Lumi Dough (Glow-In-The-Dark Modelling Clay) – A Marketing Review
Almost everybody has played with Play-Doh or other types of modelling clay when they were younger, whether it was something for art class in school or just when playing at home.
It was always fun to open a fresh can of the modelling clay and build creations. Some people were very artistic and natural when it came to sculpting and bringing ideas to like. For others of us it was more difficult to make anything look decent. Most of the time we simply rolled out segments of clay, stuck them to each other, and saw what happened.
It’s similar when drawing with crayons. Some people will draw a lifelike portrait while others could barely manage to draw stick figures. But as long as you’re drawing and having fun, then that’s what counts, right? Sure, until you enter the real world where people have realistic expectations and you’re expected to meet or exceed them.
Anyway, playing with modelling clay is normally fun and it helps you develop your creativity. I’m sure that it’s also more entertaining than sitting in front of a television and playing video games. But what if playing with modelling clay could also be done in the dark?
Really?
Lumi Dough website — www.LumiDough.com
The answer lies with Lumi Dough, modelling clay that also glows in the dark!
Lumi Dough website – glow-in-the-dark version — www.LumiDough.com
Did you say that it glows in the dark? Holy f*ck!
Lumi Dough TV commercial
Let’s take a closer look at the advertisement and try to see if this is a real product or a scam.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – My God, it’s full of stars!
The Lumi Dough television commercial begins by showing us several quick examples of Lumi Dough creations, but with the lights on and off. It implies that all of the Lumi Dough colors of modelling clay are capable of glowing in the dark. We’re also treated (more or less) to a group of kids singing about the Lumi Dough.
So what is Lumi Dough exactly?
To tell us about the Lumi Dough is some guy with a really annoying tone of voice. This guy is just begging to get his ass kicked for being so annoying. Normally I take this as a warning sign about the product. If the advertisement *sounds* incredibly cheesy, chances are likely that the marketers are trying to mislead us. In this case it really sounds like the hyper-excited guy is trying to over hype the product. You know what that means.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – You mean it stretches AND glows? Wow!
As the commercial points out, Lumi Dough is a dough that not only stretches, but it also glows in the dark. Of course, for it to glow this brightly in the dark, you’re probably best off using a black light.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Why don’t the stars look as colorful at night?
We then see a quick example of a girl decorating her wall with lots of stars, planets, and even some aliens and flying saucers. A black light shows us how it would look in the dark. Would you get this same amount of brightness by simply leaving the bedroom light turned on for a few minutes? Or does it really take a black light to make your glowing decorations look their best?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Glowing TOYS or merely glowing DECORATIONS?
The Lumi Dough advertisement then shows a few quick examples of kids playing with their Lumi Dough creations like they were toys. The text on screen even goes so far as calling the creations “toys” as well.
First of all, it’s not exactly fair to call modelling clay creations “toys.” They’re very delicate toys that are really decorations. If you want some toys that glow in the dark, you’re better off just purchasing some cheap toys and decorating them with fluorescent tape or markers.
Second, that snake in the tree by the flowing river looks pretty cool. It’s a very detailed decoration. Can a child about five or eight years old, like the demographic being targeted in this advertisement, actually build something like that? Most likely not. Children who play with modelling clay have a hard enough time making basic shapes versus something intricately detailed and complicated as a snake in a tree by a river.
Hell, I doubt that even *I* would be good enough to make a decoration like that one! This is from a person who earned A’s in my middle school art classes.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Keep out of the room, Jake, or else . . .
The Lumi Dough commercial then shows us how we can roll the dough flat and then cut out shapes, such as letters. The letters can then be used to make sinister words or warnings. Take note that according to the product’s website, the Lumi Dough kit ONLY includes cut outs for STARS and NOT letters, numbers, or other shapes. It’s up to you to either, A) Make the letters manually (good luck keeping them consistent), or B) Find cut outs for letters and other shapes in a store, probably a hobby or craft store.
In this example we can see a sign warning Jake to keep out of this particular room. Or it’s really Jake’s room and he just wants everybody to stay out of it. The message on the wall can really go either way. Considering all of the sports symbols, it doesn’t look very threatening or intimidating as a warning sign.
On a side note, does the Lumi Dough leave behind any residue when you later remove the decorations from the wall? Will it leave any marks on the paint or wallpaper?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Just like stretching the truth about the product.
