Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 20, 1994 TAG: 9407200057
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Sandra Brown Kelly
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Safe-T-Man is touted as "The hottest new safety companion" in the latest mailing to members of the mid-Atlantic division of the Automobile Association of America.
This "unique life-sized, portable male safety companion for auto or home" is being marketed especially to women "because he gives the impression you're not alone," according to advertising for the product.
The ad for the mannequin said he resembles a 6-foot, 180-pound male but is easy to carry because he weighs just 6 pounds. He sells for $99.97 to AAA members, $120 to others.
There is a precedent for the use of a dummy like this. A few years ago, the Salem Police Department put a mannequin and a radar detector in a car to scare speeders into slowing down. Also, frenzied Northern Virginia motorists tried filling their back seats with dummies so they could get onto less congested HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes that are reserved at rush hour for car-pooling commuters. The cops caught on to that, though.
So what is this Safe fellow like?
"Well, he has polyfiber fill inside, but his hands and face are molded plastic. Plus, he has a little 5-o'clock shadow," said Ken, the telemarketing clerk at the other end of the toll-free number.
Does that mean he'd fit in with any ethnic group?
"Yes, but he doesn't come with the clothes in the picture. We like to leave the dressing to you."
In the ad, Safe-T-Man wears a beret, sunglasses, an ascot and trench coat.
"His proportion is life-size, but he's just a torso," Ken also warned. "We have available legs ... some women want legs, so when truckers look down into their cars it will look more real."
If I wanted legs, how much would they cost?
"$18.97 for legs."
I restrained myself from further discussion of anatomy, and instead asked Ken if there was a Safe-T-Man on display in his office. The Roanoke AAA office doesn't have one.
"We have one," said Ken. "One day we had him sitting at a desk and the rest of us were in a meeting. The UPS man went up to him to get him to sign for an order."
By then I sort of liked Ken and Safe-T-Man, and even though I hung up the phone without ordering, I spent some time thinking of all the possibilities for a really dumb fellow.
Kmart Corp., which, in addition to being a discount store, is the third-largest drug chain in the country, also wants to be the source of home health care products ranging from crutches to canes to special clothing.
The company put displays of the home health care items in 400 of its stores and liked the sales results enough to launch a Home Health Care catalog that should make the same products available in all its stores without the risk of large inventories.
The catalog promises delivery to any Kmart store within 24 hours to 48 hours of order, said spokeswoman Susan England.
England also said that although there are posted prices on the products offered, Kmart promises to match the price of any competitor.
An interesting in-air development: On Aug. 19, United Airlines passengers will be able to hear a live performance of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who will be in concert in Chicago. The in-flight broadcast, the second such effort, is a project of United, American Express and Sky Radio, a Virginia company launched in 1992 to beam special events to airborne passengers.
The signal goes from Chicago to a satellite 22,000 miles high and back to an antenna installed on the aircraft fuselage.
by CNB