Mattel introduced “Tony The Tattooed Man” in 1992. The heavily tattooed male figure was intended to appeal to a teen audience during an era when tattoos were becoming mainstream. It was meant to expand Mattel’s male character line beyond family-friendly figures like Ken or action heroes. However, the toy was discontinued due to parental backlash as Mattel’s core market was young kids, while major toy retailers didn’t want to sell a toy that attracted controversy.
Spirit Airlines filed for a second bankruptcy in 2025 because of a failure to turn a profit since the pandemic, increased competition from larger airlines, high labor costs, and the failure of a proposed merger with JetBlue, which would have provided a vital financial lifeline.
Launched in 1977, Underoos were character-themed t-shirt and underwear sets. By the late 1980’s kids outgrew the concept of having superheroes on their underwear, licensing deals became more expensive, and the underwear market became more competitive.
Launched in 1996, Kodak Advanced Photo System cameras were primarily aimed at the amateur market, with a focus on automation and ease of use offering features such as automatic film loading and the ability to store camera settings on the film. It failed by not offering the control and features desired by professional photographers, the rise of digital photography, and the smaller negative size resulted in lower image quality and resolution.
In 2007, Bindeez were beads that stick together with water to make art. It contained a cheap chemical that was a pharmacologically active sedative instead of the safer chemical specified by the designers. Several kids went into comas after swallowing them. Over 4 million units were recalled.
In 2007, the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit was a toy kit for kids to dust for fingerprints. However, the dust contained a substance in the powder, specifically tremolite, one of the most fatal forms of asbestos.
The Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring, a promotional item from Kix cereal in 1947, promised kids they could see atomic energy at work. While advertised as “perfectly safe,” it contained actual radioactive material and emitted alpha particles close to kids’ skin and faces. It was quietly discontinued once radiation risks become public.
Launched in 1988, Hubba Bubba soda was bright pink with a bubblegum flavor. The drink was described as overly sweet, while the bubblegum flavor didn’t appeal to a wide audience beyond those already fond of the gum.
Launched in 2011 and discontinued in 2018, Lytro pioneered light field camera technology. Lytro’s primary innovation was the ability to refocus images after they were taken, but this feature didn’t resonate with a broad audience. Lytro targeted the “prosumer” photography market, but their products didn’t offer the image quality or features that professionals demanded, nor did they appeal to casual photographers especially at its $1600 price point.
Launched with 5 stores in 2023 and discontinued in 2025, CosMc was a beverage-focused spinoff restaurant concept of McDonald’s. It provided “otherworldly” specialty beverage ideas to compete in the category with Starbucks, Dutch Bros., and Dunkin’. Gen Z had become increasingly interested in beverages like bubble tea, functional soda, and colorful energy drinks. However, the unique and customizable drinks offered at CosMc’s proved difficult to replicate within the operational constraints of a typical McDonald’s restaurant.
