# Help Me Name 10 big "Brand" failures **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076 "2007-01-07T19:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/21 "2007-01-07T23:22:50Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] DAT (Digital Audio Tape) [/QUOTE] They didn’t catch on with the public, but we still use DAT almost daily in radio. Classical music concerts are recorded on them by the venue’s engineer, and the tapes are shipped to us for editing and broadcast. We also use them to time-shift, and record long-form (usually classical) programs for later broadcast. I thought of a few other pieces of equipment: The Elcaset. This machine went into production in the mid-'70s. It was an audio cassette deck that took a big cartridge, using 1/4" tape and 3 3/4 IPS speed. It sounded wonderful, but never caught on. Some regular cassette decks were built with a high-speed option, which ran at 3 3/4 IPS, too, and it sounded much better than recordings on the same deck at 1 7/8 IPS, but the public didn’t want the recording time of their C90 tapes cut in half. C120 cassettes had tape that was too thin, and it was prone to stretch and fold over on itself even at slow speed, so that wasn’t an option. Later, there was the Digital Compact Cassette. I don’t even know how it worked, as I’ve never seen a machine or the tape for it. But some of those were made as well. I think they were sold at Radio Shack. For maybe a few months. The Minidisc failed with the public, but it’s popular with concert bootleggers, and has replaced the cartridge deck in radio stations worldwide. They were used widely by news reporters, but now they have been replaced by flash memory recorders. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/22 "2007-01-07T23:54:40Z")
[QUOTE=Hometownboy] idea failures (e.g., R.J. Reynolds’ smokeless cigarettes). [/QUOTE] This is the one I came in to mention, along with the tangentially related attempts by RJR to niche market to African-Americans (the failed Uptown) and women (can’t remember the new attempted brand, it got scuttled like Uptown did). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/23 "2007-01-07T23:59:43Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Clayton’s was a non-alcoholic whiskey 😕 that was marketed in Australia about 20 years ago (possibly only in West Australia). The idea was to provide an alternative for alcoholics. They had a slogan that was something like “It’s the drink you have when you aren’t drinking.” [/QUOTE] Although it became a laughing stock due to the [advertising](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytons) the label on the bottle claimed that it was a very old product in fact. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/24 "2007-01-08T00:17:01Z")
Orbitz the soda. They were pretty major sponsors of my frosh rush but I haven’t heard about them in a long time. It was basically an attempt to make a greasy boba soda in something that tasted like Clearly Canadian. Quite disgusting actually, but I got fond of them. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/25 "2007-01-08T00:28:53Z")
One not mentioned yet is the Newton, an early PDA that arrived before its time. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/26 "2007-01-08T00:40:08Z")
Can you stand another one? The linear-tracking turntable was a great idea in principle. It would play back records exactly the way they were cut. The tonearm had motion sensors, and was driven from the back, from the resting position to the label, in a straight line across the center of the record. This way, there would be no groove distortion from wear on one side or the other. The problem was, when you played your records that had only ever known a pivoting tonearm, there would be distortion in one channel at the beginning, gradually reducing to none in the middle, then distortion in the other channel, building in intensity to the end. It would have been fine if you only played your records on the LTT, but otherwise, your used records were guaranteed to sound like crap on them, due to the wear you never noticed. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/27 "2007-01-08T01:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] DAT (Digital Audio Tape) [/QUOTE] I can try to find a link if needed, but the Iomega Zip drive had a major problem with tape-read failure. Not that is was overly common, but if the read-head failed, the entire tape was shot. Loss of all data. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/28 "2007-01-08T01:12:41Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] You mean the Arch Deluxe? [/QUOTE] I’m not sure this would be the best example since it currently exists as the pretty successful Big N Tasty. They aren’t exactly identical, but I imagine one could make the case that the original marketing campaign was just poorly designed and the second push as the “Big N Tasty” came at a better time. Additionally the sister products, Grilled and Crispy Chicken Deluxe were successful and stayed on the menu under different names until they rolled out their Premium Chicken Sandwich line recently. Certainly the money they spent on that original campaign was largely wasted, but the concept might not qualify as a total flop since it succeeded under a different name. I think the Betamax is a great example since you can draw parallels to the current Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD battle. ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/29 "2007-01-08T01:18:28Z")
[QUOTE=duffer] I can try to find a link if needed, but the Iomega Zip drive had a major problem with tape-read failure. Not that is was overly common, but if the read-head failed, the entire tape was shot. Loss of all data. [/QUOTE] Otherwise known as the “click of death”. I wouldn’t call that a “brand failure” though, as the Zip drive did reasonably well. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/30 "2007-01-08T01:49:01Z")
[Geo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_%28automobile%29)… Remember Geo? GM’s entry level brand? Lasted all of 8 years in the US and a mere 5 in Canada? I’d say that for automobiles, that’s pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/31 "2007-01-08T01:53:40Z")
A moment of silence, please, in memory of the [IBM PCjr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PCjr). ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/32 "2007-01-08T01:55:32Z")
