field test it.”
Sully wants Billy III to get margaritas and Billy can’t take his eyes off the test subject.
Those not on the “Turn Don’t Burn,” are jealous of those who get to test on it. The test subjects love the product. They get to nap and still get an even tan. A price quota of $150 and recommends a cup holder. Sully is convinced. Cruise ships, here they come.
Billy n Sully are going to do R&D to get testing done.
Green Again shoot time. Testing is complete. Now it’s called, “Green Again.” The shoot will take place in Southern California suberbia…
“Hi. Billy Mays here for Green Now…”
Sully wants the grass mowed to get lines. The international grass wars begin. “Seriously, this is lawns of America,” Billy.
“If I had the money, I’d switch the shoot to England,” Sully.
Commercial Break :42 after
Sully mows the lawn and the dry spots show up.
“I don’t think we should mow it,” Sully.
“Good call,” retorts Bill.
Time to bring in the dog. “I speak dog,” Billy. You can tell by the way to dog isn’t listening.
Billy n Sully can’t get the final shot right. “No Vanna White.” - crew.
Commercial Break :51 after
Ragazzi’s shoot is being edited. Billy Mays, III, actually worked at the restaurant when they moved to Florida. Time to show his uncle. Everbody is a fan of the commercial. The owner got to pay in pizza.
Green Now Media Test Results: Mark Chester goes to the door. Billy and Sully are straight-facing it. My guess: a winner.
“You’re gonna be a household brand,” Sully.
No champagne, but they’re going to celebrate. Way to go Mark.
Tune in next week for another enticing episode of PitchMen, and for all our home and garden needs, check out As Seen on TV Network.
As Seen on TV Network is the place to be read and experience another episode of Discovery Channel’s “PitchMen,” and tonight’s Episode, “Grater Education.” So far as we can gather from the Discovery Channel website, Billy and Sully will be working with the “Grater Plater” and will, get this, be teaching a class at Princeton University! (This is what I missed out by not getting an Ivy League education)
Product:Grater Plater
Inventor:Jeremy Parker
HERE WE GO:
Billy n Sully looked through the pitches and pick the Grater Plater. Grater Plater’s Jeremy Parker started when he was 9, pitching at shows including meeting Billy Mays during High School. He became, “Chef Jeremy” on the Home Shopping channel but having to fight cancer lost him his savings and his job. Now he’s trying to come back.
YouTube video of Grater Plater:
The Grater Plater helps keep in the juices n fibers from spices like ginger. Jeremy got the product from a friend and started pitching them in trade shows. Billy and Sully love the product. Billy wants to get the price point 2 for 1 at $14.99. It will come down to whether or not the Grater Plater can still be handmade in France or wiill have to be made to China.
Billy Mays will be doing a shoot for Mighty Putty Wood. His shoot will be aboard the famous HMS Bounty, the boat used in movies from “Mutiny on the Bounty” to “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
The Wow shot for Might Putty Wood was pulling the HMS Bounty with a Tug Boat.
Comercial break :11 after
Mutiny on the Bounty is what Billy Mays is all about. Nothing like watching the best pitchmen dangling from a swing seat. No one figured out how to keep his seat stablized, not to mention worrying about the sun and glare off the water. And now he has to get the line UST right.
“IT has the strength to pull the HSM Bounty…” DOH or “Her Majesty’s Bounty.”
Is that voice squeeking I hear? Billy’s hitting puberty. “Mighty Pub’s doing his job. Now I have to do my job.” Congrats, that’s the power of Mighty Putty Wood.
Billy Mays is being told that he’s going to now be mentioned on the HMS Bounty tour from now on. And now he gets to fire the canons.
Mighty Putty Wood Media Test Results: Another Huge Winner.
Grater Plater Time:
Sully got some “chefs” to cook for them on his boat so they can test the Grater Plater. The ladies like the grate and serve feature. They chef’s tell Billy and Sully that they’d pay “twenty to thirty dollars.”
Comercial break :22 after
Jeremy Parker started a band with Anthony Sullivan called, “Meet Me at the Pub.” They met by pitching products at a fair in Santa Rosa. Parker is hoping Grater Plater will help him reach his goals.
