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Some products launched with hype, money, and confidence — only to crash spectacularly. Join us as we count down the most notorious product failures in history! From exploding phones to see-through yoga pants, these are the flops that proved even the biggest companies can get it very wrong. Which product fail still makes you cringe the most? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Barnes & Noble writes the last chapter on tablets.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:04And today we're counting down our picks for products that launched with hype, money, and confidence,
00:08only to crash spectacularly.
00:11Some of these products were ahead of their time.
00:13Others never should have existed.
00:15But they are all reminders that even the biggest companies can get it very wrong.
00:19You know the old saying, the customer's always tight.
00:23Number 50, Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot.
00:25Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Mountain Dew are teaming up to create Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew, Alma?
00:32What happens when you merge soda with a spicy snack trend?
00:36You get Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot.
00:38Released in 2021, this new pop drink on the shelf generated massive curiosity online.
00:42But the initial hype did not last too long.
00:45Drinkers described the flavor as confusing, unbalanced, or unpleasant,
00:49saying the heat clashed with expectations of refreshment.
00:52While sales were driven by novelty and social media challenges,
00:55repeat purchases became rare.
00:57Retailers quietly reduced shelf space as the hype faded.
01:01The viral marketing could not compensate for poor design and taste.
01:04Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot was ultimately remembered less as a bold innovation
01:08and more as a cautionary example of chasing trends without considering consumer experience.
01:13It was different than I anticipated.
01:14So we tried together?
01:15It's not, it's not really, I'm not getting the flaming part though.
01:20Is it an after flame?
01:21Number 49, Eons.
01:23Hi, I'm Jeff Taylor, and I'm proud to introduce Eons.com.
01:28Eons is all about you, but here's the twist.
01:31You need to be past your 50th birthday.
01:33Social networking is not just an expectation, but a necessity in modern times.
01:37But back in 2006, when the internet was still a bit green,
01:41Eons.com emerged as a social networking site aimed specifically at baby boomers and users over 50.
01:47Created by Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor, the platform assumed older audiences wanted a separate digital space.
01:54Unfortunately, adoption rates among seniors were still relatively low.
01:58This directly translated to a slow start and worse growth.
02:01Those who were already online preferred mainstream platforms over niche alternatives.
02:06Eons struggled to maintain engagement.
02:08Unable to develop a compelling identity of its own,
02:11it was quickly overshadowed by Facebook's expansion, and the site was sold in 2011.
02:16There's so much to do.
02:17Don't wait.
02:18Come see us, Eons.com.
02:20Be the first of your friends to log on.
02:22You're one click away from living the biggest life possible, and it's free.
02:26Be proud.
02:26Be inspired.
02:27Get it done.
02:28You know what's coming.
02:29Boom, boom, boom!
02:30Number 48, Dreamcast.
02:32Sega Dreamcast.
02:35It's thinking.
02:36Considered one of the earliest competitors to PlayStation,
02:39Sega's Dreamcast was an ambitious console released in North America in 1999.
02:44Sega wanted to introduce a new flavor of collaboration between console gamers.
02:48Dreamcast delivered on this by providing online connectivity at a time when its competitors had yet to offer anything similar.
02:54Sega's prior hardware failures had eroded consumer trust,
02:58and anticipation for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 2 overshadowed the launch.
03:02Developers increasingly shifted resources elsewhere,
03:05leaving Dreamcast with limited long-term support.
03:07As sales declined rapidly,
03:09Sega discontinued the console in 2001,
03:12and Dreamcast's failure marked its exit from the hardware market.
03:15I like it.
03:17Real good graphics.
03:19Real good.
03:20The water looks almost too real.
03:22Number 47, Nook.
03:24Barnes & Noble says it will stop manufacturing its own color tablet, the Nook,
03:28and instead go with co-branded devices made by third-party manufacturers.
03:32When e-readers became the next big thing,
03:35Barnes & Noble introduced the Nook to compete with Amazon's Kindle in 2009.
03:39The Nook functioned adequately,
03:41but weak marketing and unclear positioning were not doing it any favors.
03:44Consumers struggled to view Barnes & Noble as a technology company rather than a traditional bookseller.
03:49Amazon.com, the ant.
03:51Shop at home in style and ease.
03:52Find exactly what you want.
03:54Ordering your stuff's a breeze.
03:55Books on tape.
03:56Games galore.
03:57Everything you're looking for.
03:58Kindle.
03:58Cameras.
03:59Electronics.
03:59Baby Einstein.
04:00Amazon's ecosystem, pricing strategy, and frequent updates quickly eclipse the Nook.
04:05Developers and publishers prioritized Kindle,
04:08leaving the Nook with limited innovation and declining sales.
04:11Today, the Nook is a living example of how strong branding and ecosystem integration matter
04:16as much as hardware when entering competitive technology markets like digital reading.
04:20Experience the only e-book reader from the bookstore you've grown up with.
04:25Nook by Barnes & Noble.
04:27Browse and download over a million titles wirelessly
04:29and take your story wherever you want it to go.
04:33Number 46.
04:34Quickster.
04:35Go to Netflix.com.
04:37Make a list of the movies you want to see.
04:39And in about one business day, you'll get three DVDs.
04:42As streaming began to dominate the market in the early 2000s,
04:45Netflix announced Quickster.
04:47This was a separate service intended to handle DVD rentals apart from streaming.
04:51The decision confused users.
04:54Requiring two websites, two queues, and separate billing
04:57led to immediate backlash from customers,
05:00who accused Netflix of unnecessary complexity.
05:02Subscriber losses followed and criticism dominated headlines.
05:06Within 23 days, CEO Reed Hastings reversed the decision and canceled Quickster entirely.
05:12A few months ago, when we looked forward at our business,
05:15we realized over time, DVD and streaming were becoming more and more different,
05:20and that we could do a better job for both services if we separated them.
05:26Although Netflix eventually recovered,
05:28the episode damaged trust and highlighted the importance of clear communication.
05:32Today, Quickster is a textbook example of how abrupt strategy changes
05:36can alienate loyal customers and overshadow otherwise successful business models.
