FLOP No. 22 – Ford Edsel Launch (1957)

Gatheringpoint.news: The 50 Biggest Events Flops in History

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The Promise: Ford’s most ambitious vehicle rollout—an entire division launch with a massive marketing budget and a nationwide dealer preview.

What Happened: The car was mocked for its design, overpriced in its category, and rushed to market. Dealer confidence collapsed, and the Edsel became synonymous with commercial failure.

What Failed: Market research was flawed. Audience targeting missed. Launch planning overrode feedback.

What We Learned: You can’t will a hit into existence with ads alone.

What an Event Pro Would’ve Advised: Soft-launch testing. Post-listening strategy. Align marketing to actual product fit.