I don't want to get all wishy-washy philosophical on you here but in Joe's case I would argue that he IS the product. To wit, regarding the OP's main point: -

I don't want to get all wishy-washy philosophical on you here but in Joe's case I would argue that he IS the product. To wit, regarding the OP's main point: - selling potato peelers is not a "fucking great idea" by any means. - selling potato peelers in a $1000 suit, in manhattan, as a chirpy english gentlemen IS a fucking great idea. it's an idea that sells itself, you basically touched on the same point as the OP. He did something so simple and strange and wonderful that people would buy a fistful of his peelers, just so they could tell their friends about this little Englishman they saw in Union Square. You have to be a little crazy, be a little disruptive, and that's going to get you your audience.