05:41I feel badly because I'm a current Netflix subscriber who's going to,
05:44I guess, eventually just be a Quickster subscriber.
05:47Number 45, Juiced.
05:49After achieving phenomenal success with their launch of Skype,
05:53founders Nicholas Zendstrom and Giannis Fries introduced the world to Juiced in 2006.
05:57And it basically gives me internet television for free.
06:01A peer-to-peer internet television platform backed by major hires and media deals,
06:06Juiced set expectations high from the start.
06:08Unfortunately, it also required bulky software downloads,
06:12suffered from buffering, and delivered an awkward user experience.
06:15These cons worked against Juiced,
06:17which fell out of favor almost immediately as browser-based streaming improved.
06:21Timing alone couldn't replace Juiced's missteps in thoughtful product design
06:25and the ability to sustain audience-centered innovation over long development cycles and market lifetimes.
06:30By 2009, Juiced shut down entirely.
06:33Its failure pinned down to its misjudgment of usability,
06:36accessibility, and consumer habits during a period of rapidly evolving technology.
06:41The best part?
06:42You get to be your own programming executive.
06:44Picking and choosing what shows you want to watch,
06:47when you want to watch them in your own custom channel.
06:50Number 44, Cybertruck.
06:52In 2019, Tesla decided to bring the future to the automotive industry.
06:57Enter the Cybertruck.
06:58Amid enormous hype and media attention,
07:01Tesla's automotive innovation was marketed as durable and futuristic.
07:04It promised to disrupt the pickup market.
07:07However, during a live reveal,
07:09a supposedly shatterproof window cracked,
07:11instantly becoming a viral embarrassment.
07:15Oh my fucking God.
07:17Well?
07:18Initial pre-orders for the vehicle surged,
07:20but skepticism gradually crept in regarding build quality,
07:24practicality, and production delays.
07:25Truck buyers grew divided by the unconventional design.
07:29And years after its announcement,
07:30repeated delays undermined confidence.
07:33The Cybertruck became known more for its reveal than its real-world presence.
07:37Anticipation ultimately outpaced delivery and reliability for buyers worldwide
07:41in an automotive spectacle that failed to live up to its promises.
07:44Musk, in particular, painted things like Autopilot as something
07:49that would be able to drive your car anywhere by 2018, by 2019, by 2020.
07:57None of that happened, obviously.
07:59Number 43, Amazon's Fire Phone.
08:02The Amazon Fire Phone.
08:04It comes with Amazon Prime.
08:05The smartphone market became explosively competitive in the early 2000s.
08:09Adding fuel to the fire, Amazon introduced its Fire Phone in 2014.
08:14It's kind of like I'm looking at a different world when I'm just looking at the lock screen.
08:18Amazon expected success, but despite its solid hardware and novel features,
08:23such as its dynamic perspective 3D interface,
08:25the Fire Phone struggled to pick up an audience.
08:27The lack of access to Google's app ecosystem severely limited the Fire Phone's usability.
08:32Sales collapsed quickly, forcing Amazon to slash prices
08:36and write off hundreds of millions of dollars.
08:38The phone was discontinued in 2015.
08:41Its failure demonstrated that brand power could never compensate for ecosystem restrictions.
08:46The failure of the Fire Phone reshaped Amazon's future hardware ambitions
08:49and redirected focus towards services and infrastructure instead of consumer phones.
08:54This is an arena where many more established tech players have fallen,
08:58and only two, Apple and Samsung, make any real money.
09:02Number 42, Bic Underwear.
09:04Bic, your safety first.
09:06Bic pens and lighters are a familiar sight when it comes to disposable plastic products.
09:11All the more reason that people were so thrown off when Bic's disposable pantyhose
09:15signaled its foray into the underwear market in the 1990s.
09:18Marketing leaned on the company's cheeky slogans,
09:21but the novelty failed to translate into demand.
09:24Shoppers questioned the quality, purpose, and longevity of Bic's disposable pantyhose.
09:28The skepticism directly translated to minimal sales,
09:31and the product disappeared off the shelves quickly, but for the wrong reasons.
09:36In a classic case of brand extension gone wrong,
09:38Bic fell back to its usual market,
09:40recognizing that they couldn't force credibility in unrelated markets
09:44where they lacked a foundational base for consumer trust and relevance.
09:48Number 41, Frito-Lay Lemonade.
09:50Chips go with lunch.
09:52Nothing gives your old lunch new life like Frito's brand corn chips.
09:57In another case of snacks and beverages coming together,
10:00Frito-Lay Lemonade appeared to complement the company's salty snacks with a refreshing drink.
10:04Logical at first glance, but the product failed in execution.
10:07Instead of being refreshed,
10:09consumers reported that the drink only got them more thirsty.
10:12The flavor clash didn't sit well with the brand's snack-focused identity,
10:15and shoppers just couldn't relate Frito-Lay with beverages.
10:19With stumbling demand, limited trust, and interest,
10:22the Frito-Lay Lemonade vanished quietly into the ether.
10:24Retail data later confirmed the ground reality that there were minimal repeat purchases
10:29despite the extensive distribution and promotion across markets.
10:33This lemonade was not there to stay.
10:39Number 40, Apple 3.
10:41Apple was on target with its popular Apple II, and they had to follow through.
10:45So in 1980, they released Apple 3, this time targeting business users.
10:49You can do sales forecasting and general bookkeeping and even financial charts.
10:56What followed was a disaster.
10:58Steve Jobs insisted on a fanless system, and that was just the start of the issues.
11:02Overheating resulted in loosened chips and crashing machines.
11:06The mistakes in design led to reliability issues that plagued early adopters,
11:10while limited software support further hurt adoption.
11:13Businesses quickly lost confidence and sales collapsed.
11:16Within four years of its appearance, Apple 3 was discontinued.
11:20The failure nearly damaged Apple's financial stability and reputation,
11:24demonstrating that innovation must be balanced with practicality,
11:27especially when courting professional customers who demand dependable performance.
11:39Google Wave is a new web application designed to help you get stuff done with groups of people.
11:45Innovation is often touted as a front line for Google.
