Top 30 Junk Food and Drink FAILS

Top-30-Junk-Food-and-Drink-FAILS

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for junk food and drink fails. Fails include financial missteps but also questionable dietary choices and things that are just, frankly, kinda gross.

#30: New Coke
Have you ever heard the expression, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”Apparently the Coca-Cola Company hadn’t back in 1985 when they decided to change the Coke formula. Sure, Coke had been losing market share to Pepsi, so maybe in their minds it was “broke.” Either way, their fix kinda failed. While initial response to the new taste was positive, once the Southern states got their hands on it the backlash was mighty. It was so intense that Coke brought back the old formula within 3 months as "Coca-Cola Classic." And remember when we said their fix “kinda” failed? Well, the reintroduction of the classic formula led to a very nice bump in sales.

#29: Candy Cigarettes
Kids today will know them as candy sticks, but back in the 20th century (and even as far back as the late 1800s) they were straight up called candy cigarettes. Many even had a red tip to mimic a lit cigarette. These things are pure sugar with very little taste or flavor, but if we were judging a product solely on it’s longevity, then candy cigarettes wouldn’t have made the list. However, in this case it’s safe to call these things a failure to our children. Especially children of the previous generation who, according to various surveys, were more likely to take up actual smoking if they’d been consumers of candy cigarettes.

#28: 7 Up Gold
7 Up has always been clear-colored and its marketing slogan for many years was “never had it, never will” - with the “it” being caffeine. This is important to note because 7 Up Gold was distinctly dark-colored and contained caffeine. If you’re confused by the decision, you aren’t alone. Consumers in 1988 were seemingly just as confused by it. They were so confused, in fact, that they basically decided that they never had it and never would, with “it” being 7 Up Gold. The product was discontinued within a year.

#27: 3D Doritos
Sometimes, like with the first “Avatar” movie, having something in 3D can actually make it a better experience. And other times it’s just a gimmick. 3D Doritos is much more the latter. Don’t get us wrong, we love Doritos. But puffing them up didn’t really add much to them besides being able to fit fewer of them in a bag. The original product had a decent 6 year run from 1998 to 2004 before being discontinued. However, in 2020 they were back - in both Chili Cheese Nacho and Spicy Ranch flavors. And if nothing else, the return of the chip provided us with a great Matthew McConaughey Super Bowl commercial.

#26: Cheez Whiz
This one might be a little controversial as we know that there are people out there that love Cheez Whiz - and that those that love it, really LOVE it. But the fact is that this is a bright orange processed cheese spread. And to call it “cheese” is a stretch - which is probably why they spell it with a “Z.” Although to be fair, it would seem that when the product was introduced in the 1950s it did contain a good amount of actual cheese. We aren’t sure when that changed but it did, and it was noticeable. Dean Southworth was on the development team that created Cheez Whiz and in 2001 he tasted the current product and exclaimed that it tasted “like axle grease.”

#25: Pepsi Blue
In 2001 Mountain Dew introduced their Code Red flavor and saw a nice bump in sales. When Pepsi saw that they decided that they too needed a brightly-colored version of their soda and in 2002 the world got Pepsi Blue. However, while Code Red is still going strong today, Pepsi Blue was off store shelves in North America by the end of 2004. Pepsi promoted the hell out of the new blue product, and while the company saw growth, the product did go down as a failure. Not to mention the fact that they used the Blue 1 coloring agent to get the soda’s bright color - an agent that was, even at the time, banned in numerous countries. That’s two fails in one Pepsi!

#24: Lay's Cappuccino-Flavored Potato Chips
In 2014, the Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” contest came down to four new flavors: Mango Salsa, Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Wasabi Ginger and Cappuccino. The winner was Wasabi Ginger. But to say that Cappuccino just lost wouldn’t be doing justice to some of the comments Lay’s got on their Facebook page regarding said flavor. How do “NASTY” and “gross” sound? Not good when talking about how something tastes right? “The Today Show” even did a taste test among their staff. And while one person called the Cappuccino chips “not unacceptable,” there was an acknowledgment of a rather unpleasant aftertaste that stuck around for a while.

