40 failed products
what were they thinking?
Published 7 years ago in Facepalm
1
In 1982 Colgate came up with the weirdest brand extension idea. They decided to sell frozen dinners. This plan backfired, probably because consumers couldn't help but think that the Colgate food tasted just like their toothpaste. No company launches a product thinking that it will decrease sales of their other products, but Colgate should've seen it coming. Their toothpaste sales plummeted after the launch of the kitchen entrees line.
10
In 1998 Frito-Lay introduced new fat-free potato chips. People seemed to be hyped with this "miracle food" and within the first year sales reached $400 million. But sales plummeted soon after when it was revealed that the chips contain Olestra, a fat substitute with very undesirable side effects, such as abdominal cramping and loose stools.
13
In 1985 Coca-Cola Co. decided to reformulate Coke. The company invested $4 million into the nationwide taste test. And despite the New Coke doing well in taste tests, after the launch, people's reactions were extremely negative. Within three months of the New Coke's launch, the company had to reintroduce the original formula and rebrand it as Coca-Cola Classic.
16
In 2013 Juicero introduced a juicer called the Juicero Press. This device was sold with packets of pre-juiced fruits and vegetables sold exclusively by the company. The company faced scrutiny when consumers realized that these packets could be squeezed by hand just as efficiently as with a juicer. Later, company announced that it was suspending the sales of the juicer and repurchasing it from costumers.
36
In 1996 McDonald decided to broaden its target demographic by introducing a burger Arch Deluxe. Mustard-mayonnaise sauce was supposed to appeal to adult tastes, however, even a $100 million advertising campaign couldn't convince grown-ups to eat the burger. The Arch Deluxe was soon discontinued and its marketing campaign now is considered to be one of the most expensive flops of all time.
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