Guru of gadgets

FAIRFIELD, N.J. (AP) — He’s the man behind such clever “as seen on TV” gadgets as the Ped Egg, the Stick Up Bulb and the Doggy Steps.

But wait, there’s more!

A.J. Khubani is not only the founder and chief executive of Telebrands, one of the nation’s top direct-response TV marketing companies. He’s also a college lecturer, helping to inspire a new generation of inventors at Princeton University.

“A.J. has basically brought an extraordinary amount of real-world insight and talent into the course,” said Daniel M. Nosenchuck, a Princeton associate engineering professor who oversees the “entrepreneurial engineering” course.

Mr. Khubani, part of a family telemarketing dynasty, developed the course curriculum and assembled experts on industrial design, patent law, branding and direct marketing for guest lectures. He does the opening lecture and comes in periodically to guide students on group design projects.

Students produce mock infomercials, complete with familiar TV ad phrases including “Call now and we’ll double your order, just pay separate shipping and handling!” and boasting that “the secret” of the invention is in a revolutionary design.

Sophomore Matthew de Jonge, a mechanical engineering major, said he loved the practical and business knowledge he gained in the class. He and two other students developed the “clean air pillow,” a pillow case pouch that traps allergens and dust particles to ease sleep. TeleBrands is evaluating their prototype to see if it can be made inexpensively.

Mr. Khubani, 48, said he has rejected many an idea that sounded good, but wasn’t original, couldn’t be made or shipped economically, or had other drawbacks.

“We look for products that have mass appeal,” said Mr. Khubani. “It’s got to solve a common problem.”

Some examples have been big sellers, including Doggy Steps, fold-out stairs to help small pets climb onto furniture, and the Stick Up Bulb, a battery-operated light bulb that can be stuck inside any dark, out-of-the-way place; both were Mr. Khubani’s ideas. His newest product, launching soon, is Get A Grip, a handle with suction cups to help unsteady people stand or get out of the shower.

Mr. Khubani has plenty of experience to tap for the course, having started his company 24 years ago, before the rise of Home Shopping Network, QVC and now ubiquitous half-hour and two-minute, or “short form,” TV infomercials.

Growing up in Union, N.J., Mr. Khubani remembers watching direct-response ads, including one for a folding fishing pole he pestered his mom into buying him at age 11.

After earning a degree in business administration from Montclair State University, Mr. Khubani worked for his father’s consumer electronics importing business, then started selling items through print ads. He was hooked on direct marketing when he broke even on the first try.

In 1987, he produced three short-form commercials, one for what he touts as the first “As seen on TV” product: AmberVision sunglasses, which he designed after seeing how well yellow-tinted glasses sharpened vision for people practicing at a gun range.

Back then, people mailed in checks, money orders and even cash for his products. A few still do, but he says 90 percent of revenue comes from sales at major retail partners.

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