If you were designing a home bar at any point in the early 2000s, or wanted to spice yours up a touch, then Big Mouth Billy Bass went on the wall.

In fact, over in America you couldn’t really escape the novelty item. They were stocked in every major retailer, and even George Bush had one hanging on the wall of the Oval Office.

Yes, the fish even turned up on an episode of The Sopranos – that’s when you know you’ve made it.

Here’s a quick example of what we’re talking about.

The team at The Hustle decided to look into the origins of the product, and just how much money it made, and it makes for very interesting reading.

The brains behind the fish was Joe Pellettieri, inspired by his wife Barbara, with Joe promoted to the position of Gemmy’s (a novelty gift company) VP of product development after the minor success of his singing flower.

He would be responsible for pitching and building new products, and it turns out he had a knack for that:

As a new transplant in the product development world, Pellettieri hadn’t quite figured out the best way to find inspiration. Then, towards the end of ‘98, he took a fateful road trip with his wife, Barbara.

During a quick stop at a Bass Pro Shop, Pellettieri’s wife turned to him with an unusual proposal. “She goes, ‘How about a singing fish on a plaque?’” he recalls.

Most people would laugh at such a thing and move on with their day. Not Pellettieri. “I always come from a place of ‘what makes me laugh?’” he says. “To me, the idea of a fish on a plaque singing Al Green was hilarious.”

He worked on the concept for a full year, and the big brass at Gemmy’s thought it was a pretty average idea. The major breakthrough came when they added the ability for the fish’s head to turn and face forward:

Making a fluid movement up and down or side to side was one thing, but creating a motorized [sic] mechanism that allowed Big Mouth Billy’s head to turn out from the plaque? It had never been done. The idea was revolutionary.

“Once the head turned, it became an item,” Pellettieri recalls. “The movement is what hooked people, and we were off to the races.”

From there it blew up in a big way, flying off shelves and retailing on secondary market places like eBay at well above the recommended price.

And then, just as quickly as it had taken over American gift-giving, it faded away. The bank account had been boosted, however:

The Big Mouth Billy Bass was no exception to the novelty world’s live fast, die faster reality. As the leaves changed in the Fall of 2000, so did people’s demand for a musically gifted robotic bass that lacked the ability to pick up on social cues.

In short time, the toy’s $29.95 price tag slowly decreased — and by the following Christmas, BIlly was selling for $5. The flame had gone out…

Today, Pellettieri and Gemmy maintain a CIA-like secrecy when it comes to divulging the financial success of Billy. But it has been rumored that the toy made the company over $100m in revenue, and sold more units than Tickle Me Elmo, during its 9-month success run.

Talk about burning bright.

Well played, Joe and Barb. You can read the full story HERE.

[source:thehustle]