Nu-Zymes or Lifezymes? Can You Please Get the Name of Your Own Damn Product Straight!

Imagine that someone put time and effort into writing, taping, and editing an infomercial. Imagine that people then spent substantial money to air that infomercial on television. I would have assumed that any such infomercial would at least know the name of the product they are trying to sell.

One infomercial currently being broadcast proves me wrong, however. The infomercial in question sells a digestive enzyme product called Nu-Zymes…or is it Lifezymes? During the main part of the infomercial Dr. Janet McCarrow and expert Dr. Michael Pinkus (a veteran of many health infomercials on TV and radio) refer to the product only as “Lifezymes.” The testimonials all feature people speaking of how the “Lifezymes” formula has helped them. But when this program goes to the “commercial” portion, the announcer and on-screen graphics mention only a product called “Nu-Zymes.”

I suppose that Lifezymes and Nu-Zymes are different names for the same product, but this is never made explicit in the infomercial.

Why in the world would a product name change be made in the middle of putting an infomercial together? Was there some legal reason, or did compelling consumer research that tell them that “Nu-zymes” was a far superior product name than “Lifezymes”? If so, why didn’t they just go ahead and re-shoot the entire infomercial?

If I were interested in the product, I’d be a bit intimidated to order something if I wasn’t actually sure of its name:

Operator: Thank you for calling. How may I help you?

Caller: I’d life to order Lifezymes.

Operator: What the hell are Lifezymes? This is the Nu-Zymes order line, you idiot!

So take this as a lesson all you aspiring infomercial producers: Do us all a favor and please decide on the name of your own damn product!