Business
Bic Disposable Pantyhose
1976: The Bic Pen Corp. decided to branch out into the women's underwear market by introducing a line of disposable pantyhose. The thinking was that their company was already known for making disposable pens and lighters. So why not disposable pantyhose as well? Plus, they figured that female secretaries would be keen to order pantyhose together with other office supplies.
This is now considered to be a classic marketing failure. Matt Haig writes in his book Brand Failures:
The main problem was that the company insisted on using the Bic name. As marketing writer Al Ries has observed, using the same name in unrelated categories can create difficulties. "If you have a powerful perception for one class of product, it becomes almost impossible to extend that perception to a different class," he argues.
The company apparently didn't learn much from this failed product, because in 1989 it introduced Bic Perfume, which is considered to be another classic business blunder.
Chicago Tribune - Apr 3, 1976
Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 18, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Products, Underwear, 1970s
Follies of the Madmen #502
Baby Napoleon plus goat = ?Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 17, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Ambiguity, Uncertainty and Deliberate Obscurity, Animals, Business, Advertising, Domestic, 1950s
Amazon’s Hitler Mustache Logo, and other logo design disasters
BBC News reports that Amazon recently changed its shopping-app logo, in response to complaints that it reminded people of Hitler's mustache. The new logo (below right) is supposed to better represent a piece of parcel tape, which was the original intent, rather than a dictator's mustache.
This reminds me of the topic of logo design disasters, which I once write a short blurb about for another site. That site no longer exists, so I figured I might as well post the blurb here (below, in extended).
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 05, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Design and Designers
Follies of the Madmen #501
Our jockey shorts will have every male emulating a hula girl.Source.
(Scroll down.)
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 03, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Underwear, 1950s, Gender-bending
Commercial Telegraph Codes
I was randomly browsing old publications online when I ran across this ad. Thinking about the topic of Communication Codes, I found it hard to believe we had never covered it at WU. But apparently not.
In telecommunication, a commercial code is a code once used to save on cablegram costs.[1]...These codes turned complete phrases into single words (commonly of five letters). These were not always genuine words; for example, codes contained "words" such as BYOXO ("Are you trying to weasel out of our deal?"), LIOUY ("Why do you not answer my question?"), BMULD ("You're a skunk!"), or AYYLU ("Not clearly coded, repeat more clearly.").
Here is a page linking to many digitized volumes.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 02, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Technology, Codes, Cryptography, Puzzles, Riddles, Rebuses and Other Language Alterations, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century
Feminine Hygiene Ads 70s, 80s, 90s
Maybe nearly 500 of these ads is a little excessive for one playlist? See what you think! Here's the first, below, and the rest are here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 21, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Hygiene, Women, Twentieth Century
Follies of the Madmen #500
I suppose I should have come up with something super-special for the 500th installment of this series, but this will have to suffice!
Sure, kill the talking lion and then...style his mane?
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 17, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Death, Comics, 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling
Follies of the Madmen #499
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 10, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Food, History, Historical Figure, 1940s
American Look
Your head will be spinning with Midcentury Modern designs by the end of this film. A Utopia that never was.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 03, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Design and Designers, Recreation, Interior Decorating, 1950s, Cars, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Follies of the Madmen #498
This is a fine example of pushing a metaphor to the point of absurd surrealism.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 29, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Miniature People in Ads, Television, Surrealism, 1950s
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |