Light Angel (Motion Detector LED Light) – A Marketing Review

Does your home have dark spaces that could use a little bit of extra light?

How about adding a motion detector light for extra security around the front and back door?

Many homes could legitimately use some extra lighting, whether it’s for personal preference or extra safety or better home security.  Having a licensed electrician installing a light is the best way to go, but that can also be expensive depending on your circumstances.  So if you need extra lighting and cannot afford to have it professionally installed, what are you supposed to do?

Light Angel website — www.LightAngel.com

The battery-operated, motion detecting LED light called the Light Angel claims to be such a solution for people in need of extra lighting around their home.  This light is brought to you by the same pitchman, Anthony Sullivan, and the same marketing company as the InstaBulb.

Light Angel TV commercial

Did you catch all of the false and misleading advertising in that commercial?  Let’s take a closer look at the Light Angel advertisement and see how this can almost certainly be called a scam.

Light Angel TV commercial – How can I ever find the lock in this much darkness?

The Light Angel TV commercial begins with what looks like a typical situation for just about anybody with poor lighting at their front door.  But when you pause the video and actually look at the scene, there’s actually a LOT of background light.  There’s so much lighting that the woman should not have any problems whatsoever not only finding the correct key but also inserting it into the door’s lock without scratching or causing any minor damage.

Light Angel TV commercial – Extra lighting isn’t going to help Captain Klutz and his stair climbing skill.

Next we have an imbecile who cannot see or manage to walk up a short flight of steps that are clearly visible.  And we’re to believe that even more lighting is going to help this dimwit?  It’s almost as bright as daylight in this example.  It’s not even close to being realistic.

Light Angel TV commercial – Because Anthony Sullivan says so.

So what’s the grand invention that’s going to save these people from so much suffering and misery?

According to Anthony Sullivan, the answer is the Light Angel.  It’s a battery-operated, motion activated LED light that uses adhesives to stick to practically any surface.  In theory that sounds like a good idea.  However, this is an as-seen-on-TV product, so you know that its abilities are probably being exaggerated by a large margin.  Let’s continue and see if this holds true.

Light Angel TV commercial – A useful light or a waste of time and money?

When viewed closely the Light Angel looks like a cute little light that may actually serve a purpose.  But when happens when you step back five feet and took a different look?  Can a light like this one actually perform like those “real” outdoor lights that people use for extra lighting and home security?

Light Angel TV commercial – Just how powerful is that little LED light?

In this quick scene we have one of our first examples of misleading or false advertising.

On the left we see that this part of the house already has a fair amount of lighting.  There’s so much light that the plants are casting heavy shadows on the side of the house.  But when the Light Angel is activated things don’t quite look right.

• Notice how the areas to the left and right of the door are brighter despite being outside of the light’s angle.

• The plants on the left side of the doorway are actually brighter despite being in the foreground, between us the the light source.

• Check out the right side of the door and the shadow cast by the plant on the far right.  How is it that the shadow is actually darker and better defined AFTER the Light Angel is activated?  That is not possible from that angle between the light and the plant.  Such a shadow can only be created from a light source off-camera.

Light Angel TV commercial – It even provides light where the fixture isn’t pointed!

The extra lighting trick can be seen better in this next scene.

• The plants in the foreground are much brighter despite them being between us and the light source.

• The upper left side of the house is suddenly much better illuminated despite being well outside of the light fixture’s angle of lighting.

• Hell, even the father’s face and shirt are all of a sudden brighter and he’s still a foot or two INSIDE of the house.  Take note that the Light Angel is mounted above the doorway and facing towards the OUTSIDE.

Light Angel TV commercial – Oooh, look how brightly is shines in the rain!

Like almost all exterior lights the Light Angel is weather resistant.  The problem here is that in this angle the Light Angel looks about as bright as a very weak, battery-drained flashlight.  Perhaps there could have been a better way to show BOTH the light’s power and the fact that it’s weather resistant.

Light Angel TV commercial – It’s better than having hairy palms.

Anthony Sullivan also demonstrates that with the adhesive backing on the Light Angel, it’s easy to mount and it’ll stick almost anywhere.  Okay, so just how secure it the light once you mount it to a wall?  Is it going to fall down during a thunderstorm with heavy rain and strong wind?  Will it stick just as securely after you pull down the Light Angel to replace its four AA batteries?

Light Angel TV commercial – Just how powerful is that LED light again?

After showing us the same exact front porch example, we see a scene with a little girl running past an uncovered swimming pool at night.  First of all, great parenting.  Do you also let her run around with scissors or play in the street?  Is she going to learn how to juggle knives next?

Second, why do we NOT see the Light Angel in this scene?  We’re meant to assume that a single Light Angel motion sensor light is mounted above the door, but when you look at the intense amount of light and the lack of shadows in certain areas, that’s clearly not the case.

This scene is very misleading if not outright false advertising.  The absence of the product alone proves that claim.  You can also throw in the fact that the large plant to the left of the door is being illuminated by at least TWO different light sources.  If a single Light Angel was mounted above the doorway as we’re meant to believe, then there’s NO WAY the OPPOSITE side of the plant would be illuminated.

Light Angel TV commercial – Maybe it should have been named the Magical Light Angel.

Here we have that same girl running along a balcony at night.  Notice how the Light Angel not only provides some light directly beneath its fixture, but extra light is also magically reaching areas on the house next to and even above the light.  How in the world is that possible if the directional light is aimed downwards?

Perhaps my favorite part is how the girl’s shadow is darker and more pronounced AFTER the Light Angel is activated.  Her shadow at that angle means that there’s a powerful light somewhere off-camera to the right side of this scene.

Light Angel TV commercial – Just like a pole dancer, it can be positioned in nearly any angle.

Speaking of the Light Angel being directional, here we have Anthony Sullivan showing us just that.  Oddly enough, most outdoor security lights are also directional.  Those other lights don’t have to be as agile since the light bulbs commonly throw a great amount of light a far distance at a wide angle.

In this case the agility of the Light Angel is actually a good selling point for those who need to use a product like that in a small area, such as a cupboard or a pantry.  But when it comes to using the Light Angel as an outdoor or security light, its extreme amount of maneuvering is actually a minute detail, something barely worth mentioning.

As we can also see, when viewed up close the Light Angel looks like it’s a powerful little light.

Light Angel TV commercial – Is that a light from off-camera shining on Anthony’s forehead?

It’s a different perspective though once the camera backs up a few feet.  Here we can clearly see that there’s an ABUNDANT amount of light coming from somewhere behind us off-camera.  Check out Anthony Sullivan’s intense shadow on the door.  That should NOT be there considering the night time situation and the single Light Angel above his head.  It’s clear that there’s a bright light located above Anthony’s head and behind the camera filming this scene.

One can also question why there’s a fainter shadow off to the right cast from Anthony’s head and upper body.  Again, the angle of the Light Angel is NOT creating that shadow.  A light source to the left side out of view of the camera is responsible for it.

Light Angel TV commercial – What sorcery was used in this example?

Here we have another very objectionable “example” of the Light Angel.

Like the example with the girl running past the swimming pool, once again we DO NOT SEE THE DAMN PRODUCT.  We’re meant to believe that the product is in use here, but remember that we’re dealing with a highly suspicious if not outright fraudulent advertisement here.

In this scene notice how there are actually two stages of lighting when the dog approaches the door.  Could it be that not all of the seven LED bulbs illuminated simultaneously?  Or is it more likely that at least two different lights were used in this example?

Also notice how the ground becomes VERY BRIGHT.  At no point in the previous examples did we see the Light Angel be anywhere near powerful enough to throw out that kind of lighting.  Even in the close shots the light still looked to be pretty weak, especially one to be used as an outdoor light.

But here we have an “example” where not only can we NOT see the product, but allegedly it’s also significantly brighter in this scene.  Yeah, right.

Light Angel TV commercial – Did he even need a light in the first place?

Up next we have an example of using the Light Angel in an already decently lit storage shed.  But when we break this light transition into three separate scenes, it’s clear that not just the Light Angel is lighting the interior of that tool shed.  Notice how the shed becomes considerably brighter a moment AFTER the Light Angel has been activated.

The middle picture is showing the full power of the Light Angel.  The small amount of light looks more cosmetic than anything.  The light itself is barely powerful enough to be seen right below the light fixture.  However, a moment later suddenly most of the tool shed has been illuminated by some other light source.  The entire wall is suddenly much brighter including the opposite side of the leaf blower sitting on the shelf.

Light Angel TV commercial – You’ll catch those sneaky neighbors who never use the front door.

As in other examples, here we DO NOT SEE THE ACTUAL PRODUCT.  Oddly enough, at a glance it appears like this may actually be the most honest example of the Light Angel in action though, ironically, we cannot prove it one way or another.