11:48Naturally, this led to Google developing the Google Wave in 2009,
11:51with the goal of reinventing online communication.
11:54The Wave combined email, messaging, document editing, and collaboration into one platform.
11:59The Wave offered something that was cohesive and a one-for-all package,
12:03but unfortunately, it wasn't too easy to use.
12:06Users found the interface confusing and overwhelming.
12:09Rather than simplifying communication,
12:11the Wave introduced complexity without clear benefits.
12:14Adoption eventually stalled, and the Wave never picked off.
12:17Google shut down the Wave in 2010.
12:20The project became a lesson in over-engineering,
12:22showing that even powerful ideas can fail
12:25if they ignore user experience and real-world usage patterns.
12:29So take some time to get to know Google Wave
12:31and find out how it can make you and your groups more productive.
12:35Number 38. Astro Pants.
12:37A Lululemon see-through leggings fiasco from a few weeks ago.
12:42You might recall the company pulled the get-low training tight
12:45because customers said they were see-through
12:47when they were bending or squatting.
12:50Lululemon and yoga pants are one,
12:52but there was a time when the brand misfired.
12:54When the pants you pay premium price for
12:56end up becoming see-through upon stretching,
12:58something has gone seriously wrong.
13:00This was the case of Lululemon's Astro Yoga Pants in 2013.
13:04The issue sparked widespread criticism,
13:07leading the company to recall 17% of its inventory.
13:10That was an estimated $67 million in lost revenue.
13:14Customers demanded transparency
13:16and better manufacturing standards
13:17following widespread media coverage
13:19and consumer outrage across global markets.
13:21Quality control failures damaged consumer trust
13:24and led to executive resignations.
13:26In time, Lululemon recovered financially.
13:28But the incident of transparent stretchy pants
13:31became a defining moment for the brand.
13:33Lulu founder Chip Wilson got into some controversy
13:35when he suggested that some women's bodies
13:38just don't work for his pants.
13:40Number 37. Keurig Cold.
13:42Keurig and coffee are a match made in heaven.
13:45But could Keurig soda?
13:46This was put to the test in 2015
13:48when Keurig introduced the cold soda machine.
14:02The idea was customizable soft drinks at home.
14:06Instead, customers got a hulk of a machine
14:08that not only dug through their pockets,
14:10but was a noisy resident with little to return.
14:13Pods cost several dollars each,
14:15the servings were small,
14:16and the soda was far pricier
14:18than store-bought alternatives.
14:19Despite Coca-Cola investing $1 billion,
14:22sales disappointed.
14:23Keurig discontinued cold in 2016.
14:26Strong partnerships just couldn't make grounds
14:28for a product that had gone blind
14:30in the name of innovation
14:31and did not meet customer expectations.
14:33Somewhere along the way,
14:34Keurig had lost sight of convenience.
14:36I'm going to make you a Coca-Cola
14:38in the new Keurig cold.
14:39Here we go.
14:40You put it right in here.
14:42You close the machine
14:43just like you would for your Keurig hot.
14:45And you push the button.
14:47And you put one of the Keurig glasses under it.
14:50In the bottom of each of these pods
14:53is the beverage blend.
14:55Number 36. TCL Palm.
14:57Called simply Palm
14:58because it fits in the palm of your hand.
15:022018 answered the call
15:03for a means to avoid getting distracted
15:05by your smartphone.
15:06The Palm.
15:07Sharing a number with the user's main phone
15:09and aimed to reduce digital distraction,
15:12the Palm was designed
15:12to be everyone's minimalist companion.
15:15Sadly, time away from the screen
15:17with the Palm also meant poor battery life,
15:19weak performance, and a subpar camera.
15:21There just wasn't much appeal.
15:23Consumers questioned why simplification
15:25required buying another device in the first place.
15:27The Palm failed to resonate
15:29and the drop in sales was telling.
15:31Minimalism must offer real convenience.
15:33Not additional complexity.
15:35Marketing failed to clarify long-term value
15:37for consumers seeking simplicity
15:39and reduced screen dependence.
15:40As a result, the Palm fell to the back burner
15:43in an already saturated smartphone market.
15:45It's been almost a decade
15:46since Palm released a smartphone.
15:49You may remember the Palm Pre,
15:50the Palm Pixie,
15:51or even the Trio series.
15:54They offered many cutting-edge features
15:56that helped usher in the smartphone era.
15:59Number 35. HP Touchpad.
16:01HP's touchpad sales struggled so much out of the gate
16:05that it almost immediately cut the tablet's price
16:07by a hundred bucks.
16:08The Apple iPad revolutionized the digital tablet industry,
16:11and Hewlett-Packard, or HP,
16:13wasn't gonna let that go easily.
16:15The touchpad entered the tablet wars in 2011,
16:18backed by an expensive advertising campaign
16:20and skyrocketing expectations.
16:22Unlike the iPad, though,
16:24the touchpad's success was transient.
16:25The device suffered from sluggish performance,
16:28limited apps,
16:29and unclear strategic direction.
16:31Retailers were left with excess inventory,
16:33many units sold at a loss,
16:35and the company reportedly lost
16:37hundreds of millions of dollars.
16:39The lack of a compelling ecosystem
16:41and a means to differentiate its product
16:43from Apple's established market
16:45led to a financial disaster.
16:47WebOS limitations further discouraged developers
16:49from investing resources
16:51in the long term on HP's platform.
16:53Simply, the touchpad went out of touch.
16:55And we'll have a real good time.
17:01Number 34, Mobile ESPN.
17:04This is Mobile ESPN.
17:06This isn't just like sports on your current phone, okay?
17:09This is a new phone service from ESPN.
17:11Forget about watching sports on TV.
17:13What if you could watch sports on your phone?
17:15This was ESPN's promise
17:17when it launched Mobile ESPN in 2006
17:19to deliver sports content
17:20through a dedicated phone and subscription service.
17:23Users were required to purchase
17:24a specific handset costing $400
17:27and pay $40 monthly.
17:29Fans balked at the price,
17:31especially as similar features
17:32were becoming available on standard phones.