Professors Sullivan and Mays: Billy and Sully are going to Princeton University to guest teach in TELEBrands AJ Khubani’s class. The class breaks into small groups and develop a product n come up with the price, place and promotiont. The team with the best commercial get to travel to China with TELEBrands and work on getting their product on TV. Groups designing them.
Billy and Sully like the “Faster Filter” so far.
Commercial break :30 after
They’re doing a commercial shoot for Grater Plater. Anthony Sullivan does one commercial; Billy Mays does the other. They’ll A/B test both commercials to see which product goes nationwide. And the duo are already taking cheap shots at each other.
Now they’re fighting over who came up with the Blue denim shirt idea. They’ll both be wearing the same Billy Mays outfit. “Continuity,” is the reason Sully gives.
“The shirt is starting to take over my being,” - Sully
Wow, they’re taking it serious.
“If you think America is gonna respond more favorable to a an Englishmen than the real pitchmen, Billy Mays, you got another thing comin’.” - Billy
For the closeups, they want Parker to it. He has been officially knighted with the Blue Shirt.
Commercial break :41 after
Editing for the commercials has begun. Billy tried to “influence” the editor to do Billy’s first by giving the editor both dollars.
Sully comes to watch the videos and finds out Billy’s got done first. Proof the value of the dollar still goes a long way. Sully decides to edit the video himself. Sully stays up til at LEAST 5am.
Back to School - Billy n Sully go to meet with the Princeton students again.
Commercial Break :50 after
Billy n Sully looked over the products and chose Faster Filter. The students in the group get to go to China and work on getting a functioning prototype. Instead of forcing the water to the filter, the Faster Filter throws the filter through the water, drastically speeding up filtering time.
“When you go over there, don’t drink the water…unless you have a Faster Filter.” - Billy Mays
Grater Plater test results: Billy Mays crushed Anthony Sullivan by about 40%. But how well did the product do?
Jeremy Parker goes to the boat to find out. Billy n Sully show him by having one of the deckmaids bring out a bottle of Dom Pérignon. Tests show that the product should sell 3-to-1. Jeremy Parker beat the odds as a cancer survivor, now he’ll have beat the odds by having what will seem to be a successful product.
Emails and comments have been flying in to Blog.AsSeenOnTVNetwork.com, all with moreorless the same question:
“How do I submit my product/idea to ‘PitchMen‘ for consideration?”
Other variations of the question include, “How do I pitch my product/idea to Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan?” and the like, but we got the point.
So after a little research and a little waiting, we got the answer.
As far as we know, there is only one way to do an online submission to Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan for consideration. Believe it or not, the one way to do an online submission to Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan is NOT writing to Discovery.com. After asking Discovery Channel, they directed us to the link that have posted on their website.
Now before I give you the link, take heed of the tips posted by Discovery Channel, who got the tips from Anthony Sullivan’s Sullivan Productions, Inc. So in a since we got this straight from the horse’s mouth.
The more likely your product covers these principals, the better chance you have of getting it seen by Billy and Sully (note: these principles do not guarantee an audience with the duo.)
Discovery.com PitchMen Tips from Sullivan Productions
1) “Is It Highly Demonstrable?“ - is the product easy to pitch on TV
2) “Is It Unique or New?”
3) “Does It Have a Patent?“- not a necessity, but definately a benefit
4) “Does It Solve A Common Problem?”
5) “Does It Have Room for a 5x Markup?“ - best achieved with inexpensive cost of production
6) “Does It Have Mass Market Appeal?”
7) “Does It Have Perceived High Value?”
8 ) “Prevention DOES NOT Sell!” - hard to show the results in a TV commercial
Once you think your products have safely taken care of these factors, then feel free submit your product. And I wouldn’t recomend repeatedly sending your submissions. Nobody really likes spam.
And, from the school of “there is more than one way to skin a cat,” another place to pitch your product / idea is by going to livemercial.com.
As part of their ongoing “Pitch It to the Pros” campaign which has featured Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, livemercial has a link where you can upload a video clip of your pitch.
And while you’re there, take a look at the many products that have already been pitched and submitted.
Make sure to tune in tonight for another PitchMenLiveBlog! as we dissect and analyze the newest PitchMen episode, “Spinning Green.” According to the Discovery Channel website, the featured product will be “Spin Gym,” by Forbes Riley.
And to mix it up a little, Billy and Sully go to Hollywood! Want to guess which one goes on The Tonight Show. Sparks could fly.
