13 MARKETINGFAILURESGUARANTEEDTO BLOWYOUR MIND

13. The FireboxDesigned to warn off pranksters, the Firebox wasan add on to fire alarms. This ridiculouscontraption worked by trapping the hand of theuser after they sounded the alarm, forcing themto remain glued to the alarm until the authoritiesarrived. Introduced in the US in 1938, the Fireboxhas to be one of marketing's (and innovation’s)most humorous fails.

12. Smell-O-Vision

Pioneered in 1960, Smell-O-Vision wasoriginally designed to omit scents intothe theatre during the films. But the ideawas a massive flop, and was only everapplied to one film, The Scent of Mystery.Smell-O-Vision was slammed byaudiences and critics alike upon release,and was removed from all cinemas bythe end of the year.

11. Gerber Singles

In 1974 Gerber Baby Foods designed ababy food for adults. However, thecompany quickly discovered that smallservings of pureed meat is not anappealing dinner option for collegestudents and single professionals.Flavours included: beef burgundy,chicken madeira, beef with mushroomgravy, and blueberry delight.Gerber ceased production of theirSingles range in 1975.

10. McDonald's Arch Deluxe

McDonald's first attempt at appealing toAmerica’s childless, urban professionals.This spectacular marketing failure costMickey D’s more than $US100 million tomarket and promote. Abandoning itstried and tested model of appealing tochildren and couples with kids the ArchDeluxe isolated its loyal target audience,and led to the speedy discontinuationof this ill-fated burger.

9. The Premier Cigarette

Launched in 1988, the Premier wasconceived as a ‘smokeless nicotinedelivery mechanism that looks and feelsa cigarette’. However, it not only tastedawful but omitted a foul smell that oneconsumer described as, “similar to thesmell of burning plastic.” The companyspent around $US300 million ($US600million in today’s money) on research,development & marketing but theproduct was disbanded by 1992.

8. Spruce GooseHoward Hughes’ H-4 Hercules wasdesigned as a flying boat made to carry 750equipped troops. At the time of itscompletion in 1947 the U.S. governmenthad spent $US22 million on the projectand Hughes had spent $US18 million of hisown personal fortune, the equivalent of$US436 million today. Flying the aircrafthimself, Hughes only managed to keep thespruce airborne for less than a minutebefore landing.

7. FranzReichelt's Parachute

JacketDesigned by the German inventor FranzReichelt, the parachute jacket had itshigh-profile unveiling in Paris in 1912.Confident in the reliability of his absurdcreation, Reichelt decided to perform ademo by jumping from the then tallestbuilding in the world, the Eiffel Tower.Tragically, the parachute failed todeploy, and Reichelt was filmedplummeting 300 metres (986 feet) to hisdeath.

6. Hydrogen BlimpsWhen the Hindenburg was designed in1931, its makers originally designed it to befilled with helium gas. However, due to ashortage of helium in Nazi Germany at thetime, the airship was eventually filled withhighly flammable hydrogen. This provedfatal in 1937, when the famed zeppelincaught fire and was destroyed during anattempt to dock in New Jersey. Of the 97people on board 35 died.

5. AsbestosA versatile mineral fiber that excels atabsorption and can withstand theharshness of heat, health concernsrelating to the carcinogenic effects ofasbestos dust were first raised as early asthe 1920s. Inhaling the toxic particles ofasbestos dust causes a life threateningcondition called asbestosis. According toWorld Health Organisation estimates,“more than 107,000 deaths each year areattributable to occupational exposure toasbestos.”

4. Titanic

When the Titanic was built, it cost about$US7.5 million. In modern terms, thatequates to $US175 million. The ship set sailon the 31st of May 1911 and sank on the2nd of April 1912, resulting in the loss ofmore than 1,500 lives. The tragic loss of lifethat came about due to some fatal flaws inthe ship's design, coupled with the hugecost of the project, surely makes the Titanicone of the biggest marketing failures of alltime.

3. Ford's 'Edsell'

Dubbed as ‘E-Day’, the Ford Edsel waslaunched on the 4th of September 1957.Ford was tight lipped about its thenpride and joy. But not even secrecy,coupled with the advertising power ofFord Motors, could convince the publicto hop in this poorly designed andmanufactured car. By November 1959,Ford finally killed off the Edsel, after ithad lost an estimated $US250 million –nearly $US2 billion in today’s money.

2. Sub-Prime Mortgages

When huge numbers of sub-primemortgage owners began defaulting ontheir loans, a wave of propertyforeclosures across the US plunged theglobal financial system into recession.According to Bloomberg, total lossesfrom the five biggest sub-prime lenders(UBS, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, HSBC &The Royal Bank of Scotland) totalled$US 140 billion, making it the mostcostly product innovation on this list.

1. Star Wars Program

In 1983 Ronald Reagan announced themost ridiculed defence program in UShistory. His plan: to fund a defencesystem capable of destroying Sovietintercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)long before they could travel fromEurope to North America. Reagan's’Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) -dubbed ‘Star Wars’ by the media due tothe programs far-fetched ideas, many ofwhich involved lasers - was anunequivocal failure.

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