17:34The service shut down within a year,
17:36and the company reportedly lost $150 million.
17:40Consumers preferred flexibility over exclusivity,
17:43and ESPN had failed to grasp this.
17:45Mobile ESPN offered nothing new to customers
17:48except for a service that was too costly for its own good.
17:51Super fast video alerts.
17:53When something important happens,
17:54a phone calls you.
17:55Another way Mobile ESPN offers better features and content
17:58than your current phone service.
17:59Number 33, Lisa.
18:01Apple has been in the computer business for a long time,
18:04and for the most part,
18:05hasn't encountered too many stumbles.
18:07But dig a little deeper into the past,
18:09and you would come across the year 1983
18:11when Apple released the Lisa Computer.
18:14At Apple, we understand that business as usual isn't anymore.
18:19Marketed as a high-end business machine
18:21featuring a graphical user interface,
18:23the Lisa took three years to develop
18:25and cost approximately $50 million.
18:27Launching with a price tag of nearly $10,000,
18:30Lisa was well beyond most buyers,
18:32not to mention the performance issues and limited support.
18:35100,000 units sold before discontinuation in 1985.
18:39The Lisa became an early lesson in pricing strategy,
18:42proving that groundbreaking technology
18:44must align with affordability and market readiness
18:46to succeed commercially.
18:48So command the powers of Adam,
18:50nothing near it for the price.
18:52Number 32, LaserDisc.
18:54VHS tapes did not go down without a fight
18:56when the age of discs came around.
18:58At one point, VHS even scored a definitive win
19:01against the newly debuting LaserDisc.
19:03I'm a little skeptical, but I listen.
19:06I listen to Flashdance.
19:08I listen to Duran Duran.
19:10I listen to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
19:13The LaserDisc was 1970s high-quality alternative to VHS,
19:17offering superior picture and sound.
19:19However, the format had serious drawbacks.
19:22Players and discs were expensive.
19:24Bulky and lacked recording capabilities.
19:27Consumers preferred VHS convenience over quality,
19:29especially the ability to tape television.
19:32A niche audience helped the LaserDisc survive temporarily,
19:35and despite a brief resurgence in the 1990s,
19:38DVDs quickly replaced it.
19:40Technically superior, the LaserDisc lost out to VHS
19:43when it came to affordability and convenience.
19:45With dwindling mainstream awareness and long-term investment,
19:48the LaserDisc eventually became a forgotten relic of home media.
19:51All I found was something called a manual in space on LaserDisc.
19:54I couldn't watch it, but it sounded sexy.
19:58LaserDisc.
19:59Number 31. Google+.
20:03Facebook's social networking empire had a new competitor in 2011,
20:07when Google came around with Google+.
20:09Google had demonstrated its intent to compete directly and head-on with Facebook,
20:13but the battle was lost before it even began.
20:16Massive promotion and automatic integration with Google accounts
20:19did not account for the lack of a clear purpose.
20:22Users signed up for the Google+, platform, but rarely engaged.
20:25By 2015, user interaction had declined by 98%.
20:30Google+, lingered with limited communities before shutting down.
20:33Google's approach towards social networking used scale and resources.
20:37This did not translate to organic engagement and identity.
20:40Failing to carve out a meaningful space in the virtual world of social networking,
20:44Google's venture never took off.
20:46On the surface, Google+, doesn't look that different
20:49from a lot of the social networks you're probably already used to.
20:52For example, you have a stream where your friends share links,
20:56status updates, photos, and other things.
20:58Number 30. Harley-Davidson cologne.
21:01All my life, I wanted a Harley-Davidson.
21:03And with the $10,000 I'm saving on that wedding,
21:06I can get the hog of life.
21:09Whittin', whittin', whittin'.
21:10Who do you think of when you think of perfume and colognes?
21:14Dior? Calvin Klein? Yes.
21:16What about Harley-Davidson?
21:18No, probably not.
21:19Beginning in the mid-1990s,
21:21Harley-Davidson expanded into the perfume and cologne industry,
21:24introducing a number of fragrances with the help of L'Oreal.
21:28These scents included Hot Rod, which had notes of wood and tobacco,
21:31and Destiny Man, which smelt of cinnamon and cedarwood.
21:34What if I told you there once was a fragrance
21:37that was inspired by burning rubber, exhaust fumes, and knife fights?
21:41They failed to catch on with their audience, however,
21:43who were just much more interested in the whole motorcycle aspect of the brand.
21:47The perfumes and colognes faded quickly,
21:50and were discontinued within a decade on the market.
21:53Ooh, it's a formidable scent.
21:56It stings the nostrils.
21:57Number 29. Blockbuster Total Access
22:00The Blockbuster vs. Netflix war is one for the ages,
22:04and towards the end,
22:05Blockbuster was just too slow playing catch-up against the streaming giant.
22:09I've been doing Netflix, you know, like, everybody.
22:11There was a time in 2006, however,
22:14that Blockbuster looked like they might overtake their rival,
22:17with the introduction of Total Access.
22:19This new scheme copied what Netflix was doing, but with a twist.
22:23If online customers returned their rentals to a physical store,
22:26they could receive another rental for free.
22:29Blockbuster initially saw great success with this,
22:31but it cost them around $2 a pop.
22:34Eventually, the cost caught up with them,
22:35and when that was compounded by legal issues from Netflix,
22:38and a reluctance from store franchises to embrace the Total Access project,
22:43the initiative ultimately ended up being a big part of why Blockbuster toppled.
22:47How am I supposed to be the next Tarantino if I don't work in a video store?
22:49Number 28. Friendster
22:51Ah, yes.
22:52Another social media casualty.
22:54Thanks largely in part to, yes, you guessed it,
22:57the popularity of Facebook.
22:58Since we left school,
22:59all my friends have ended up doing different things.
23:02But Friendster actually found success a year before Facebook even launched,
23:06hitting the ground running in 2003,
23:07and earning itself millions of subscribers in its first year.
23:11Its downfall was partially due to the rise of Facebook,
23:14but the company also failed to scale up quickly enough to meet subscriber spikes,
23:18which in turn resulted in slow site performance.