The lighting and shadows look correct if a single Light Angel was mounted above the glass door.  It also helps that the woman is tall and therefore closer to the light source.  But again, since we cannot see the light, we cannot prove whether or not we’re actually seeing an honest demonstration.

Light Angel TV commercial – Wouldn’t you be better off using the car’s headlights?

Here we have a hilariously bad example of the Light Angel allegedly being used as a light for your garage door.  Anthony Sullivan actually claims that this ” . . . makes a great garage light.”

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Oh, my sides are hurting!  Maybe Anthony should start performing some stand up comedy routines.  He could just go through his regular spiel and the audience will be laughing in no time.

Why in the world would anybody want a tiny LED light throwing some light onto a massive door when the vehicle’s headlights are significantly better?  You know the pitchman has run out of selling points when he’s spewing crap like that.

Light Angel TV commercial – The secret lies in the motion detector.

So what makes the Light Angel so special?

The answer here lies in the light’s special motion detector.  In fact it’s “. . . a technologically advanced motion detector.”  How this piece of information distinguishes the Light Angel from other motion detector lights, even really cheap ones, I don’t know.  Don’t expect Anthony to explain the difference either.  He merely mentions that the light will be automatically activated whenever it detects motion from a human, pet or car.

Again, what’s so special about that?  EVERY motion detector light can do that.  That’s how motion detector lights work.

Here’s an important question for you:  What’s the DETECTION RANGE for the Light Angel’s motion detector?

Good motion detectors can be activated fifty or sixty feet away from the sensor.  Can the Light Angel come close to matching that kind of range?  Oddly enough, this information is not mentioned anywhere in the TV commercial or product’s website.

Light Angel TV commercial – It’ll stop those pesky burglars from breaking into your home.

Oh, it can be used for home security!  No other motion detector light can do that, right?

They key thing here is that it’s very easy to install a Light Angel and use it to help protect some dark windows and doors.  Wouldn’t the smarter burglars simply reach up and remove the Light Angel from the walls?  It’s just held in place with some adhesives.  We’re not talking about a professionally mounted light fixture here.

If you’re serious about home security, have somebody install a series of motion sensor lights up high around your home.  Have them mounted high enough so nobody could easily tamper with them or remove the bulbs.  Make sure that every ground level window and doorway not only trips the detector but it’s also bathed in plenty of light, too.  Remember that burglars HATE being exposed in light.  They prefer to hide in shadows and around big plants, almost anything that will give them cover when entering and leaving your home.

Light Angel TV commercial – Real home security would start with making those doors more secure.

It’s sad that we’re meant to believe that the simple little Light Angel will protect a security problem this large.  Here we have a set of French doors (in glass, mind you) that is ONLY protected by a single-cylinder deadbolt.  Those door knobs do not have any locks.  That single-cylinder deadbolt is a rather simple lock to pick.  A burglar could also break part of the window and reach inside to unlock the door.  If the burglar really wanted to break inside the house, a strong kick right to the lock will burst open those doors.

Light Angel TV commercial – It won’t burn your hand.

Aha!  We have a selling point in this example.

Not only do LED lights remain cool to the touch, but they’re also more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs.  That’s handy to know considering that the Light Angel requires four AA batteries to operate.

Light Angel TV commercial – Just how many lights are in that closet?

Would you like another example of false advertising?

Check out this scene where a Light Angel is being used to provide some extra lighting in this person’s coat closet.  The only problem is that after he opens the door to reveal a dark closet, a light somewhere else in the closet is activated.  Just after that the Light Angel is activated, making it look like the Light Angel is responsible for all of that light.  We know that this is clearly false and very misleading.

Light Angel TV commercial – Why is the light mounted so low?

In this example we see that the Light Angel can be used in cupboards to help provide some extra lighting.  One does question though why the light fixture is mounted so low in the cupboard.  Why not place it near the top so you won’t have as much risk of hitting it?

Perhaps there’s another reason why the advertisers chose to mount the Light Angel so low in the cupboard.  I don’t believe it’s to make sure that the Light Angel is visible in the camera.  They’ve already ignored that rule in previous examples.

Light Angel TV commercial – Ahhh!  My eyes!  The light is too bright!  Ha, ha, ha.  J/K.

