Food Failures
The food industry produces countless duds, and the Museum of Failure curated some of the biggest food failures.
HEINZ EZ SQUIRT KETCHUP — Heinz decided to innovate by turning its ketchup purple, green, and several shades in between. The brightly colored ketchup was initially a hit with customers, but it ended up being discontinued by 2006 as customers went back to their regular red ketchup.
MCDONALD’S ARCH DELUXE — McDonald’s spent a reported $200 million developing and marketing the Arch Deluxe, a premium item meant to de-throne the Big Mac. However, franchisees found it difficult to make, and customers thought it was overpriced. It was removed from menus in 2000.
COLGATE FROZEN DINNERS — Colgate made a brief movie into frozen foods in the 1980s, introducing a frozen lasagna TV dinner.
KELLOGG’S ORANGE JUICE-FLAVORED CEREAL — Kellogg’s introduced OJ’s in 1985, advertising the cereal’s “natural flavors” and how it had “all the vitamin C of a 4 ounce glass of orange juice.” However, customers found the combination of orange juice and milk disgusting, and Kellogg’s discontinued the cereal a year later.
CRYSTAL PEPSI — In 1992, Pepsi introduced Crystal Pepsi, a caffeine-free, clear version of its iconic soda. However, it didn’t last two years before it was yanked from shelves. The former Pepsi marketing executive who came up with the idea called it “probably the best idea I’ve ever had — and the most poorly executed.”
