If you’ve managed to keep up to date with the latest technology news (“What number Playstation are we on again?”) you will have heard that Apple have recently launched their latest product: The iPhone 6 and it’s larger friend (MUCH larger) iPhone 6 Plus. This new smartphone runs on iOS 8 with streamlined design, a faster processor and many other upgrades fitting of a successor.
However shortly after it’s release there were some peculiar complaints with the phone. Apparently the chassis of the phone was susceptible to bending when small pressure was applied. Some going as far as complaining that being seated with it in your pocket was enough to deform the body of the phone. As with most technological disputes between rival consumers the Samsung party took to sites like Twitter and Facebook to make fun of this setback with the hashtag #bendgate. Things got more comical as angry customers took to YouTube to post videos of their efforts to bend their phones. (All of which could have been avoided if you… you know… didn’t do that)
Despite this setback Apple’s sales haven’t took a hit yet. After its first 24 hours of availability they had received 4 million pre-orders and within 3 days they had sold at least 10 million units.
Here is a list of 5 product launches that weren’t as successful.
1. BIC Underwear
BIC is known for being a very versatile company. From starting off their business in manufacturing ballpoint pens they have expanded over the years to razors, lighters and other office supplies. However their victory parade came to an end when they decided to market disposable underwear. Consumers found this very bizarre and most people couldn’t find the link between this product and their other products which shared the common theme of being disposable and made of injection moulded plastic. Realising that this was a mistake BIC promptly ended this project and have continued selling their other more socially acceptable products.
2. DeLorean Car
You may recognise this car from a little film released in 1985 by the name of ‘Back to the Future.’ But before Marty McFly and Doc Brown were racing through time in the most iconic automobile of the 80’s the Delorean didn’t perform as well upon it’s release. Created by John DeLorean (who had left General Motors in 1973 to start his own company) the car had only produced 9,000 models in total. The exterior was unpainted stainless-steel with gull wing doors. Unfortunately the company went into bankruptcy soon after in 1982 and the DeLorean DMC-12 remained the only car ever produced by them. Today only 6,500 models remain.
3. Colgate Foods
In 1982 (that year again) Colgate took a courageous step and decided to expand their enterprise by going into the food industry. Their plan was to introduce frozen meals that people could eat and then use Colgate toothpaste to brush their teeth with afterwards. The problem with being a well recognised brand in one particular field is the association that the general public has with you. Most people couldn’t shake the feeling of toothpaste being linked with the meal they were about to consume and it was this nauseating experience that caused the product, titled: Colgate Kitchen Entrees, to fail.
4. Apple LISA
Way before the events of #bendgate unfolded Apple was responsible for LISA. This stood for Local Integrated System Architecture (although most people knew it was named after Steve Jobs’ daughter Lisa Nicole Brennan). When launched the public were full of complaints. It was slow, the hardware was underwhelming and the price was $9,995 (Approx. £6,240 a steep price even for todays standards). This was not helped by the fact that the Macintosh, released some time later, was doing much better in sales. By 1985 the Lisa was dead and buried never to be spoken of again in the corridors of Cupertino, California.
5. Clairol Touch of Yoghurt Shampoo
In 1979 Clairol, known for their haircare products, released a product that combined the natural ingredients found in yoghurt (known to be good for your hair) with a shampoo. People did not immediately work out this connection. There were even some cases were people had tried to taste it and as a result ended up getting sick. There are hundreds of ingredients that go into making a haircare product. Some more commonly known whilst others might come as a surprise. Therefore something as unusual as yoghurt might have been something that should not have been mentioned. People couldn’t get past the idea of smothering yoghurt in their hair. Interestingly this wasn’t the first time Clairol had associated food with their haircare products. Five years before they had introduced their new range of Buttermilk shampoos.
Hakim Shujaee is a Creative Thinker and Designer at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