Here we can see again that the Light Angel is incredibly easy to mount on a wall.  Just remove the adhesive tape and press it against the surface of wherever you need more lighting.  Remember that if this is being used as a security tool, the burglars can remove the light just as easily as you can mount it.

Light Angel TV commercial – Is there any real difference in the amount of light on the deck?

The Light Angel’s website states that, “Its innovative motion sensor lights up the ultra-bright LEDs for 30 seconds at a time.”  Here the TV commercial is claiming that the light has a 60-second self-timer.

So which statement is true?  Does the light keep shining for thirty or sixty seconds after it stops detecting movement?

On a side note, notice the severe lack of difference in lighting in the before and after pictures in this scene.  Did those three Light Angels provide any extra light for the deck?  Are they mainly for decoration or warning about the deck’s railing?

Light Angel TV commercial – The other lights seem to work great despite the house allegedly having a power outage.

Here’s another example showing extra lighting in the commercial.  This is actually a MIRROR IMAGE of a previous example, but it’s being treated as a separate selling feature.  Therefore we’ll also treat it as a separate scene.

In this segment Anthony Sullivan mentions that the Light Angel is great because it’ll still work when the power is out.  That’s a no-brainer as this light uses batteries.  It’s NOT wired into the home’s power supply.  Let’s take a closer look at this sequence and try to see what’s really happening in this advertisement.

• Image #1 – Despite there allegedly being a power outage, there’s still a LOT of light in this guy’s house.  He can clearly see the different jackets hanging in the hall closet.

• Image #2 – Suddenly a light in the closet has been activated.  Looking at the shadows we can tell that the light is somewhere in the upper-left part of the closet.

• Image #3 – Now the Light Angel is on.  We can see how the light blueish LED lighting is blended with the incandescent light from image #2.  Unfortunately the blending isn’t that smooth and we really can’t see that much light at all from the Light Angel.

• Image #4 – The wall is even brighter now as a second light from off-camera has also been activated.  There’s a considerable difference in lighting between the third and fourth images.  LED lights are instantaneous.  They don’t need to warm up like some fluorescent or floodlights.

Light Angel TV commercial – Today is Opposite Day!  Yay!

Here we see another mirror image as the little girl goes running past a swimming pool.  It’s annoying when TV commercials repeat scenes in their advertisement when trying to make a point.  It’s even worse when they reverse the images to make repeated scenes look like new ones.

This is just further proof that the marketers for the Light Angel have very little, if any, legitimate selling points for this product.  They’re too busy trying to distract you with repeated and altered scenes instead of informing and educating you about the product.

Light Angel TV commercial – You want to charge me money for a service?  No way!

So why shouldn’t you have a licensed electrician install motion-detecting lights for you again?  Oh, that’s right.  They’ll actually charge you money for the convenience of doing the work for you.  How dare they earn money to support their families!

Did anybody else notice that this is the same exact rejection scene in the InstaBulb TV commercial, just without the extravagant pricing?

Light Angel TV commercial – Never ever do any work around your home.

While Anthony Sullivan is talking about the need to require tools to install “real” outdoor lights, the message in these two rejection scenes is somewhat misleading.

In the first scene we saw a woman rejecting the electrician because of the cost of the bill.  In this second scene we see a rejection because installing or changing a light fixture requires tools.  One scene says you’re not supposed to pay somebody to do the work for you, while the second scene says that you’re not supposed to do the work yourself as it’ll require tools and some intelligence.

According to the advertisers, the answer is to take the easy route and just use the Light Angel.  It’s very easy to install and runs on batteries.  Therefore it should and will always be your best solution to additional lighting around your home.  Yep.  That’s right.  Don’t stop to think about it first.

On a side note, changing a light fixture is actually pretty simple.  It commonly requires only a screwdriver and possible some electrical tape.  However, if you’re installing a new security light you’ll need to cut a hole in your home and run some wiring out there.  That’s not an easy task for an average homeowner.

The real danger in adding or changing exterior lights deals with the wiring.  If you can follow directions and/or have experience in this field then you should be fine.  It’s not that complicated.  The danger is that if you wire the light incorrectly you can accidentally start a fire that could easily burn down your home.

Light Angel TV commercial – The big promotion at the end of the commercial.

At the end of the commercial we’re hit with the big promotion.  The Light Angel by itself costs $12.99 plus $7.99 in shipping & handling fees.  This is a TOTAL COST of $20.98.