23:21Friendster also failed to keep up with trends,
23:23and what competitors like MySpace and Facebook were doing,
23:26and it saw a gradual decline before finally closing up shop in 2015.
23:31Regardless, Friendster was still one of the very first big mainstream social media sites.
23:36But with Friendster on my Maxis mobile, I can stay in touch with everyone.
23:41Number 27. Philips CDI Player
23:43This is CDI, Compact Disc Interactive,
23:47a new world standard in multimedia home entertainment from Philips Electronics.
23:52Released in 1991 and discontinued just seven years later,
23:55the Philips CDI Player was, well, a disaster.
23:58The device was a multimedia home entertainment system,
24:01able to read and play compact disc interactive,
24:04a digital optical disc data storage format upon which media like video games,
24:09interactive museum tours, and internet access could be accessed.
24:12Wow. What are you going to use it for?
24:14Games and stuff.
24:16And man, was technology expensive back then.
24:18The first commercial CDI was released in 1991 and retailed for $800,
24:24which is the modern equivalent of about $1,800.
24:27This high price tag was a major detriment to the device,
24:30as it was forced to compete with much cheaper multimedia PCs.
24:34Furthermore, the tech was considered outdated even at the time of release,
24:38and it received bad reviews from major outlets.
24:41The CDI only sold about 400,000 units before it was quietly discontinued in 1998.
24:47Awesome!
24:48Awesome is right. Awesome sound. Awesome pictures. Awesome choices.
24:54Number 26. Microsoft Kin.
24:56Marketing experts will probably tell you a thousand reasons
24:59why Microsoft's range of Kin smartphones failed in 2010.
25:03In reality, though, it's very, very simple.
25:06The Kin 1 and 2 were aimed at the youth market, but they didn't support apps.
25:11Like, what is that about?
25:12If you wanted to check in and update your social media streams on your Kin,
25:16you had to go through a browser.
25:18This is in the era of the app-happy iPhone.
25:21Oh, and by the way, it was really expensive to buy as well.
25:25Microsoft's Kin range was discontinued about a year later.
25:28Third in the ocean.
25:29Number 25. Cosmopolitan Yogurt.
25:32Oh, this is terrible.
25:33Oh, it stinks.
25:34Mine too.
25:35We got one more day.
25:37I can't eat this.
25:38If we learn anything from this list,
25:40it's that established companies should probably stay in their own lanes.
25:43Enter Cosmopolitan Yogurt,
25:45a special yogurt made by the popular fashion magazine.
25:49Why?
25:49We really don't know.
25:51Released in 1999,
25:53Cosmopolitan Yogurt was not the first thing that people reached for in the dairy aisle.
25:57Probably because they, like us, were thinking,
25:59why is Cosmo making yogurt?
26:01Hello.
26:02Hello.
26:03Magazine.
26:04Interview.
26:04Cosmo.
26:05Can't flake twice.
26:06Well, I think this is a little bit more important than Cosmo, don't you?
26:09The brand was handily outsold by competitors,
26:11and the magazine company left the yogurt market after about a year and a half.
26:15And somehow, this isn't even the only yogurt-themed failure.
26:19In 1979,
26:21Plarol released Touch of Yogurt Shampoo,
26:23which some confused buyers even ingested.
26:29Number 24. Windows Vista.
26:31Vista launched in 2007 and was a replacement for the well-thought-of Windows XP.
26:37People were excited, but that didn't last long.
26:39From the moment it launched,
26:41people everywhere were pulling out their hair
26:43due to incompatibility issues with their current computers,
26:46despite promises from Windows that that wouldn't happen.
26:49Windows 95 was key to its era,
26:53and Windows Vista is key to the era we have today.
26:57Users were forced to upgrade due to increased hardware requirements,
27:00and the general speed and performance of Vista was, well, not good.
27:05Loads of Windows users remained on the XP system and refused to switch,
27:09waiting for things to get better.
27:11Thankfully, they did when Windows 7 launched in 2009.
27:14No, it's the glorified Windows system.
27:18Number 23. Lawn Darts.
27:19Frivolous lawsuits are chasing good people out of business.
27:23People who sell propane,
27:25people who manufacture flu vaccine,
27:27and people who make lawn darts.
27:29In hindsight, making a metal-tipped toy that kids throw in the air
27:33maybe wasn't the greatest idea.
27:35A variation on horseshoes,
27:37lawn darts are tossed or thrown towards the target
27:40sitting a number of feet away.
27:41While modern lawn darts are quite safe,
27:44this wasn't the case back in the day.
27:45Like real darts,
27:47they were pointed and incredibly sharp,
27:49and thousands of miners were hospitalized
27:51after injuring themselves with the toys.
27:53Do you have any idea what could happen
27:54if you play around with one of these?
27:56The FDA designated lawn darts as a mechanical hazard in 1970
28:00and banned them from toy stores.
28:02But it wasn't until 1987,
28:04when a California girl tragically lost her life,
28:07that they were banned entirely
28:09in both the United States and Canada.
28:11A rope.
28:12Shovel.
28:15Bag of lime.
28:16And some lawn darts.
28:20Number 22. Nintendo Wii U.
28:23What?
28:24Oh, it is time for Wii U.
28:26The Wii U is a great innovative console
28:28with an awesome games library,
28:30and it's bookended by the super successful
28:32Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Switch.
28:34So what gives?
28:36Well, Nintendo's marketing of the Wii U
28:38when it was launched in 2012 was just confusing.
28:41It carried a similar name to the Wii,
28:43but it wasn't merely an accessory for the Wii.
28:46It was a separate console.
28:48And the controller was also a screen,
28:50so you could play it handheld,
28:51but you could also connect it to a TV.
28:54It was kind of like an early iteration of the Switch,
28:56but it didn't seem like the gaming world was ready for it.
28:59The high price tag did not help its cause either.
29:02Losing isn't fun.
29:03Is it?
29:04Number 21.
29:053D TV.
29:07Samsung 3D TV.
29:12Samsung, LG, Sony, take your pick.
29:15There were tons of major tech brands
29:17that dipped their toe into the 3D TV market
29:19and ultimately came out wondering where it all went wrong.
