We may be a consumer-driven society, but we can also be brutally fickle. As many companies have learned the hard way, the hearts and minds of consumers can sometimes be very difficult to win over. Even the best product ideas, when poorly executed, can quickly nosedive into abysmal commercial failures. But when the perfect storm of bad ideas and big money converge, we’re presented with the potential for failure on an epic scale.
Source: Pepsi-Cola
10. HD DVD
Source: Toshiba
HD DVD fought a noble high definition disc format war with the eventual victor, Sony's Blu-ray. It was really an uphill battle for the format from the get-go, as the general feeling of "meh" from the consumer populace to high definition discs as a whole made either format a tough sell, especially considering the fact that upscaling DVD players cost a whole lot less than a new HD player and a whole new DVD collection, and high def streaming video is becoming a more and more viable option every day. Add to that the fact the Sony's newest PlayStation came with a built-in Blu-ray player, and HD DVD really had its work cut out for it.
But what really sealed HD DVD's fate was Warner Bros.' defection to the Blu-ray camp in January of 2008, which caused a domino effect throughout the industry. Toshiba waved the white flag just a month later, announcing that they would cease marketing and development of all HD DVD players.
9. Heniz EZ Squirt Purple Ketchup
Source: Heinz
In October of 2000, Heinz unleashed "Funky Colored" ketchups on the unsuspecting world, offering food coloring-enhanced ketchups in purple, orange, pink, teal, and blue colors, perhaps as a subversive way of reminding all consumers just how synthetic the foods that we eat really are.
While this may have been all the rage with the kids, children don't buy ketchup - adults do. And who would've guessed that people wouldn't line up in droves to purchase ketchup that looks like clown snot?
8. Nintendo Virtual Boy
Source: Nintendo
Nintendo touted the Virtual Boy as being the first "portable gaming console with true 3D graphics." While it was a truly heroic effort to bring 3D into the mainstream, it's kind of a stretch to call this ridiculous headgear/controller combo "portable."
Add to that the fact that the display - in 1995 - was monochrome and that you needed to mount the glasses on a steady surface to play it (while completely blocking out your peripheral vision), and it's really no shocker this thing was a dud.
7. DeLorean DMC-12
Source: DeLorean Motor Company
As the only car ever made by the DeLorean Motor Company, what the DMC-12 lacked in engineering prowess it more than made up for with sheer style, from the stainless steel body panels and futuristic lines, to the swing-up gullwing doors.
Built in Northern Ireland by a largely inexperienced factory staff and saddled with an underpowered 130hp Volvo V6 (good luck with that 88mph in a parking lot, buddy), the real problems the DeLorean faced actually had nothing to with the car itself.
In 1982, after less than a year of production, the DeLorean Motor Company declared bankruptcy following the arrest of the company founder, John DeLorean, on drug trafficking charges. Though he was later found not guilty, the damage had been done and hundreds of millions of dollars went down the drain, along with the iconic sports car itself. But shed not a tear for the DMC-12...it's back!
6. Betamax
Source: Sony
The granddaddy of the format wars, the VHS vs. Betamax showdown was brutal. But clearly Betamax had some issues right off the bat. Initially, with a VHS tape, you had ability to record for up to 2 hours, which is enough for most feature-length movies. However, Beta tapes only allowed for 1 hour per tape, and that presented some serious issues for movie fans.
Once the rumor got around that VHS provided longer recording times, the market began to shift in their favor. With the market went the studios, and between 1975 and 1981, Betamax's home video market share went from 100% all the way down to 25%, and kept going in that direction until DVD stepped in and obliterated them both.
