A plastic bicycle, Harley Davidson perfume, a Trump board game - they're all part of the repertoire at Sweden's Museum of Failure. It presents flopped innovations to show that mistakes are part of the creative process.
Image: S. Lindberg
Advertisement
Ingenius or totally nuts?: Sweden's Museum of Failure
A museum in Helsingborg presents innovations that have failed. Organizers say failure is part of the creative process. Visitors can view everything from good ideas that have been poorly executed to total nonsense.
Image: S. Lindberg
The plastic bicycle
It was supposed to be rust-free and low in emissions. Hopes were running high when this plastic bicycle was introduced in 1981. The "Itera" came out on the market in 1982, but was a flop: the assemble-yourself bike was simply not stable enough. The plastic parts, such as the pedals, broke quickly. Production was stopped in 1985.
Image: S. Lindberg
The Trump board game
The aim of the Trump board game by manufacturer Hasbro is as obvious as it is simple: make as much money as possible. This copy of the classic Monopoly game was released in 1989, but did not sell well. US President Donald Trump, however, must have been enamored: his face appears on all of the money.
Image: S. Lindberg
The Nokia N-Gage game phone
It was to be two-in-one: game console and mobile phone. Hailed by its creator, Finnish company Nokia, as an all-arounder when it was marketed in 2003, its high price and limited games kept it from selling well. Surfing the Internet, playing games, talking on the phone, and listening to music - the game phone combined all the functions of a smartphone. It was an invention ahead of its time.
Image: S. West
Harley Davidson perfume
An overtone of bergamot and mint, the base note a mix of patchouli and sandalwood - that's the internet description of the perfume by the motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson, available since 1994. It's likely, however, that the reason the fragrance doesn't sell well is because most people associate the brand with the scent of motor oil rather than sandalwood.
Image: S. Lindberg
The pen for women
The "Bic for Her" is a pen made for women. It's available in purple and pink and… hmm, what else? The pen manufactured by Bic caused an outrage when it was marketed in 2012. But that isn't the only time Bic has caused a stir. The company touted the following slogan in Africa on International Women's Day in 2015: "Look like a lady, act like a lady, think like a man."
Image: S. Lindberg
The Rejuvenique facial toning mask
It looks like a modern-day torture device, but it's supposed to make your face prettier. The mini electro-shocks aim to stimulate and tone facial muscles. It's a rather dubious idea and its effectiveness was immediately challenged when it was marketed in 1999. American actress Linda Evans lent her name and face to the marketing campaign.
Image: S. West
Colgate lasagne
Frozen lasagne made by a toothpaste manufacturer? It's obvious that it can't be a best-seller. The packaging was reconstructed for the exhibition. The Colgate company said it can't recall ever having produced the item, but museum director Samuel West insists there was such a thing.
Image: S. West
7 images1 | 7
"No risk, no fun" - it's a saying whose truth could be disputed, but which everyone has heard in their lives. Sweden's new Museum of Failure shows innovations whose creators risked, but which ultimately failed.
More than 60 innovations from around the world which were not successful are now on show at the museum in the Swedish town of Helsingborg. But one shouldn't be misguided that the name of exhibition is meant sarcastically - quite the contrary.
Museum director Samuel West: "Around 90 percent of innovations fail."Image: S. West
"Failure is necessary for innovations; it's an important part of the development process," museum director Samuel West recently told US news channel CNN. Learning from mistakes is essential, so they should not be demonized. That wisdom is what sparked the idea for the museum.
Some good, some bad
The reasons that the items exhibited in the museum ultimately failed are diverse. Some of them are societal or financial. But some of the pieces just simply didn't work properly from the beginning - like the Swedish battleship "Vasa" that sank in calm oceans on its virgin voyage in 1628. Or the pen for women - an absurd idea.
Kodak digital camera - a good product at the wrong timeImage: S. Lindberg
That was not the case with the first digital camera, produced by Kodak. It was actually a successful product, but entered the picture in unfortunate circumstances. Shortly after it came to market, Kodak announced bankruptcy. The company had invested in producing printing machines for photographs and various accessories, a model that was discontinued. It was a testimony of a fast-paced, risky market economy.
The museum aims to provide a platform for these failed ideas to show how people can learn from mistakes, but also to reflect reality: "Nearly 90 percent of innovations do not succeed," said West. Given the countless museums that exhibit success and celebrate it, the Swedish counterpart is a welcome relief.