#23: Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water
The Coors beer brewing company has been brewing their beer using Rocky Mountain spring water for well over 100 years. So back in 1990 when the bottled-water industry was raking in the cash, Coors saw an obvious opportunity to get in on it. The problem was that they kept the Coors name in the marketing and put it right there on the bottle as well. We’re sure it tasted fine, but with so many options out there, who would grab the bottle of water with the beer name on it? Not many people it turns out - because Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water was discontinued.

#22: Swedish Fish Oreos
Yup, this was actually a thing. You know how Oreo loves putting out limited edition flavors? Well, back in 2016 they gave us Swedish Fish Oreos with a bright red Swedish Fish-flavored cream sandwiched between two classic chocolate cookies. So, what did they taste like? Well, according to various reviews, words like “waxy,” “artificial cherry,” “slimy” and “cough syrup” were popular descriptors. We appreciate Oreo’s willingness to take chances and bring us all kinds of flavor options we never would have thought possible, But they can’t all be hits. And Swedish Fish Oreos was definitely one of their bigger misses.

#21: Surge Soda
If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery then The Coca-Cola Company was really flattering Pepsi in 1997 with the release of Surge Soda. Mountain Dew - which was owned by Pepsi - was growing fast and Coke wanted something to compete with it. The original code name for the product was even “MDK” or “Mountain Dew Killer.” But kill Mountain Dew it couldn’t. And by 2003 it was pretty much over. Not to say Surge didn’t have its fans. In fact, it had some very dedicated fans who were loud enough to get Coke to re-release Surge in 2015. We’re happy for those folks, but the aggressive marketing and the extreme sports… it all feels like a poor-man’s Mountain Dew to us.

#20: Pringles Restaurant Cravers - Mozzarella Sticks & Marinara
We love a good serving of mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce as much as the next person, but did we really need them in the form of a potato chip? Pringles certainly thought so. The chip brand once launched a line of flavors dubbed “Restaurant Cravers,” focusing on classic entrees and appetizers like Onion Blossom and Mexican Layered Dip. Unfortunately, Mozzarella Sticks & Marinara doesn’t translate nearly as well to chip form. The issue? The joy of mozzarella sticks is rooted in texture. Why disrespect the cheesy gooey nature of this timeless appetizer by turning it into a powder-coated chip? That’s just blasphemy!

#19: Pepsi AM
When it comes to revolutionizing the concept of the morning beverage, there have been more than a few spectacularly bad ideas. Lots of people struggle to face the day without a morning dose of caffeine. Hoping to cash in on this demand, and maybe even convert some coffee drinkers, Pepsi unveiled Pepsi AM in 1989. To be clear… this wasn’t some revolutionary new type of beverage. It was good old-fashioned Pepsi cola with the caffeine level jacked way up. If your stomach is churning at the thought of starting your day with soda… you’re not alone. It was discontinued just one year later.


#18: Lay’s WOW Chips
It’s amazing how far some companies will go just so they can plaster their food with healthy phrases like “sugar-free” or “zero calories.” Unfortunately, changing a tried and true recipe is risky business, as Frito-Lay learned the hard way with their “WOW! Chips” lineup. In 1998, Frito-Lay made special bags of Lays, Doritos, and Ruffles that were fat-free, but this supposed benefit came at an immense cost. Since the chips were made with Olestra instead of regular cooking oil, customers not only digested fewer calories than regular Lays, but also began suffering from stomach cramps and diarrhea. Around 2004, Frito-Lay renamed the lineup as “Light” with a slightly new formula.

#17: Hubba Bubba Bubble Jug
The Hubba Bubba brand has certainly put out some strange products beyond their standard gum. Some have really resonated with consumers, like Bubble Tape, but the Hubba Bubba Bubble Jug… not so much. These miniature containers housed a powder that would turn into gum when chewed. In other words, it was kinda like a Frankenstein Pixy Stix. What makes the product offputting is that you’re basically chewing pure sugar to the point where it becomes a homogenous chewy substance. And while the gum that you wind up with is basically the same old Hubba Bubba, that initial mouthful of chunky powder is a serious turnoff.