Here’s a Fox News Clip of Forbes Riley where she sneaks in a Spin Gym pitch:
PitchMen, “Spinning Green,” Episode facts:
Channel: Discovery
Original Air Date: 2009/05/27
Time: 10:00pm EDT and again at 1:00am EDT
Product: Spin Gym
Inventor: Forbes Riley
HERE WE GO
The final four products Billy n Sully had to choose from here is intriguing. Billy n Sully are off to Vegas to pick the product. Billy just wants to pick the best product and that’s it. This is they’re at ERA in Vegas and come across Forbes Riley. There are some giants at the show: TELEBrands, livemercial…
Riley is trying to get Billy n Sully turned on to Spin Gym. Sully looks excited. Billy seems on the fence. Forbes got her inspiration from her father - an abstract inventor who didn’t know how to get his products to market. Forbes Riley claims she sells about $2,000 a minute when on”Home Shopping.” Now she wants her name on a product and have the same effect. She didn’t’ invent Spin Gym, but she’s an inventor.
Billy and Sully will field test, but first Billy has a Kaboom shoot. …take 8, take… Sully n Billy are fighting about how to wipe glass scum. I guess it proves that details make all the difference. Billy is giving Sully the death look while Sully does an onscreen rant.
“Maybe you should use a ShamWOW,” said the production assistant whose sure not to have a job much longer (unless that was Billy Mays III). If Billy only had a ZorbEEZ in his back pocket at that point.
“Maybe I’ll give you a ShamPOW!”
Commercial break :11 after
The Cleaning lesson continues. “See, if you listen to me I’ll make you look good every time,” Sully. But now the schedule is behind. Billy wants to get the shoot on schedule - so long as he doesn’t have to listen to Sully.
“Billy may have actually done something in one take - because he listened to me.”
Field testing the Spin Gym on the boardwalk - “Welcome to the gun show.”
The question: Toy or workout device? They all tell Billy its a workout device but then tell the camera they think it’s a toy. That’s mean.
TELEBrands TIME! Forbes, Billy, and Sully meet with AJ Khubani. Riley is selling the idea to AJ - Grease Bullet in the background. (I bet Grease Bullet is about to relaunch right, about, now… )
AJ is concerned about Spin Gym’s credibility. Riley says it was the same thing with Ped Egg. AJ is testing the product. Now the learning curve is a concern.
Billy n Sully point out that it’s demonstrable, solves a problem…the ball is in AJ’s court.
Commercial break :20 after
AJ’s answer: he’s willing to give it a go.
In the meantime, Billy n Sully are interviewing other inventors. A guy is showing a wine stopper with an air bag that keeps the air away from the wine. Billy’s afraid to promote alcoholic beverage but doesn’t know if it’s an As Seen on TV material.
An inventor has a plant watering device (very Aqua Globes-ish but without the work of art). Billy and Sully like the product. The inventor is in his 70’s and his dad - all 99 years old of him - is the co-owner of the product. Life springs eternal.
Forbes Riley comes to Sullivan Studios to discuss the price point. She brings in a team of exercise geeks to do a Spin Gym workout. Forbes, you don’t have to preach to the converted. AJ Khubani thinks that with his Chinese manufacturing that they can get the product down to $19.99. The price point scares Riley. (Riley, most of the best infomercial products sell at $19.99!!!)
Uh-oh, Forbes Riley found out her Spin Gym trademark has been taken. She put in a call to the owner of the name and is waiting to hear it back. Now they’re doing product naming.
Commercial break :33 after
The name setback has her down.
Commercial shoot time. How do they keep doing shoots without trademark on product names. She’s frantically offering $10K for the naming rights…she got it. That’s called listening to Billy - “take it or leave it.”
Forbes Riley is doing the promo herself. Billy, Sully, and Riley in the same room. They could make the whole episode around them arguing how to say, “Here’s how to order…” Billy Mays name drop time!
Now they’re arguing price point reshoots. She earlier discussed how she didn’t get her MBA. If she had, she’d understand the value of price point instead of the prestige. She’s willing to walk away because she’s that afraid of the prestige of the price point.
Commercial break :43 after
“I don’t know what her problem is. I think she’s more concerned about a associating a Forbes Riley product for $10 bucks than she is selling the product. I mean, What the f###?” - Sully.
