A graphic design company wouldn't engage in schadenfreude would they?

Well, maybe schadenfreude is not the perfect word for the occasion, but it works. What is this graphic design company doing engaging in such a practice? Call it having a little fun, call it a learning exercise. It is our list, as voted on by our employees, of the top 4 worst branding moves in recent history.

Sometimes well established companies start to believe they can do it all, regardless of what their brand actually stands for. And that can lead to some mistakes and poor brand extensions worthy of some discussion.

1. New Coke
Remember when Coke had the best tagline in the beverage industry? “Coke is it.” It. How can you argue with that? Three succinct words that sum up their brand position and leave no room for argument – you don’t need anything else, “Coke is it.”

Then, in a stroke of utter marketing thoughtlessness, Coke decided to change its formula. If Coke was “it” then why the need for the New Coke? The move went against their brand story and position, and, apparently, also their customers’ wishes. Ultimately, Coke had to switch back to “Coke Classic,” but not after their brand took some hits and their brilliant tagline was lost.

2. Maxim Hair Color for Men
Maxim’s experiment in hair color began in 2002 and has since been discontinued. The men’s magazine dedicated to offering a “macho” tableau of sex, sports, beer, and fitness, tried to take that feeling into their hair dyes offering colors like “Jack Black” and “Red Rum.”

Not surprisingly, the idea didn’t take off. Somehow the thought of staying at home and dyeing hair did not coincide with the brand image of strong, on-the-go, masculine men.

3. Hooters Energy Drink
Hooters earned the distinction of being named “most questionable food extension” in TippingSprung’s 2007 survey of worst brand extensions. Hooters has a strong brand, which they decided to completely throw aside in their foray into the energy drink market – a market that has no relation to the Hooters brand at all.

Laura Ries, president of Ries & Ries brand consultancy, summed this non-starter of a brand extension up perfectly:

“Hooters doesn’t stand for energy. It stands for boobs and chicken.”

4. Precious Moments Caskets
Here is another (we believe horrifying) example of an inappropriate brand extension. We say horrifying because the figurines, symbols of youth and childhood, look a little creepy when printed on the silk lining of a coffin.

But, creepy factor aside, the biggest problem with Precious Moments Caskets is that coffins have nothing to do with the brand’s core values. In fact, they are the antithesis of the innocent, youthful figurines dedicated to marking important childhood landmarks. If your brand is about innocence and youth, it’s a good idea to try and keep death out of it.