PowerMaster Malt Liquor. [From the National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery](http://www.naaapi.org/documents/powermaster.asp) … > [@](#): > > In June of 1991, the G. Heileman Brewery, announced the creation of a new malt liquor called PowerMaster. While malt liquors typically contain about 4.5 percent alcohol and other beers contain 3.5 to 4 percent, PowerMaster would have an alcohol content of about 5.5 to 6. The target market for PowerMaster was Chicago. > > Knowing that PowerMaster was scheduled for release in Chicago, two clergyman from Chicago, Reverend George Clements and Father Michale Pfleger of St. Sabina Church went to the Heileman brewery office in La Crosse, Wisconsin to meet with the brewery’s president, Thomas Rattigan. The clergymen contended that the new PowerMaster malt liquor with its high alcohol content was being targeted to African American communities. > > When the clergymen were advised that the president was out of town and no one else would meet with them, they refused to leave, resulting in their arrest for trespassing. > > In court, Rev. Clements and Father Plfeger were released on an $85 signature bond and advised by the judge that further protest could land them in jail. They were also ordered to return to La Crosse in August to answer the trepassing charges. The clergymen vowed to return to the brewery and continue fighting against the marketing and selling of PowerMaster. > > Nationwide, a campaign of black leaders, then Surgeon General Antonia Novella and representatives of anti-drinking groups that were also fighting against PowerMaster had caught the attention of Washington, resulting in action by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. > > In early July 1991, the BATF informed Heileman brewery that they were pulling approval to the PowerMaster label. They cited a passage in the laws established by the Federal Alcohol Administration Act of 1935 that forbade the labeling or advertising of beer as being “strong, full strength, extra strength or high test,” all words that could be construed as indicators of a product’s alcoholic strength. The BAFT also stated that the word “Power” violated federal laws. Heileman was allowed to sell its existing stock of PowerMaster for the next four months but would have to stop any advertising of the product. Father Pfleger was overjoyed by the BATF ruling. “When we are spiritually strong, there’s no problem we cannot overcome. We have a serious alcohol problem in the African American community,and this means that something worse won’t be added to it,” said Pfleger, then added, “Big business better watch out if it’s doing something wrong.”\*\* Emphasis mine. I wonder if there’s any malt liquors that _aren’t_ marketed to African-Americans, and why PowerMaster got the brunt of complaints while St. Ides, Phat Boy, Black Belt, Camo 900, Laser, Johnny Three Legs, and the like got a pass. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/33 "2007-01-08T01:58:43Z")
Thre are lots of auto company failures, how far back do you want to go. Willys, Hudson, Packard, Studebaker, Kaiser-Fraser, Crosley, Hupmobile, Stanley Steamer and many more. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/34 "2007-01-08T02:14:45Z")
Wikipedia offers a [list of major commercial failures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commercial_failures). ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/35 "2007-01-08T02:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=Fredescu] Otherwise known as the “click of death”. I wouldn’t call that a “brand failure” though, as the Zip drive did reasonably well. [/QUOTE] Yes, it was (and is?) a good device. When it works. The rub is that when the CoD occured, all data was lost. Kind of a gamble if the data is important. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/36 "2007-01-08T02:19:05Z")
[QUOTE=St\_Ides] [Geo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_%28automobile%29)… Remember Geo? GM’s entry level brand? Lasted all of 8 years in the US and a mere 5 in Canada? I’d say that for automobiles, that’s pretty bad. [/QUOTE] Remember [Asüna](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuna), Pontiac’s Canada-only answer to Geo? ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/37 "2007-01-08T02:26:38Z")
[SelectaVision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SelectaVision) This is not the one I was looking for. Anyone remember the 12" disc that played movies. I know Sears had them in their catalogs about the time the VCR came out. I think they failed because you could get the same movie, but could also tape your favorite TV shows. Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/38 "2007-01-08T02:37:20Z")
[QUOTE=Sgt Schwartz] [SelectaVision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SelectaVision) This is not the one I was looking for. Anyone remember the 12" disc that played movies. I know Sears had them in their catalogs about the time the VCR came out. I think they failed because you could get the same movie, but could also tape your favorite TV shows. [/QUOTE] The [Laserdisc](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laserdisc)? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/39 "2007-01-08T02:42:47Z")
Anecdote: I remember RCA SelectaVision! The discs were cut exactly like a phonograph record, stored in a sealed jacket, and played with a stylus. It was a kind of miracle that it actually worked! One of the first premiums they offered was The Beatles’ “Let It Be” movie in their videodisc format, so peoiple would buy the machine. You couldn’t get that movie anywhere at the time. I have a VHS copy of a SelectaVision playback, and during it, the stylus skipped across the disc several times, obliterating about 10 minutes of the movie. This was apparently a problem that couldn’t be fixed easily, if at all. The picture looked passable but not “nice”, and the sound was mediocre. I’ve seen a couple of the machines, left to die at the Goodwill store. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076/40 "2007-01-08T03:12:21Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] A moment of silence, please, in memory of the [IBM PCjr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PCjr). [/QUOTE] And on the other side, the [Apple Lisa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-10-big-brand-failures/387076.md?page=3)