29:22The 3D TV hype peaked around 2012,
29:25just a few years after James Cameron unleashed Avatar on the world.
29:29People were enjoying 3D movies and live sports events
29:32from the comfort of their living rooms,
29:34thanks to the use of specific displays and glasses.
29:37But it didn't take long for the fad to fizzle.
29:39Many got bored of it fast
29:41or just couldn't be bothered to fiddle with 3D glasses,
29:44especially with the rising popularity
29:45of ultra-clear 4K TVs and curved displays,
29:49which enhanced the viewing experience with no extra effort.
29:52Maybe they'll make a comeback?
29:54So, how smart is your 3D?
29:56Number 20.
29:57The DMC-12.
29:59This one may come as a surprise
30:01considering it has unending popularity,
30:03a rabid fan base,
30:04and pop culture cred courtesy of its use in Back to the Future.
30:15But Marty McFly saddled up in 1985,
30:18by which point the car had been deemed an abject failure.
30:21Beautifully crafted for long life.
30:24The DeLorean is one of the most awaited automobiles
30:27in automotive history.
30:29On the market for a scant 3 model years
30:31before DMC was shuttered amid multiple forms of controversy,
30:35the DeLorean, as it later came to be known,
30:37never performed as well as it looked,
30:39disappointing drivers and turning off would-be owners.
30:42The first production car was completed in January of 81,
30:45but by December of 82, the game was over,
30:48with DMC itself following suit soon after.
30:51Number 19.
30:53Apple Maps.
30:54When Apple Maps launched in 2012,
30:57it was riddled with issues.
30:58Boldly, the company made Apple Maps
31:01the default Maps application on iPhones,
31:03and boy did people hate it.
31:05Tim Cook even issued a public apology
31:07for all of the problems the application had.
31:09Some of these problems included misspelled place names
31:11and locations being placed miles
31:13from where they actually were.
31:15Since then, Apple has improved some features,
31:17but its reputation hasn't fully recovered.
31:20And in terms of users,
31:22Google Maps remains way ahead.
31:24Don't tell me this is Zoom bad.
31:27I'm sorry, Gavin.
31:29It's Apple Maps bad.
31:31Number 18.
31:32Segway.
31:33This is the world's first self-balancing human transporter.
31:38The Segway has certainly fallen from grace
31:40since it was first introduced back in 2001,
31:42to the excitement of local dads and mall cops everywhere.
31:45The problem was the astronomical hopes of the Segway's creator.
31:49The intention was to have the product
31:50completely revolutionize how humans got around in urban areas.
31:53Fly, Segway!
31:54Fly!
31:57But there was just something undeniably dorky about it.
32:00And it wasn't adopted nearly as fervently
32:02as its producer had hoped.
32:04In an unfortunate turn of events,
32:05the product's viability died
32:07with the company owner, Jimmy Heseldon,
32:09who was killed when he fell off a cliff
32:11while riding his Segway scooter
32:12through the English countryside.
32:14Number 17.
32:16Colgate Kitchen Entrees.
32:17In the 1980s,
32:19frozen meals were popular and prevalent.
32:21So that's perhaps why Colgate,
32:23best known for their line of toothpastes,
32:25decided to get into the market,
32:26because why not?
32:27But there's something distinctly unappetizing
32:29about the name Colgate Kitchen Entrees.
32:32What a cool taste!
32:33Let me try!
32:34No one wants to be slumming it
32:36with a half-frozen, half-overcooked plate of gruel
32:38and be reminded of fluoride-enhanced
32:40mint-flavored grit cream.
32:42Anyone who's ever had a glass of OJ
32:44after brushing their teeth knows toothpaste and food
32:46do not mix.
32:47Sorry, but we will pass on this one.
32:50Number 16.
32:51Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water.
32:53You will start to notice a trend on our list
32:56that many of the entries involve companies
32:58leaving their comfort zones
32:59in an attempt to branch out into new markets.
33:02Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water
33:03is a prime example of this.
33:07In 1990, when the product was released,
33:10Coors was one of the most successful
33:11brewing companies in America.
33:13And while their beer was popular
33:15across many demographics,
33:16one they were not hitting
33:17was the Sparkling Water Crowd.
33:19But people didn't want to drink bubbly water
33:21that perhaps tasted like ultralight beer.
33:23And the trademark expired
33:25a few years after launch.
33:27Number 15.
33:28Virtual Boy.
33:29In the mid-90s,
33:30Nintendo was thriving.
33:32Their Super Nintendo,
33:34released in 1990,
33:35was a massive success.
33:36But a few short years later,
33:38they delivered a serious flop.
33:40The Virtual Boy was marketed
33:42as the first 3D gaming console.
33:44And there were many issues in development,
33:46causing it to be released
33:47before it was properly finished.
33:49I know they were really,
33:50really bad for your eyes.
33:51You could only play them
33:5220 minutes at a time.
33:53The company had decided
33:54to shift its focus
33:55onto their next idea,
33:56the N64.
33:57And they were right to do so.
33:59The Virtual Boy was a big disappointment,
34:01with poor 3D effects
34:02and a big price tag.
34:04Not to mention concerns
34:05of it affecting the health of users.
34:08Number 14.
34:09Microsoft Bob.
34:10Back in 1995,
34:12the masses weren't exactly computer savvy.
34:14So we could understand
34:15the thinking behind the launch
34:16of the Microsoft Bob.
34:17This was an operating system interface
34:19that made your desktop
34:20look like a house,
34:21with each application corresponding
34:23to a regular household item.
34:24The whole point is that
34:25you don't have to find
34:26the clock application
34:28somewhere in your computer.
34:29You can just think,
34:30hey, look, there's a clock.
34:31Click on it.
34:31The idea wasn't a terrible one,
34:33but it used a ton of processing power,
34:35which most home computers
34:37didn't have in excess in 1995.
34:39It was discontinued
34:40shortly after launch.
34:41To make matters even worse,
34:43it gave the world clippy.
