PitchandShip.com

Priscilla Presley to Launch New Jewelry Collection on QVC, August 9th

Actress, author and widow to the King of Rock and Roll, Priscilla Presley is scheduled to introduce The Priscilla Presley Jewelry Collection — featuring necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets inspired by the style icon’s personal experiences — on QVC next Monday, August 9 at 9 AM (ET).  The line was developed in partnership with bsp, a Los Angeles-based brand extension and business development firm, who announced the premiere in a press release today.  According to the company’s website, their other celebrity-brand clients include: Britney Spears, Sheryl Crow and the AMC’s Mad Men television series.

Mary J. Blige Takes HSN Fragrance-Selling Record from Diddy

Her new fragrance, My Life, sold 50,000 units over the past weekend on HSN, which enabled her to wrest the network’s fragrance-sellign record away from her former collaborative partner Diddy.  St. Louis American Aug. 3, 2010

Supermodel Christie Brinkley Launches New Jewelry Line on QVC

The Christie Brinkley Jewelry Collection, which premiered on QVC Sunday night, features bracelets, cocktail rings and dangle earrings, adorned with gemstones, such as Sky Blue Topaz and Moonstone, as well as statement necklaces and leather bracelets with floral accents. “This line is a celebration of all the things I love.” Brinkley said in a statement.  Item prices range from $45 to $400.  People Magazine Aug. 1, 2010  Examiner.com Jul. 31, 2010

In a Few Hours, Martha Stewart Sells Out of $350 Cricut Cake Decorating Machine on HSN

If her debut performance with the cake cutting machine is any guide, Marvelous Martha Stewart may force her way onto HSN’s top ten list of best-selling culinary products of all time, currently dominated by Wolfgang Puck.  Here is the list to date:

1. Wolfgang Puck Immersion Blender

2. Todd English GreenPan

3. Emeril Lagasse Stainless Steel Cookware Set

4. Debbie Meyer Green Boxes

5. David’s Cookies Try-It-All

6. Wolfgang Puck Food Processor

7. Command Performance Triple Burner

8. Wolfgang Puck Cutlery Set

9. Tony Little Body by Byson

10. Wolfgang Puck Electric Pressure Cooker

LA Weekly Jul. 20, 2010

Kelly Ripa and Kim Kardashian Sport Fedoras and ‘Staches in QVC PSA

Kelly Ripa and Kim Kardashian take the Y chromosome out for a spin in a public service announcement for the QVC Presents Super Saturday Live shopping fundraiser taking place in The Hamptons on July 31.  The event will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  (Apparently, all it takes to make beautiful women look ridiculous is a mustache.)  E! Online Jul. 20, 2010

From the “Non-News” Department — Martha is a Savvy Marketer…

In addition to selling a limited number of items on-air, Martha Stewart’s appearance on HSN serves as a teaser to promote a much broader array of products, which are available in numerous, competing outlets, including Jo-Ann Stores (JAS), Walmart (WMT) and Michaels, as well as on a Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) dedicated website.  The DRTV network appearance, in effect, serves as a substitute for a national advertising campaign, which would be cost-prohibitive given the dispersion of Martha’s craft line across retail stores and formats.  BNET (CBS News) Jul. 19, 2010

Martha Stewart to Pitch Provo Craft Cake Decorating Machine During HSN Debut, July 19th

Joining Stewart during her appearances will be Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s crafting expert Alex Perruzzi.  Together, they will demonstrate Provo Craft’s Cricut cake decorating and cutting machine, along with key items from the Martha Stewart Crafts line.  These will include the Martha Stewart Crafts Punch and Stamp Kit, Large Circle Cutter, a 24-pk Iridescent Glitter Kit, the Scoreboard Kit, Essential Tool Kit, Essential Glitter Kit, and the Essential Punch Kit.  HSN Press Release Jul. 14, 2010

A Pretty Hip Crowd Hawks their Music on QVC UK

Remember when Huey Lewis sang, “It’s hip to be square?”  Well, that song’s title occurred to me upon learning that Sheryl Crow, Susan Boyle, Whitney Houston and Justin Bieber are all appearing on QVC UK in support of new albums.  It’s an eclectic but celebrated group of performers — I don’t even know who Justin Bieber is — but they are all acknowledging the power of DRTV to find (or rekindle) a connection with an audience.  And to sell, of course.  The Daily Mirror (UK) Jul. 10, 2010

Liza Lights Up the Switchboards at HSN, But How Many Callers Were Buying?

If one parses the cryptic adjectives HSN sources used to describe Liza Minnelli’s recent visit, one gets the impression that the show was a success, but not a blockbuster.  Perhaps too many callers just wanted a chance to chat with the star.  HSN officials described sales of many Liza Collection items as “hot,” viewership as “up” and call traffic as “overwhelming.”  St. Petersburg Times Jul. 6, 2010

Quirky Liza HSN Clips Find an Audience on YouTube

A five-minute clips reel of Liza Minnelli’s loopier moments during her HSN premiere Wednesday night has gone viral on YouTube.  Watch it here. During a two-hour pitch, Minnelli did at times seem to be off her game, slurring her words, contradicting show host Bobbi Ray Carter and sharply directing the models about how best to wear the apparel for sale.  Perhaps the 64-year-old star is not completely well.  In the San Francisco Bay Times, reviewer Mike Ward wrote about a recent Minnelli concert, at Livermore’s Wente Vineyards in California, describing it as heart-wrenching to watch a “…vocally-and-physically-weakened Liza [as she] sputtered along well below her standard.”