# Most ridiculous brand extension **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 15, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163 "2019-03-15T02:29:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/81 "2019-03-19T17:20:09Z")
The entire Coca-Cola debacle was supposedly generated by testing Coke against Pepsi, and finding folks who preferred Pepsi. So they tinkered with the Coke recipe to give a “smoother, sweeter” taste. Idiots… Then came the flavor add-ins. Some folks like a squeeze of lime in their drinks. Then EVERYBODY jumped on board! The newest flavor addition is Vanilla+Orange. _eyeroll_ If that is something that REALLY floats your boat, eat a damned Creamsicle with your Coke! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/82 "2019-03-19T17:49:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t consider that a brand extension, though (not unless AMF was re-branding the Harleys as “AMF Motorcycles”). That’s an example of a conglomerate, which was a common corporate strategy in the 1970s and 1980s, in which parent corporations tried to broaden their portfolios (and hedge against a downturn in any particular industry) by owning companies in an array of disparate industries. > > It also led to such weirdness as General Mills owning Parker Brothers Games and Lionel Trains, Quaker Oats owning Fisher-Price Toys and JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, and Sara Lee owning Coach bags. > > It’s not a common strategy now, in large part because companies realized that they were unlikely to be able to intelligently manage disparate divisions (such as a maker of bowling equipment being terrible at managing a motorcycle company). Fair cop. Although I do tend to be amused by H-D F-150s, GMC and Jeep Bicycles, and Monster Energy slathered all over vehicles that have nothing to do with Extreme Sports or Rally. You could argue that at least tangentially they’re all tied to transportation, I suppose, but how to explain something like Caterpiller smart phones? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/83 "2019-03-19T17:53:18Z")
I can’t believe nobody has brought up Trump Steaks, sold via Sharper Image. That’s right, a real-estate mogul selling _steaks_ via a _home furnishings store_. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/84 "2019-03-19T17:56:23Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the fiasco of the AMF era Harley Davidsons. A company that manufactures bowling equipment is sure to be able to master motorcycles.:rolleyes: Yeah, like Lipton tea and Hellman’s mayonnaise. Who wants to buy their tea from a mayo company? It would be like buying your [ice cream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_%26_Jerry%27s) from a [soap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_(toiletries)) company! Yuck! ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/85 "2019-03-19T18:07:49Z")
One of the high end car companies, I think maybe Ferrari put out an SUV. I thought it was bizzare. I don’t think it lasted too long. Sometimes it works. Nintendo started out as a playing card company. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/86 "2019-03-19T18:10:21Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Yamaha makes motorcycles AND musical instruments. This made my kids laugh immensely when I came home with my new motorcycle last year. “Your motorcycle has the same logo as my recorder!” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/87 "2019-03-19T18:19:39Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > One of the high end car companies, I think maybe Ferrari put out an SUV. I thought it was bizzare. I don’t think it lasted too long. > > Sometimes it works. Nintendo started out as a playing card company. I have a pepper mill made by Peugeot. I thought that was weird, considering the company is better known as an automaker, but reading [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot#Early_history), the pepper mill business came first. Also, Nokia started off as a paper pulp mill, and Wipro (large Indian IT outsourcing company) started as a vegetable oil producer. The name is actually an acronym for Western India Vegetable Products Limited. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163/88 "2019-03-19T18:37:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I have a pepper mill made by Peugeot. I thought that was weird, considering the company is better known as an automaker, but reading [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot#Early_history), the pepper mill business came first. And that reminds me of their bicycles; my PITA brother brought one home from Europe in the Eighties. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ridiculous-brand-extension/831163.md?page=4)