34:44And perhaps worse still,
34:46Comic Sans was actually invented
34:48for use in Microsoft Bob,
34:50even though they didn't end up
34:51using it on the interface.
34:53Number 13.
34:54HD DVD.
34:56Remember back in the late aughts
34:57when people had to decide
34:58whether to commit
34:59to HD DVDs or Blu-ray?
35:01There was a race to replace,
35:02or at least improve upon,
35:03the DVD.
35:04And Toshiba threw their hat
35:06into the ring with the HD DVD.
35:07High-def DVD is really
35:09an improvement over old DVD.
35:11It's the same technology.
35:12That's why they didn't
35:13change the name.
35:14There wasn't anything wrong
35:15with the HD DVD per se,
35:16but it simply lost the war
35:18against Blu-ray.
35:19And two years after its release,
35:21it was discontinued.
35:22Unfortunately for consumers,
35:24many had invested in HD DVD players,
35:26which were essentially made obsolete,
35:28or at least of limited use.
35:30Although some may now say the same
35:32about physical media in general.
35:34So is there a real winner here?
35:36Number 12.
35:37The Arch Deluxe
35:39Over the years,
35:40McDonald's has introduced
35:41dozens of new menu items.
35:43Some are hits,
35:44and some are definite misses.
35:45The Arch Deluxe was marketed
35:47as a burger with a grown-up taste,
35:48and the ad campaign focused
35:50on getting adults
35:51with sophisticated palates
35:52to try it.
35:53The soft, comforting potato roll.
35:54I'm in the zone.
35:55All layered together
35:57in one symphony of taste.
35:59The company spent over $300 million
36:01on development and marketing
36:02for the Arch Deluxe,
36:03and yet it didn't meet
36:04sales expectations.
36:06There was nothing in particular
36:07wrong with the burger,
36:08which was pretty standard
36:09with additions like
36:09peppered bacon,
36:10leaf lettuce,
36:11and a special mayo
36:12and mustard sauce.
36:13Arch.
36:14They're up.
36:16The new Arch Deluxe?
36:19Yeah.
36:19I was going to say that.
36:20But consumers just weren't biting,
36:22and the Arch Deluxe
36:23went McBye-Bye soon after.
36:25Number 11.
36:26Zune
36:27Back in the mid-aughts,
36:28it was tough to compete
36:29with Apple's hugely successful iPod,
36:31but some companies tried anyway
36:33to varying results.
36:34Microsoft produced its own MP3 player
36:37called the Zune,
36:38which was released in 2006
36:39and managed to stick around
36:40until 2012,
36:42though in the latter years,
36:43it was definitely not selling much.
36:45The performance of the Zune
36:46never quite matched up
36:47to that of its competitors,
36:48and in an embarrassing instance
36:50in 2008,
36:51most of the 30 gigabyte Zunes
36:53completely stopped working
36:54on New Year's Eve
36:55because they forgot to account
36:56for the extra day
36:57in the leap year.
36:58I stood in front of a case of iPods
37:00and I bought a Zune.
37:05What's a Zune?
37:07Yeah, exactly.
37:09Number 10.
37:10Easy Squirt Colored Ketchup
37:12Kids historically love ketchup,
37:15so it makes sense
37:16that Heinz,
37:16the world's best-known maker
37:17of ketchup,
37:18decided to market ketchup
37:19directly to children
37:21with its Easy Squirt line.
37:22The squeezable containers
37:23were easy for kids to use,
37:25but not only that,
37:26the product was made available
37:27in a variety of fun
37:28and, dare we say it,
37:29rad colors
37:30other than the standard red.
37:31Who wouldn't want to squirt
37:32something purple and toxic
37:34looking onto their french fries?
37:35While the novel idea
37:36may have had some kids
37:37begging their parents
37:38to put it in their grocery carts,
37:39by 2006,
37:40production was stopped.
37:42Number 9.
37:43Cheetos Lip Balm
37:44Some products on this list
37:46were good ideas
37:47that just weren't well executed
37:49or didn't catch on,
37:50but this is absolutely
37:51not one of them.
37:53Sure, we all loved
37:54soda-flavored chapstick,
37:55but when Frito-Lay
37:56introduced Cheetos-flavored lip balm,
37:59it was obviously
37:59a step too far.
38:01We acknowledge
38:01that Cheetos are incredible,
38:03but not every snack food
38:05belongs in our makeup case.
38:06We can't even imagine
38:07what the marketing pitch
38:08was for this product,
38:09and we wouldn't be surprised
38:10if someone was fired
38:11for creating this monstrosity.
38:13Number 8.
38:14The Newton
38:15The Apple Newton
38:16was the product
38:17for which the term
38:18Personal Digital Assistant
38:19was created,
38:20and at the time
38:21of its release in 1993,
38:23it seemed like
38:23the height of new technology.
38:25Newton is the first product
38:26from Apple
38:27to have a button
38:28labeled Assist.
38:29Tap it,
38:30and you open
38:31a whole new world
38:32of possibilities.
38:33But the price of the product
38:34was very steep,
38:35making it a difficult sell
38:36for consumers.
38:37Another factor
38:38in its failure
38:39was that the highly anticipated
38:40handwriting feature
38:41ended up being
38:42a disappointment.
38:43At least if you
38:44didn't want to
38:44eat up Martha.
38:45Hey, Dov,
38:46take a memo
38:47on your Newton.
38:48Beat up, Martin.
38:50The Palm Pilot
38:51ended up overtaking it,
38:52and when Steve Jobs
38:53came back to Apple
38:54in 1997,
38:55he ordered the Newton line
38:56to be discontinued.
38:57I just point this
38:58to another Newton
38:59and zap,
39:00the information is transferred,
39:01no wires or anything.
39:02It's really cool.
39:04It's way cool.
39:05Yeah.
39:05Number 7.
39:06The Galaxy Note 7
39:08The Samsung Galaxy Note 7
39:09started literally
39:10catching on fire
39:11shortly after its release.
39:13This phablet
39:13was actually pretty well reviewed
39:15when it first launched
39:16in August of 2016,
39:17but those positive critiques
39:19didn't count for much
39:19when the phones began smoking
39:21and setting aflame.
