How Inventors Could Benefit From a New Entrepreneurial-Themed Movie The Home Shopping Network offers the opportunity of a lifetime as a tie-in to a forthcoming Seth Rogen movie.
By Carol Tice Edited by Dan Bova
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Ever tried to market your business with your mom in tow? That's the premise of the upcoming movie The Guilt Trip. Beyond enjoying watching a business owner squirm under his mom's critical gaze, this movie's got a tie-in that's going to interest inventors. There's a contest tie-in that will land one lucky entrepreneur a spot selling their product on the Home Shopping Network (HSN).
In the movie, Seth Rogen plays the inventor of a green cleaning product, and is planning a week-long road trip to sell it door to door. His mom, played by Barbra Streisand, guilts him into taking her along. In other words, it's a classic road-trip comedy setup, with an entrepreneurial twist.
Full plot details are not yet available, but apparently along the way, Rogen's character scores a chance to sell his product on HSN. To plug its involvement in the film, HSN is running a contest for inventors through Edison Nation, which puts on the Everyday Edisons inventor-contest PBS show.
Related: Are You Ready to Pitch Your Product to Investors?
A judging panel which will include someone from the cast of the movie (they're mum so far on who) will review the entries. Finalists present at Paramount Studios on Nov. 17, and the winner gets to sell their product on HSN.
One small drawback: This contest, which is accepting applications through Nov. 16, comes with a $10 application fee. But that could be small potatoes versus a chance to get your product seen by some Hollywood types, and potentially featured on HSN.
So far, getting an investment from Shark Tank's Lori Greiner was the best shot inventors had of coming out of nowhere and getting their product on a home-shopping network, through Greiner's connection with QVC. With this contest, HSN jumps into the game.
Related: 3 Lessons From Shark Tank on How to Make Your Business More Likable
By contrast to a Shark Tank-type format, this contest and the live finalists' presentations before the celebrity judges take place off-screen, with only one winner appearing on TV.
But making up for that is the fact that the inventors' products might get spotted by celebrity judges and perhaps used. Nothing can rocket a product to success like one high-profile celebrity deciding to use it.