However, both the TV commercial and product website state that we can also get a second Light Angel along with the Olde Brooklyn Lantern for an additional $9.99.  In theory this would bring the TOTAL PROMOTION COST to $30.97, assuming that there aren’t any other fees or charges that haven’t been mentioned.

Why is that a concern?  Isn’t it all clearly mentioned on the website?

Unfortunately, no it’s not.  The product’s website does an extremely poor job at actually informing the consumer about the product itself along with the promotion for a second light and the Olde Brooklyn Lantern.

Light Angel website – checkout page

The website’s checkout page is extremely sketchy.  Notice how there is no way you can add the $9.99 bonus items until AFTER you hit the “complete & customize” button.  The print right below that button warns you that once you press the button and proceed to the next screen, IF you leave your browser window open for more than 60 minutes, OR you close the window before receiving a confirmation number, THEN it “. . . will result in the authorization of your credit card for the amount of the initial offer plus any additional offers you’ve accepted up to that point.”

How many checkout pages have you seen where the additional offers were automatically selected and you had to un-select each one?  Imagine how dangerous that could be if a company is going to automatically charge your credit card if you leave your browser unattended for 60 minutes or you close the window without stopping the checkout process correctly.

These people aren’t even letting you look at the additional offers without securing your credit card information first.  If anything goes wrong at that point your card is charged and you have to deal with customer service to make any corrections.  Does that sound like the business practice of an ethical company?

FINAL THOUGHTS

When it comes to product marketing you can either be up front and honest, or you can be deceiving and intentionally misleading.

For TV commercials like this there’s no such thing as being accidentally misleading.  There are no “accidents” like that when working with a script and precise camera angles, scenes that are designed to show you exactly what they want you to see.

The advertising for the Light Angel motion-activated LED light is clearly misleading if not intentionally fraudulent.  Don’t be fooled by famous pitchman Anthony Sullivan doing the spiel for this product.  The marketing here is about as sleazy, misleading and untrustworthy as it can be without outright lying, just like with the infamous InstaBulb commercial from last year.

So where does the commercial fail?

For starters, the night scenes are not anywhere near being dark enough to show realistic conditions.  There’s so much background lighting that people and plants are clearly casting dark shadows on the side of the house.  And we’re meant to believe that even with that much lighting those people are in need of MORE lighting?  Yeah, right.

After that we saw several scenes where it was proven that additional lights were being used IN ADDITION to the Light Angel.  These extra lights were intentionally positioned out of the camera’s view so that we’re meant to believe that it’s ONLY the Light Angel providing all of that lighting.  Pausing the video and looking at the shadows and difference in lighting clearly proves that it’s NOT just the Light Angel at work.

When it comes the product itself, is there anything special that sets the Light Angel apart from any other cheap motion-activated light in the marketplace?  We’re told that the Light Angel runs on batteries (four AA batteries to be exact), it uses adhesives to stick to the wall, and the light itself is provided by seven LEDs.

Adhesives also work against you when the light can be knocked off a wall or easily removed by a burglar.  Batteries are highly vulnerable to moisture and extreme temperature, and they still need to be replaced every couple of years or they’ll start leaking and corrode whatever they’re touching.  As far as LEDs, while those lights are more efficient they’re also not nearly as bright as an incandescent light bulb, especially light bulbs designed to operate outside as a motion-activated security light.

At one point they make a point of talking about the motion sensor, but that’s not really a selling feature in today’s age.  Motion sensors have been around for ages and the really good ones can be activated from fifty or more feet from the light.  We’re never told the detection range for the Light Angel’s motion detector.  Why do you suppose they left out that important piece of information?

Have you seen the FAQ page at the Light Angel’s website?  Don’t expect to find any questions or answers regarding the actual product.  There are only three questions on the FAQ page, and they’re all related to billing and shipping.  There’s virtually no real information whatsoever on the Light Angel’s website.

Folks, if you haven’t noticed by now, this is one extremely sleazy and misleading advertisement.  If this was a legitimately good and useful product then the advertisers wouldn’t have to take such drastic measures.  Unfortunately, their misleading actions tell us everything we need to know about the Light Angel.  You know what that means.

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All of the Light Angel commercial images were screenshots of a TV commercial currently available on Youtube and the product’s website.  For more product information, please visit the company’s website at www.LightAngel.com.

RellimZone.com is not affiliated with Light Angel.

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This article was originally published at www.chamberofreviews.com on July 28, 2013.