“This whole thing can go from a $10 Spin Gym to an $80,000 paperweight.” - Sully
She’s getting nauseous over the price points. It looks like her nerves are calming down after the shoot. Working out with the Spin Gym for 3 hours in front of the camera can do it to.
Billy n Sully are off to Burbank - NBC Studios. Billy’s going on “The Tonight Show.”
Sully got called, “his chauffeur,” by the NBC Security guard. NICE
Billy is doing an Orange Glo / Shakespeare spot on the episode. He’s getting ready to do a live take. Billy’s practicing. The’re enjoying the fact they have a signed script from Jay Leno. Sully’s pumped, being ubersupportive. They both understand the significance of this moment for the Direct Response industry.
Commercial Break :52 after
Billy claims The Tonight Show was “nerve-racking,” but according to Sully, Billy Mays killed it. He got to hang out with Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and Jennifer Aniston. Billy wants to meet her again. Sully wont’ let him go alone
Media Test Buy for Spin Gym Results: the tested $19.99 against $29.99 both tested bad. The best it could do was a $196 CPO for $19.99 price point. Sully is coming back with saying the $10.00 price point could have worked. “Always go with the best offer,” Billy Mays. Have to agree with Billy n Sully.
AJ dropped the product. Billy n Sully suggest she drop the product.
Forbes Riley still won’t get over her fear of the $10.00 price point. She’s breaking down. “That’s why you’re driving the Bentley and I’m not.”
Sometimes the best lessons are the hardest to learn. Check back her next week for another LiveBlog! of PitchMen.
Tune in to the As Seen on TV Network Blog as we LiveBlog! the adventures of Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan in another episode of Discovery Channel’s, “PitchMen!” Tonight’s episode includes the Grabit and, a product that can be found on As Seen on TV Network, Tool Band-It.
What Is Tool Band-It?
Have a looksee as the product is pitched by none other than Billy Mays himself.
PitchMen, “Tool Guys,” Episode facts:
Channel: Discovery
Original Air Date: 2009/05/20
Time: 10:00pm EDT and again at 1:00am EDT
Product #1: Grabit
Inventor: Ivan Desaulniers
Product #2: Tool Band-It
Inventor: Mike Shurm
Here We Go
The show starts with its product pitch choices section.
Tool Band-It is part of the choices. Which one will they pick? Mark Shurm’s Tool Band-It. Off Shurm goes to Tampa.
Tool Band-It - lightweight, magnetic arm band. Made for jobs in confined spaces - cars, crawl spaces…
This is the part of the story where we learn that Shurm is risking a lot. He’s a Purchasing Manager for a restaurant chain in San Diego. Shurm got the idea while working on a door jam with his dad and got upset that his dad kept putting the nails in his mouth. Necessity being the mother of invention…
Discovery animation explaining the powerful magnets that power the Tool Band-It. Discovery Channel makes everything look cool.
Tool Band-It investment: ~250k and “every spare moment.”
Billy’s testing it. Billy - The Tool Band-It holds metal tools but doesn’t hold metal tools to the tools on the band.
Sully, “So why do you need us?” Shurm’s answer: lack of time n resources to grow it further.
Billy n Sully put their heads together. Sully likes it. Billy’s unusually quiet which seems to often mean he’s supportive n rooting for the idea. They both like how that it’s a finished product and ready to go. They want to test it.
The other product. Grabit. I’ve used it before. It pulls out stripped screws. Billy Mays has his set designers testing it out.
The set designers appreciate it. Billy’s sold.
Commercial Break :10 after
Grabit: Ivan Desaulniers has spent ~2 million dollars patenting the idea and lost 1 million dollar in bad product because the prototype wasn’t properly tested. The secound round has been tested to the hill: geometry, heat testing. Another 10 years of testing and $13 million dollars went into the second prototype. If the Grabit fails, the company goes down.
Comic relief section: Billy’s gonna try to fix Sully’s boat so they can move it so the workers can fix the dock lift and test the Tool Band-It. Looks like Billy needs a Tool Band-It.
“We can row it faster than this,” Sully.
Sure enough, Billy fixed the boat.
The workers use the Tool Band-It while Billy n Sully go boating around. I think the workers hope they get to keep the Tool Band-It. They say they’d spend about $30 for one of these.
