Missing Their Big Shot

From Floral Pens for Women to Coca-cola’s Coffee Drink, the Museum of Failure Showcases Products That Went Bust

- Nitin Chaudhary

I stood beside my father looking at Apple’s Newton, a precursor to the iPhone, that was launched in 1993. We were at the Museum of Failure (Innovation) in Helsingborg, Sweden.

“I remember when it came out. I wanted one,” my father said. “It disappeared from the market before I could lay my hands on it.”

Apparently Apple mania was a premillennial phenomenon too. I had never seen a Newton before, and had only heard stories about it. The device— larger than my fist and accompanied with a stylus—was ahead of its time, my father reminisced. The Newton didn’t appear user-friendly, but it was certainly packed with the features of a powerful computer from that time.

The Museum of Failure, which opened in June 2017, was also packed—but with spectacular flops, some ill-timed flunks, and some absolute no-hopers (Heinz’s green ketchup anyone?). The space is the brainchild of curator Samuel West, who told us, “The idea behind this concept is to celebrate failures, and to learn from them.” He had walked over to show us a finger glove with which one could browse a smartphone while protecting the screen from oily prints. Who would have thought we needed such an innovation?

Helsingborg, though Sweden’s eighth largest city, has a population of only around 1,30,000. It has little to boast about in terms of attractions, except for a beach and the

Swedish royal family’s country mansion, Sofiero. However, since the opening of the museum, Helsingborg has seen a surge of tourists queuing up to visit its galleries of corporate failures.

The museum is in a by-lane close to the city centre, but will soon shift to a bigger location to accommodate an ever increasing collection. Currently, it has about 100 installations.

FAILURES THAT TOP THE MUST-SEE LIST

CRYSTAL PEPSI