Has anyone actually made a better eCommerce VSL than Dollar Shave Club?
I don’t mean a better quality, with better lighting and angles and all that stuff.
I mean a video that gets attention, explains the offer, handles objections…
And actually makes people buy.
So today, I am doing my eCommerce Unofficial VSL Awards.
🏅Best Taboo Product
Poo-Pourri
Youtube: Girls Don't Poop - PooPourri.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY)
They took something people do not want to talk about and made it impossible not to talk about.
That is the whole lesson.
If your product solves an awkward problem, stop pretending it doesn’t.
🏅Best Weird Product Explanation
Squatty Potty
Youtube: This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop - #SquattyPotty (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q)
A toilet stool is not an easy sell.
So they used a unicorn, rainbow ice cream, and a very simple mechanism.
Mad. But clear.
🏅Best Product Demo
Purple Mattress
Youtube: How to Use a Raw Egg to Determine if Your Mattress is Awful - Purple Mattress #goldilocks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BvwpjaGZCQ)
The raw egg test is elite.
You don’t need mattress jargon when people can see the difference.
🏅Best Repeatable Idea
Blendtec - Will It Blend?
Youtube: Will It Blend? - iPad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl28d6tbko)
One idea.
Endless versions.
Same product proof every time.
Most brands are chasing new ideas when they should be looking for one idea they can repeat.
Side note: I might have just included this because of the name
🏅Best Customer Avatar
Chatbooks
Youtube: Easy Photo Books with Chatbooks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF2eKaOc3wo&t=10s)
It knows exactly who it is talking to: busy mums who want the memories but do not want another admin job.
That is why it works. The customer feels seen before the product is even fully explained.
🏅Best Gross Demo
Orabrush
Youtube: Molio: Bad Breath Test Orabrush Now in Walmart and CVS A (https://youtu.be/nhZPxs3L-1U?si=q9glQ6XqcRpsSJEj)
This is a classic.
It turns bad breath into something you can test at home with a spoon.
Horrible? Yes.
Effective? Also yes.
🏅Best Category Reframe
Dr. Squatch
Youtube: Save Your Skin With Dr. Squatch Soap (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1TtIt5tdP8)
Soap should be boring.
Dr. Squatch made it feel like a personality choice.
It makes normal body wash feel like the wrong option.
🏅Best Objection Handling
Lume Deodorant
Youtube: Lume Whole Body Deodorant - 72 Hours of Odor Control (https://youtu.be/D3zD2LChl58?si=eQ2B0SNw_5nvayJ0)
Whole-body deodorant is pretty weird.
Lume makes it the selling point.
It answers the question the customer is already thinking: “Can I actually use it there?”
🏆 Best Overall VSL
Still the winner .
It sells the product, the price, the subscription model, the enemy, and the founder in one hit.
Plus… the launch video reportedly cost only $4,500, crashed the site, brought in 12,000 orders within 48 hours, helped the company do $3.5m in revenue in 2012, and DSC was later bought by Unilever for a reported $1bn.
Dollar Shave Club
Youtube: DollarShaveClub.com - Our Blades Are F*ing Great (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI)
In the first few seconds, you know:
- What they sell.
- Why you should care.
- Why the old way is stupid.
- Why the price makes sense.
- Why the blades are good enough.
- What to do next.
That is the job of a VSL.
Not to “tell the brand story”.
Not to win a design award.
To make the customer think:
“Yep. I get it. That’s for me.”
And Dollar Shave Club did that in under two minutes.
Honourable mentions also go to Manscaped, TUSHY, DUDE Wipes and Ridge Wallet. All strong, but not quite enough to steal the trophy.
Now it’s your turn…
I’ve got a High-Converting Product Video Framework you can use to you brief your VSL.
It helps you map the hook, proof, objections, offer, support, and CTA before anyone touches a camera.
Caption:
Get a copy here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R6bx_uW2lGcOiSMuKRiHYkQftMozr-uQY89slLp_Scg/copy?
Chat soon,
Peter
