Marketing is challenging. Even if you have the smartest people in the room and have millions of dollars in budget, you could still become popular for all the wrong reasons. These ads show that even the most well known brands in the world occasionally try new things and fail. Terribly.
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Burger King’s “Women Belong in the Kitchen” Tweet (2021)
On International Women’s Day, Burger King UK thought they were being funny. The first tweet said “Women belong in the kitchen.” The next tweet clarified they were offering scholarships for female chefs. But it was already too late. Twitter blew up.
Lesson: Don’t rely on others to “read the next tweet.” It’s all about the context.
New Coke (1985)
Coca-Cola accidentally created a new formula during experiments for diet coke, and it was apparently “so good” that it was worth replacing a 99 year old tradition.
Fans hoarded the original, protested, and demanded its return. Coke eventually brought it back.
Lesson: Don’t fix what isn’t broken. A “new version” can seem more like betrayal sometimes.
McDonald’s “Sundae Bloody Sundae” (2019, Portugal)
McDonald’s released a Halloween ice cream campaign in Portugal with the slogan “Sundae Bloody Sundae.” The term “Bloody Sunday” was used to describe a massacre in Northern Ireland that took place January 30, 1972
The two-for-one “Sundae Bloody Sundae” promotion was strongly criticized on social media.
Lesson: Always check cultural references. Something that sounds catchy in one context might hurt in another.
Hoover’s Free Flights Promotion (1992, UK)
In the early ’90s, Hoover thought it had found the ultimate sales gimmick: buy £100 worth of appliances and get two free plane tickets to Europe or America. It was a no brainer. Shoppers rushed in, but the demand was far higher than Hoover predicted. Suddenly, they were drowning requests, far more than the company could cover.
What was supposed to increase sales ended up costing the company millions and its reputation.
Lesson: Promotions can be effective, but only if they’re realistic. If you make promises that you can’t keep, customers will remember your failure for a long time.
Gap’s Post-Hurricane Sandy Tweet (2012)
When Hurricane Sandy hit the U.S., millions of people lost power, homes, and even loved ones. In the midst of the chaos, Gap posted a tweet saying: “Stay safe – and why not shop online while you’re stuck inside?” People didn’t react kindly. It felt like the company was using a serious disaster just to make profit. Gap ended up deleting the tweet.
Lesson: In hard times, people want care and compassion – not a sales pitch. If your brand tries to make money from a tragedy, customers won’t forgive easily.
Colgate’s Frozen Lasagna (1980s)
Yes, you read that right. Most people are only familiar with Colgate as the toothpaste brand, but in the 1980s, Colgate decided to launch… frozen lasagna.
People were skeptical. No one wanted to eat lasagna from the same company that makes toothpaste. Unsurprisingly, sales were a flop, and the product was off the shelves quickly.
Lesson: People trust brands for specific things. If your brand is about clean teeth, jumping into frozen dinners might not be the recipe for success.
Bic “For Her” Pens
Bic makes pens, which is fine as everyone needs them. But then they launched “Bic For Her” pens marketed exclusively for women. They were basically ordinary pens, just in pastel colors like pink and purple, with nothing actually different about them. The internet roasted them with sarcastic reviews like, “Finally, a pen my tiny lady hands can hold!”
Lesson: Don’t solve problems that don’t exist. Customers will laugh at you rather than purchase from you if your product seems pointless or condescending.
Cheetos Lip Balm
I’m not making this up. Cheetos once introduced a lip balm that made your lips smell (and taste) like cheese dust. The kind of orange powder you wipe off your fingers after snacking? Yeah, that.
Of course, no one wanted to walk around with cheesy lips, and the product disappeared off the shelves quickly.
Lesson: Just because you’re dominating one aisle, doesn’t mean you can just jump to other aisles. People want consistency.
Heinz EZ Squirt Colored Ketchup
In an effort to make ketchup “more fun” for kids, Heinz decided to sell it in colors like green, purple, and even blue. At first, children loved squeezing funky ketchup on their fries. But then reality hit – parents realized it looked gross on actual food, and eventually kids stopped caring as well. Needless to say, sales plummeted.
Lesson: Gimmicks can catch attention at first, but they don’t last forever. At the end of the day, your product still has to be functional
Crystal Pepsi
In the ’90s, Pepsi decided to launch Crystal Pepsi — a clear version of its cola. The drink tasted like Pepsi, but it was transparent — no caramel color like we’re all used to. People were curious at first, but once the excitement faded, sales declined. Why? Because people like their sodas to look the way they expect them to.
Lesson: It’s simple to mistake “different” with “better” Just because you can change something doesn’t mean customers actually want you to.
Google Glass
When Google launched Google Glass, it seemed futuristic and cool.
Glasses with built in tech that could take pictures, record videos, and show you directions, sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
But here’s the problem: in real life, nobody actually wanted to wear them. They looked awkward, people felt self-conscious, and strangers weren’t exactly thrilled about being secretly recorded at coffee shops. The tech was impressive, but people called the glasses ugly and creepy.
Lesson: Innovation is exciting but if your product makes people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, it doesn’t matter how advanced it is, it won’t sell.
Final Thoughts
Image credits: tower25.com
If these failures taught us anything, it’s that even the most well-known brands can trip over their own shoelaces. The good news? Every mistake is a free marketing class for the rest of us. Learn what not to do, and perhaps rethink your next genius idea before embarrassing yourself.
And if you don’t want to end up on lists like this one, Tower 25, an award winning digital marketing agency in Santa Monica helps brands turn bold ideas into wins.
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