39:22Through measurement
39:23and observation,
39:24it was found
39:25that the negative electrodes
39:26were damaged
39:27because the design
39:28of the cell pouch
39:29did not provide enough room.
39:30In one much publicized instance,
39:32this even happened
39:33on a flight
39:33which had to be evacuated,
39:35prompting airlines
39:36to ban the Note 7.
39:37Samsung discontinued
39:39the phone in October of 2016
39:40and reportedly lost
39:42billions of dollars
39:43because of the debacle.
39:44I call it exploding
39:45because this did shoot
39:47pieces of whatever
39:49it was inside the phone
39:50out.
39:50Number 6.
39:52Betamax
39:52Remember VHS?
39:54Meet its older brother.
39:56Released in 1975,
39:57just a year before
39:58the VHS tape came out,
40:00the Betamax arguably
40:01had better technology
40:02than its competitor.
40:03The resolution and sound
40:04were considered
40:05to be superior
40:06to those of the VHS,
40:07but because Sony
40:08made a major misstep
40:09with its licensing,
40:10VHS soared past it
40:11to quickly grab
40:12a larger market share,
40:14providing more consumer options
40:15and lower price points.
40:17That is why 90s kids
40:18will all remember
40:19having their Disney movies
40:20on VHS and not Betamax.
40:22Everything you want
40:23in home video
40:24from those awfully nice
40:24Sony people.
40:25Who's a clever little Sony then?
40:27I am.
40:28Number 5.
40:29Google Glass
40:30In so many works
40:31of science fiction
40:32that imagine
40:32the future of humanity,
40:33we had wearable technology
40:35that looked a whole lot
40:48to the timeline.
40:49But despite its lofty goals,
40:50Google Glass was mired
40:52with criticism
40:52and was prohibitively
40:54expensive for many.
40:55Chief among the concerns
40:56were issues of privacy
40:57because the glass
40:58could easily record people
41:00without their consent
41:01as well as safety.
41:03Number 4.
41:04Wow Chips
41:05Consumers should probably
41:07be smart enough
41:07to be wary of low-fat
41:08potato chips,
41:09but when Wow Chips
41:10were released by Lays
41:11in 1998,
41:13no one could have
41:14imagined the fallout.
41:14You see,
41:15they were made
41:16with a fat alternative
41:17called Olestra,
41:18which caused,
41:19let's just say,
41:21gastrointestinal distress.
41:23That is,
41:24visits to the bathroom.
41:25It seems the folks
41:26who made Crisco
41:27had come up with Olean,
41:29an oil that fries up snacks
41:31without adding
41:31any fat or calories.
41:33How this was not discovered
41:34during the development phase,
41:35we'll never know.
41:36But the end result
41:37was that Lays was forced
41:38to put a warning
41:39on all bags,
41:40reading,
41:40This product contains Olestra.
41:43Olestra may cause
41:44abdominal cramping
41:45and loose stools.
41:47Now that is not exactly
41:48great marketing material.
41:50Number 3.
41:51Premier Smokeless Cigarettes
41:53Long before peeps
41:54were vaping
41:55or using e-cigarettes,
41:56companies were trying
41:57to come up
41:57with a safer way to smoke.
41:59In 1988,
42:00for tobacco company
42:01R.J. Reynolds,
42:02this meant introducing
42:03a line of smokeless cigarettes.
42:05The problem was,
42:06smokers didn't get
42:07the same satisfaction from it
42:08because of the lack
42:09of actual smoke.
42:10Not to mention,
42:10there was a chemical taste
42:11associated with it
42:12that didn't improve things.
42:14In the end,
42:14the non-smoking smokes
42:16were only around
42:16for a few months
42:17before they were removed
42:18from the market.
42:19And after,
42:20R.J. Reynolds invested
42:21hundreds of millions
42:22of dollars into them.
42:24Number 2.
42:25Edsel
42:25The most memorable
42:27product failures
42:27are usually the ones
42:29that were the most
42:29heavily hyped.
42:30This is true now,
42:31and it was true
42:32all the way back
42:33in the 1950s as well.
42:34That's right.
42:35Driving the 1958 Edsel
42:38is as easy
42:39as flicking a light switch.
42:40The Ford Motor Company
42:41came out with the Edsel
42:42after a year-long
42:43marketing campaign
42:44leading up to its release,
42:46which branded it
42:46as the car of the future.
42:48With so much anticipation,
42:49it was almost destined
42:51to fall short
42:51of what people had expected.
42:52Like this speedometer
42:54that glows red
42:55when you exceed
42:56the safe maximum speed
42:58you set it for.
42:59But this was an even
43:00more colossal failure
43:01than anyone could have imagined.
43:03People thought
43:03they were too expensive,
43:05ugly,
43:05and suffered
43:06from being overhyped.
43:07In short,
43:08the Edsel never
43:09picked up traction.
43:10Before we continue,
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43:26Number 1.
43:27New Coke
43:28If it ain't broke,
43:29don't fix it.
43:31This was a lesson
43:32that the Coca-Cola company
43:33clearly did not internalize
43:34when they came up
43:35with the idea
43:35for New Coke in the 80s.
43:37It tastes like the 80s.
43:38There you go.
43:39So, there you go.
43:40We're not sure
43:40why they decided
43:41to mess with a good thing,
43:42but when they reformulated
43:43their popular cola beverage
43:44to more closely align
43:46with popular tastes
43:47at the time,
43:48the reaction
43:48was overwhelmingly negative.
43:50Several years later,
43:52Pepsi tried a similar tactic
43:53with Crystal Pepsi,
43:54which was clear
43:55and caffeine-free
43:56and was similarly unsuccessful.
43:58Curious parties
43:59and latecomers
44:00got a second chance
44:00to try New Coke
44:01in 2019, however,
44:03when it was re-released
44:04as a cross-promotion
44:05with Stranger Things.
44:14What do you think
44:15was the biggest
44:15product failure
44:16of all time?
44:17Did we miss a flop
44:18that still makes you cringe?
44:19Let us know in the comments.
44:20the comments.
44:22Let us know in the comments.
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