Short Takes

A Cuffs Link

Oh, the things you find in the Valentine’s Day section of the local Rite Aid while waiting for a prescription refill... Burning questions:
* When did Rite-Aid break into the “naughty” novelties business?

* And when, exactly, did bondage become all the rage among the preschooler set?

KIDS WITH ATTITUDE

We love a success story. Single dad Wilson Santos started Revo Baby infant wear with a couple of bucks and a dream. Now, a year later, he has a number of nationwide accounts and a thriving Web site. His winning idea is baby t-shirts sporting sayings with attitude. Some of our favorites include “I WILL NOT Be Pacified”; “Babies United for Breastmilk”; “No Justice, No Sleep”; and “What Do We Want? Milk! When Do We Want It? Now!” Check out the line for yourself at Revo Baby.com.

FIND A NEED AND FILL IT

We’ll be the first to admit we rarely, if ever, think of breastfeeding. Still, somebody does, and has found a way to make money off it. Introducing the “Cushie Pushie Organic Breast Support Pillow.” Which is what, exactly? An “eco-friendly pillow [that] pushes the breast upward in order to allow easy latching on by the nursing child, while maintaining correct breast positioning throughout the feeding.” (Pausing now, while we blink repeatedly while staring off into space, trying to visualize…) OK, we’re back. It’s available at CushiePushie.com. It’s yet another idea we shoulda had…

MORE NICHE MARKETING

(It’s funny how these things arrive as “themes.” But we digress…) Got a pitch from “Belly Flirt,” a company announcing “the launch of its head-turning, sexy, fashionable and fun maternity T-shirt collection.” (Wow. That’s a lot of oxymorons in one sentence…) Designed by a pregnant woman who was unhappy with the selection of maternity shirts she found, the line offers tops in a blend of rayon, polyester and spandex for comfort, and witty sayings on the front for fun. The sayings include, “I Used to be a Size 0,” “Brad’s Baby,” “My Baby is Cuter Than Shiloh,” and our current favorite, “Natural Childbirth? Are You on Drugs?” Preach, sister, preach! Details and ordering info available at Belly Flirt.com.

BABY, YOU'RE STYLIN'

Sensing a business opportunity with growing promise, Jockey International and Gerber Childrenswear have begun the “design, production and distribution of Jockey-branded underwear, sleepwear and thermalwear for infant, toddler and children's apparel.” Which makes perfect business sense (for guys, anyway). Think about your own undies: when’s the last time you switched brands? Probably never, right? Hook ‘em while they’re young!

THEIR FEET NEVER HIT THE FLOOR

We understand new parents want the best for their kids, but we were a tad taken aback by the new line of Trumpette Baby Socks from online clothier Sandbox Couture. They’re cute as can be, but they go for $24.25 for six pair, which is like, $4 a pair. For kids who don’t even wear shoes yet? Seems pricey, but our kids passed that stage years ago. Maybe we’re just old. Check ‘em out yourself at Sandbox Couture.com. And we love their logo: “Designer Baby Clothes for Little Girls and Boys ... Play Hard... Look Good...” Heh.

GO, BABY, GO

Last week we made fun of commented about a company that was pushing “camouflage” décor for a baby’s room. Now comes word from Corner Stork Baby Gifts.com that we missed another whole market entirely: Nascar! But CSBG is on the case with a whole line of Nascar-themed items for the wee ones. Included are such favorites as: “The "Daddy's Racing Buddy" baby bodysuit, featuring three snap-tight closures on its 100% cotton construction, and highlights a silkscreen Nascar racer and charming racing details;” “The simply adorable ‘Future Miss Nascar Driver’ frilly pink baby dress featuring a silkscreen Nascar racer on its 100% cotton build;” and our personal favorite, “For true contemporary Southern culture, nothing beats the Nascar camo baby romper. Its camouflage pattern perfectly accents the silkscreened inscription: ‘If you can't find me, you can't catch me.’” Hey, different strokes for different folks.

KEEP PLUGGING AWAY

We wrote about these guys a few weeks ago, noting how they realized their product isn’t for everyone, but they’ll try to sell it anyway. It’s Camo, short for camouflage, and it’s big among hunters and the military. Now they’re trying to sway Moms. The CamoShop.com tells us: "As hunting's popularity has grown, so has the number of people using camouflage as a nursery decoration. Tony Brobst, president of the Camo Shop, offers tips for using infant camo in the nursery and as a baby shower gift." Wow, Tony, really? Good for you. "It's great to use camo as a nursery theme," he said in a release. "For one, it's unisex, so it works well for both boys and girls, and that makes it easier for Mom and Dad to agree when it comes time to decorate. Plus, you get a chance to pass your hunting passion to the newest member of your family." We gotta admit, we love this guy!

REAL OR NOT, IT'S A GOOD IDEA

We can’t tell if it’s legit or not, but we got a lead on a site called BulletProof Baby.net, which allegedly sells bullet- and bomb-protection products for, well, babies. (With thanks to our friends at Fark.com, where we cadged it from) What caught our eye was the “Toddler Taser,” a small, $40 Taser gun, good for taking down creeps who bother moms when they’re out for a stroll. Our B.S. alarm went off though, because every product we looked at on their homepage was “Out of Stock.” Hmmmm. Still if it’s a fake site, it’s a really good one. And if it’s real, we want one of those mini-tasers. We’re at 770 Broadway in New York, guys. ZIP is 10003. Just, you know, in case.

AVAST, ME HEARTY! CHANGE ME!

Marketers that come up with a niche product and then manage to eke out a living from it always get our attention. Today we visit with MyPacifier.com, a site dedicated to selling personalized baby pacifiers. Not content to just engrave a kid’s name on the ubiquitous binky, they now offer a line of pirate-inspired pacifiers—cashing in on the current trend anchored by Johnny Depp’s latest film—and a “genius” line, bearing Einstein’s famous “E=MC2” dictum. Cute, but pricey: The personalized ones are three for $15 (plus shipping), and the designer ones are seven bucks each. Still, each is guaranteed to elicit an “Awwwww!” from grownups who move in for a close-up of the kid, so how can you put a price on that? See them all at MyPacifier.com.