Busted at the Fair: Buy Slushy Magic

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around the product "Slushy Magic," which was showcased at a state fair as an easy smoothie-making solution. The product consists of cube-sized packets primarily containing salt water, which cannot freeze in standard home freezers. A demonstration revealed that the presenters used a medical-grade freezer, leading to a confrontation with an audience member who demanded a refund. Despite the controversy, the product continued to attract new customers, highlighting the effectiveness of marketing over product functionality.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of chemistry, particularly the properties of salt water.
  • Familiarity with home freezer capabilities and limitations.
  • Knowledge of marketing techniques used in product demonstrations.
  • Awareness of consumer rights regarding product refunds and complaints.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the chemistry behind freezing point depression and its implications for product design.
  • Investigate consumer protection laws related to misleading advertising and refunds.
  • Explore effective marketing strategies for product demonstrations at fairs and expos.
  • Learn about the efficiency and practicality of home energy solutions, such as wind turbines.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for consumers evaluating product claims, marketers seeking to understand effective demonstration techniques, and anyone interested in the intersection of chemistry and consumer products.

Greg Bernhardt
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Last week I went to my state's fair and one of my favorite places is the expo center. It's shop full of "made for tv" products. I've always been suspicious of the products being presented, but for the first time I witnessed a booth getting busted! I forget the exact name of the product, something like "Magic Smoothie", but it was being sold as an easy way to make a smoothie. Essentially they were just selling cube sized packets that you throw in the freezer. The packets contained a solution that was mostly salt water. For anyone with a high school chemistry education the problem becomes immediately clear. The vast majority of home freezers can't freeze salt water. However their demonstrations worked! While I was there an older lady stormed the demonstration and demanded a refund claiming the product didn't work. The man on stage basically just told her she did it wrong. After a few minutes of arguing the demonstrators wife let slip that the freezer they use on stage is medical grade. After that slip the demonstrator got very heated and basically told the lady to get lost, in front of everyone lol. We left as well, but came back 30min later and a new crowd was around and stupidly captivated. Like they never lost a step.

The website is buyslushymagic.com
 
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Oh yeah - anything involving a "balance test" :)
 


Salt water smoothy? Doesn't sound like it tastes good anyway :-p
 


Ryan_m_b said:
Salt water smoothy? Doesn't sound like it tastes good anyway :-p

I forgot to mention you fill a glass up with juice, drop a few packets in (they stay sealed) and then the juice becomes a slush :)
 


My dad pointed out a couple of "energy saving or generating" ones at a show.

Basically their "ultra efficient" wind turbine for the top of your house roof wouldn't even power a couple of light bulbs at full capacity and would have taken approximately 300 years to pay for itself.