Billy n Sully callled Shurm to tell him they love the Tool Band-It.
“Quit your day job,” says Billy.
Commercial Break :21 after
Desaulniers uses 20 machines to make the little Grabit. Wow.$110,000 a machine.The process is intense. Discovery Channel doesn’t need animations to make this look cool. ~ $16 million dollars spent on the little bit - for want of a nail, or crowbar (as a co-worker points out)…
As if the the Grabit deal isn’t complex enough, AJ Khubani n TeleBRANDS wants in on the action. After negotiations, a marketing company and two infomercial giants, AND Billy Mays is working Grabit.
Sully says that “everybody on the planet except me,” is on the Grabit project.
Shooting conflicts: Sully says Billy double-booked. Billy says he didn’t double book Grabbit n Tool Band-It. DOH!
Billy won’t apologize so Sully thinks revenge. Wait, there’s 2 Billys. What’s that about?
Commercial Break :32 after
We’re back. (Had to take a couple seconds to watch the Cubs get shut out a second straight night in St. Louis. GRRRRR. Oh. Soto walked. It ain’t over yet)
Tool Band-It n Shurm has found a company to help out: Vertical Branding. You’d know Vertical Branding from such products as Billy May’s ZorbEEZ! They’re trying to decide the right “Wow” sell for the commercial. All sides are at odds. Sully has 12 hours to come up with Wow for the commercial.
Commercial shoot time: 2 things missing from the shoot: 1) the Wow idea. 2) Anthony Sullivan, aka the director. It is amazing how many products are shot at Sully’s house. Sully’s got a head-spinning flu. Billy’s having fun.
“When I look bad I put makeup on,” Billy Mays.
Shurm would be upset, but h@ll, Mike Shurm has Billy Mays pitching the product. Unfortunately, the shoot is going slow. Still now WOW. Talk about working without a net.
Commercial Break :41 after
(for prosperity’s sake, the Cubs scraped around a run in the top of the 9th. Runners are now at first n third. 2 outs. Reed Johnson is up, facing an uphill battle working back from an 0-2 count. We think he’s wearing a Tool Band-It. Nasty slider just got him. Cards win 2-1. Thanks for indulging me. Commercial Break is almost done.)
Recap. Tool Band-It is still without Sully and the Wow factor. Sully sounds hungover. Billy’s even throwing in his “World Famous Hercules Hook,” into the Tool Band-It offer.
Billy Mays is off to the Grabit shoot. The shooter is a rival to Anthony Sullivan.
“Forget all that time on Focus Groups. Just spend a little money on TV and you’ll get your answer,” Billy Mays.
Billy n Sully are back working on Tool Band-It. Sully still thinks it needs a “Wow,” demo. Sully thinks of a “heavy weight.” Should have said something a couple days ago. They’ve pulled out the freeweights to see what works.
“Do you know how much 25 lbs. weighs?” Billy.
“25 lbs.,” Sully.
They’re reshooting with the 25 lbs. freeweight. The Tool Band-It holding the 25 lbs. free weight is actually pretty cool.
Back to the Grabit edits. The inventor thinks the commercial can do better.
Commercial Break :52 after
The Grabit commercial got completely reshot and redited. AJ Khubani n TELEBrands ran the TV Test. Results: poor. DeSaulniers looks devistated. Khubani suggests a reshoot because he believes in the product and the need. DeSaulniers thinks the shape of the economy has a lot to do with it. Khubani n TELEBrands is fronting all the money for the TV commercials and want to do it again. Retail sales for the Grabit also confirm that the product should end up doing well.
Tool Band-IT Results: Shurm is trying to not to get too high, not get too low. It’s sorta anticlimatic for us because you can find Tool Band-It on As Seen on TV Network so you know the outcome. Shurm looks like Andy Dick’s older brother, but in a humble enough way where you can still get can get behind his story. Tool Band-It hit 3.5 - 1 on its add buy and should make about $700k a week! Nice job, Shurm.
Way to go Mike. Way to go, Ivan!
See you next week as we LiveBlog! another episode of PitchMen.
Emails and comments have been flying in to 
…take 8, take… Sully n Billy are fighting about how to wipe glass scum. I guess it proves that details make all the difference. Billy is giving Sully the death look while Sully does an onscreen rant.
