Archive for the 'Flops' Category

Give A Wendy’s Hamburger A Little Nibble

Published on September 25, 2009 in 1980s, Commercials, Fast Food, Flops, Hamburgers, Jingles, Meat and Wendy's.

In May 1987, Wendy’s International followed up the “Where’s the Beef?” campaign with the US television commercial “Give a little Nibble”. The tag line was to be a catchy phrase that would capture the attention of consumers and help make Wendy’s major player on the fast-food scene once again. This television commercial was a flop and sent Wendy’s hunting for a new advertising agency. The “nibble” spots were meant to emphasize Wendy’s better-tasting hamburger. They showed customers ripping off chunks of meat from an absurdly large hamburger.

Raw hamburger may contain harmful bacteria that can produce food-borne illness such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, due to the occasional initial improper preparation of the meat, so caution is needed when handling it.

Kevin Costner spends his time with the Apple Lisa

Published on February 27, 2008 in 1980s, Apple, Celebrities, Commercials, Computers, Flops and USA.

The Apple Lisa was a personal computer designed at Apple Computer during the early 1980s. [It] turned out to be a commercial failure for Apple, the largest since the Apple III disaster of 1980. The intended business computing customers balked at Lisa’s high price and largely opted to run less expensive IBM PCs, which were already beginning to dominate business desktop computing.

Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor, director and producer. One of Costner’s most successful films was Dances with Wolves (1990), which won seven Academy Awards, including (Best Picture and Best Director). Costner made his film debut at age 19, in the 1974 film, Sizzle Beach, U.S.A., although the film was not released until 1986. Costner then appeared in a commercial for the Apple Lisa in 1983.

Aren’t You Hungry For Burger King, Herb?

Published on December 31, 2007 in 1980s, Burger King, Commercials, Flops, Food, Hamburgers, Meat and USA.

Beginning in the early 1980s, [Burger King's] advertising began to lose focus; a series of less successful ad campaigns created by various agencies continued for the next two decades.

Where’s Herb? was a television commercial campaign for the fast food chain Burger King in 1985 and 1986. The television commercials featured a fictional character named Herb, who was described as never having eaten a Burger King burger in his life. Burger King spent over $40 million on the Herb advertisements; however, the advertisements were not successful, and are widely cited as a flop.

The McLean Deluxe is 91% fat free

Published on August 10, 2007 in 1990s, Coca-Cola, Commercials, Diet, Disgusting, Fast Food, Flops, Food, Hamburgers, McDonalds, Meat, Soft Drinks, Sports and USA.

The McLean Deluxe was a hamburger marketed as a healthy alternative to McDonald’s regular menu. It was released in the United States in 1991. It had a reduced fat content compared to other McDonald’s hamburgers. This was achieved through the addition of carrageenan to the meat.

Irish moss [is a species of red alga] and is a major source of carrageenan, which is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in milk products such as ice cream and processed foods including luncheon meat.

The National Football League (NFL) is the largest and most prestigious professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. The league’s teams are divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

Max Headroom interviews Pepsi for New Coke

Published on April 26, 2007 in 1980s, Coca-Cola, Cola, Commercials, Dr Pepper, Drinks, Flops, Pepsi, Soft Drinks and USA.

Max Headroom is the name of a fictional artificial intelligence, known for his surreal wit and a stuttering, distorted, electronically sampled delivery. The character was created by Peter Wagg, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton and performed by Matt Frewer.

The [Max Headroom New Coke] campaign was launched with a memorable television commercial, produced by McCann-Erickson New York, with Max saying in his trademark stutter, “C-c-c-catch the wave!” and referring to his fellow “Cokeologists”. In a riposte to Pepsi’s televisual teasings, one showed Headroom asking a Pepsi can he was “interviewing” how it felt about more drinkers preferring the new Coke to it and then cut to the condensation forming on the can. “Sweating?” he asked. It was a huge success, and surveys likewise showed that more than three-quarters of the target market were aware of the ads within two days. Coke’s corporate hotline received more calls about him than any previous spokesperson, some even asking if he was married.

McDonald’s Arch Deluxe Elevator

Published on April 21, 2007 in 1990s, Commercials, Fast Food, Flops, Food, McDonalds and USA.

The Arch Deluxe was a hamburger created and marketed by McDonald’s with the intent of capturing the adult fast food consumer market, presented as a more sophisticated burger for an adult palate. It failed to catch on and is seen as one of the most expensive flops of all time.

In response to the demographic trend of longer lifespans and an expanding older market, McDonald’s made a conscious decision to attempt to market their food to a more adult audience. Rather than compromise their existing brand images, they decided to create a new line of burgers with more sophisticated ingredients. They commissioned Executive Chef Andrew Selvaggio to create the Deluxe line of burgers including the Fish Filet Deluxe, Grilled Chicken Deluxe, Crispy Chicken Deluxe and the flagship Arch Deluxe.