The Lumi Dough advertisement briefly mentions that the modelling clay “. . . stretches like rubber.” But is that really a selling feature? Do kids care more that it stretches or that it glows in the dark? Is stretching the Lumi Dough important when using it to build decorations?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Now you can decorate your binder with modelling clay. Wait. What?
Here we see that you can also use the Lumi Dough glow-in-the-dark modelling clay to decorate your binder.
Really?
Isn’t that why kids have tools such as crayons and markers, or decorative items like stickers? Why in the world would anybody want to use modelling clay to decorate the outside of a backpack or binder? How well with those decorations stick to the binder after it’s been carried a few times in a backpack? The advertisers must be desperate if they’re showing this as a selling feature.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Two four-year-old girls have managed to build a detailed circus. Or maybe a parent did it for them.
The Lumi Dough advertisement then shows us a few more examples of decorations and how they can hold their shape rather well.
And then there’s this scene with two young girls who have allegedly made a detailed circus AND a clown to go with it. Yeah, I’m sure that the two little girls had no extra help whatsoever to build such an elaborate and detailed playset. /s
On a side note, do take notice of the fine print during this scene. The commercial admits that “multiple sets used in creation.”
That opens the door to a big question: Just how much of the modelling clay comes in a single Lumi Dough kit? There’s no mention of any volume or weight anywhere on the product’s website.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – No matter how tasty it may look, remember NOT to eat it after it’s finished baking in the oven.
So what do you do when you want your special Lumi Dough creation to last forever?
It’s mentioned in the instructions that the Lumi Dough will gradually harden about three months after you first open the zipper pack. I guess one option is to simply build your creation and then let it sit on a shelf until it hardens.
But that’s not any fun.
The other option is to bake your Lumi Dough sculpture in the oven. Simply place your modelling clay creation onto the baking sheet, place the baking sheet onto a cookie sheet, and then bake it in the oven for ten minutes at 380 degrees.
I’ve never heard of baking modelling clay creations in the oven, but apparently people have been doing that for a while.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – It’s made out of CLAY! OMG! Like, how cool is that?
After the Lumi Dough advertisement tells us the concept of baking the clay creations so that they’ll last, like, forever, we’re then shown a few more examples of clay creations. One such example has a couple of girls showing off their Lumi Dough bracelets.
Forgive me if I get my stereotypes wrong, but aren’t girls of that age more interested in, oh, I don’t know, maybe more *realistic* jewelry? Do you think that girls of that age would rather make bracelets out of modelling clay or use fabric and beads and fake stones to make necklaces and bracelets?
This just seems like a really weird idea for trying to sell the concept of playing with Lumi Dough.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Dry clay is about as fun as a dry dog turd.
Next in the Lumi Dough television commercial we see that dry modelling clay is tough and not fun for anybody. It easily falls apart and it’s nearly impossible to sculpt your creations.
But what about Lumi Dough? Won’t that also become dry and tough over time?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – It’s not just regular silicone but super luminous silicone.
All we really learn about the Lumi Dough modelling clay is that it is made of a “super luminous silicone” that’ll shine, stretch, and it won’t leave a mess. That is, as long as you use it as directed. The main point here is that the product is made of silicone and is shiny and rubbery.
Do that note that the Lumi Dough instruction guide states that direct sunlight may cause the colors to change, and the Lumi Dough “. . . will gradually harden 3 months after opening the zipper pack.” In other words, once you open the Lumi Dough, play with it often as it’s just going to get harder and harder over the next few months.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – For some reason all of the shapes are the same color.
We then see how the Lumi Dough is reusable and we can keep using it to make different sculptures and creations day after day.
Of course, there’s a slight catch to that statement.
Notice how all of the examples are the same color. This is a common problem with modelling clay. Once you start mixing the colors together there’s no way to separate them. But if you keep the colors separate (or don’t press them into each other), then when you re-use the clay at a later date, the colors should still look nice and sharp.
In this example all of the creations are made with the same color, so they all look consistent. If you mixed in other colors to make a sculpture look more detailed, then when you flatten and roll the clay to make something else, the colors will also mix and look bland in the end.
That’s just something to remember when playing with modelling clay. Try not to mix the colors together if you want to use the clay again a later day.
Lumi Dough – Man, look at all of those glowing stars!
Next in the Lumi Dough advertisement we see another example of using the glow-in-the-dark clay to make a star field. Of course, the fine print claims that multiple sets were used in the creation.
One can only wonder why somebody would spend the money for glowing modelling clay to create a star field when one can simply purchase a cheap pack of glow-in-the-dark stars made for just such an occasion. I used one such set on my bedroom ceiling when I was a kid. Coolest effect ever and it only cost a couple of bucks.
Lumi Dough TV commercial – Using clay to decorate fabric.
The advertisers then show us that we can use the Lumi Dough to decorate a backpack for school.
The logic here is the same as using the modelling clay to decorate a binder for school. The question is why in the world would you want to use clay of all things when there are tools such as markers, pins, patches and stickers.
On a side note, are we supposed to believe that the girl’s small clay dinosaur is going to stay on her backpack during a normal day going to and from school? Really?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – But is it safe for the fishes?
An interesting selling point at the end of the Lumi Dough television commercial is that we can even use the modelling clay underwater. We can make sea creatures and have them glow underwater in an aquarium.
How long can you keep the Lumi Dough underwater? Is it safe for fish to be in a tank with Lumi Dough sculptures?
Lumi Dough TV commercial – It’s the BIG promotion!
The end of the Lumi Dough commercial has the big sales promotion. We can order a second Lumi Dough kit by paying an additional postage and handling fee. Each of the Lumi Dough sets is sold in a kit that includes: black dough (notice how the sheet of black dough is smaller than the other colors), five colors of glowing dough (clear, green, pink, purple and blue), a placemat, star shape cut outs, and a non-stick baking sheet.
Ordering the bonus set is optional. The website has a selection box for whether or not to include the bonus kit of Lumi Dough.
The TOTAL COST of the Lumi Dough buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) promotion costs $35.97 ($19.99 + $7.99 P&H + $7.99 P&H (for the bonus kit)).
The TOTAL COST of a single Lumi Dough kit costs $27.98 ($19.99 + $7.99 P&H).
Residents in California, Connecticut, Nevada and Vermont also have the honor of paying a sales tax with their order.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As a whole, modelling clay is a relatively inexpensive way for kids of all ages to explore their creativity and build sculptures. Chances are likely that almost all kids have used modelling clay at one point or another whether at home or in some sort of school or program.
What makes the Lumi Dough stand out from its main competitor (*cough* Play-Doh *cough*) is that the Lumi Dough’s biggest selling feature is that the colors (except for the black dough) glow in the dark. The Lumi Dough is also made out of silicone which gives it a shiny appearance and rubbery texture. Let’s also not forget that the BOGO Lumi Dough kit is fairly expensive at a cost of $35.97.
The Lumi Dough’s advertisement shows quite a few scenarios that make you question the product or its purpose. Why use the product to put stars on the wall when glow-in-the-dark star packs are common and very cheap? Why use Lumi Dough to decorate binders and backpacks when markers, stickers, patches and pins are better suited? If you were to place a Lumi Dough creation in an aquarium, is it safe for the fish?
We know that the Lumi Dough is being marketed for little kids, but many of the examples in the commercial were very advanced and detailed. It’s obvious that the kids didn’t make the creations on their own. There’s a reason why most of the Play-Doh kits are very simple — they’re *intended* for little kids. Much of what we see in the Lumi Dough commercial is actually oriented towards older kids, but they may not have any interest in playing with modelling clay.
The website for the Lumi Dough is actually pretty slick. There’s a button you can press to change the entire website to a night mode, making the decorations glow on the screen. Kudos to the website developers for the design of the site.
On the website is a link to the instruction and design idea guide that’s included with the Lumi Dough kit. First of all, whomever wrote the guide really needs to go back and proofread the material. There are plenty of areas that could use some attention. Second, why are there not step-by-step instructions for some of the complicated sculptures such as the spider or sports car? Couldn’t we also have seen instructions for other sculptures that were in the commercial, such as the snake in the tree or the clown at the circus?
The Lumi Dough has an interesting concept with the glow-in-the-dark colors. But that’s it. Lumi Dough is pretty expensive and really needs you to use a black light (not included) to get the most out of the product. On top of that, nowhere on the website does it state how much of the modelling clay you will receive in each kit.
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All of the Lumi Dough commercial images are 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.LumiDough.com.
Lumi Dough is a registered trademark.
RellimZone.com is not affiliated with Lumi Dough.