The 11-year-old Auckland boy beat 600 other inventors to take the grand prize in this year's Let's Get Inventin' programme...Toby's Choo Choob invention - a device which makes an asthma inhaler look like a train and therefore appealing to children - earned him a $10,000 prize package which could see him become one of the youngest manufacturers in the country.
Good on Toby for cleaning up in a strong field. But, (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) I'm left wondering if Toby has simply invented a marketing campaign. Kids don't like Asthma Inhalers, paint it up like a train. Add a 20% premium, new packaging, run an advertising campaign, and bam! a career in marketing.
Personally I thought the other finalists had items that reflected "inventions" more than marketing. Am I being too harsh here? What do others think?
The other young finalists were:
Melanie Ansell, New Plymouth, with the Gyminator, a device that harnesses the power generated by bouncing on trampolines and by bicycles.
Andrew Wordsworth, Whangarei, with the Acoustic Apparel, a suit which when plugged into an MP3 player generates lights and vibrations like those experienced at a rock concert. Eldon Bennett, Waiuku, and his the Electronic Moneybox, which counts your savings and displays an electronically-generated picture of what you're saving for.
Related Link: Marketing an invention
Good on Toby for cleaning up in a strong field. But, (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) I'm left wondering if Toby has simply invented a marketing campaign. Kids don't like Asthma Inhalers, paint it up like a train. Add a 20% premium, new packaging, run an advertising campaign, and bam! a career in marketing.
Personally I thought the other finalists had items that reflected "inventions" more than marketing. Am I being too harsh here? What do others think?
The other young finalists were:
Melanie Ansell, New Plymouth, with the Gyminator, a device that harnesses the power generated by bouncing on trampolines and by bicycles.
Andrew Wordsworth, Whangarei, with the Acoustic Apparel, a suit which when plugged into an MP3 player generates lights and vibrations like those experienced at a rock concert. Eldon Bennett, Waiuku, and his the Electronic Moneybox, which counts your savings and displays an electronically-generated picture of what you're saving for.
Related Link: Marketing an invention