One of the most famous product launches ever is about to mark a milestone anniversary -- but don't expect much celebrating on Madison Avenue. That's because the product is the Edsel, widely considered the biggest flop in the annals of consumer marketing. Though the Edsel made its debut almost six decades ago, when Ford Motor brought out the car line on "E-Day," Sept. 4, 1957, its notoriety continues to this day; Edsel remains an ad-business Waterloo, a synonym for an epic blunder or American corporate failure. (Hat-tip to Reminisce magazine, published by Trusted Media Brands. An article in the July issue about "the ill-fated Edsel" reminded me of the upcoming anniversary for the brand, which sold fewer than 110,000 cars -- about a quarter of Ford's goal -- before the poor Edsel was put out of its misery in November 1959.)
Stuart Elliott: An Anniversary for a Fabled Marketing Flop