#16: Budweiser Extra
Can’t we just keep it to one vice at a time? In the early 2000s, when energy drinks were all the rage, the quote unquote “King of Beers” decided to jump on the bandwagon by pumping a variation of their ever-popular beer full of caffeine. Boasting 6.6% alcohol and a hearty dose of caffeine, the beverage was certainly sending your body mixed messages. Leaving aside the fact that numerous studies have proven caffeinated alcoholic beverages to be incredibly dangerous… this brew was just downright disgusting. Oh, they also liked to refer to it as “Budweiser B-to-the-E” like someone’s deeply uncool uncle. You know… just to make you cringe twice as hard while drinking it.

#15: Colgate Kitchen Entrees
Just as we blasted Coors for not being smart enough to realize that keeping the “Coors” name on their sparkling water bottles was a bad move, so to do we need to give Colgate their due. We’re talking about Colgate Kitchen Entrees. Yes, we’re talking about the toothpaste company making frozen dinners. At least Coors had a connection to the rocky mountain water. The only connection Colgate has to frozen food (or any food for that matter) is brushing it off our teeth before we go to bed. And, At least from what we can tell, the frozen lasagna didn’t taste minty fresh.

#14: Tru Blood
For starters… can you say “false advertising?” This carbonated beverage is not, in fact, blood - human or otherwise. It is, however, a tie-in to the hit HBO series “True Blood,” and the blood beverage that the vamps in the show consume to quench their insatiable thirst. For diehard fans of the series, this remarkably accurate-looking replica is sure to get their hearts pounding. Unfortunately, the marketing department decided to treat this beverage as more of a collector’s item than a viable product, slapping on a hefty price tag that scared away many would-be faux-vampires. Oh, and did we mention that most bloodsuckers in the show couldn’t stand the stuff? Not exactly a great endorsement.


#13: Tayto Milk Chocolate Bars
How do you like your chocolate bars? Do you like them loaded with peanuts or crispy rice? Drizzled in caramel? Coating cookie bits? Well then, Tayto Milk Chocolate Bars are NOT the decadent sweet you’ve been searching for. While most chocolate companies offer a variety of products in which chocolate is combined with peanut butter, wafers, or other candy, Tayto chooses to load its chocolate bars with its own cheese and onion crisps. We’re no stranger to sweet and savory treats (like Ben & Jerry’s Late Night Snack ice cream), but chocolate with chips that taste like cheese and onions? Count us out.

#12: Maxwell Ready-to-Drink Coffee
Introducing a beverage that NOBODY needed. Making coffee is simple. Add hot water to ground coffee beans in a filter, and voila. Alternatively… stop at a drive-thru on your way to work. If you’re really pressed for time and don’t care about quality or taste whatsoever, instant coffee can be made, well… instantly. With these options available, taking coffee and putting it in a cardboard carton, to then be poured out into mugs and reheated in the microwave had no justifiable reason to exist. In the end, it wasn’t quicker or more convenient, and it certainly didn’t deliver a superior taste to a fresh brewed pot.

#11: Burger King Shake ‘Em Cheesy Fries
When Taylor Swift tells us to “Shake It Off” we listen. But in the early aughts when Burger King wanted us to shake up our fries, people weren’t as keen to obey. This is how it worked. First you dump your fries into the bag. Then you add as much dehydrated cheese powder as you want. Shake it all up and voila… cheesy fries. Not to mention the cheese powder all over your fingers and - if you weren’t careful - everything else. It didn’t take long for Burger King to shake this one right off of their menu.

#10: Vio
Once again, the leading soft drink manufacturer makes an appearance. Vio is a flavored, carbonated milk beverage, which the Coca-Cola Company introduced to American markets in 2009. To the shock of nobody who wasn’t working for Coca-Cola, it was deemed a failure and soon pulled from production. In their defense, such beverages do succeed elsewhere in the world - in Japan, they’re actually quite common. This is simply a case of trying to push a market way outside of its comfort zone. That being said, an updated Vio has since been introduced in India in 2016, where the product has seemingly fared better.

#9: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had their faces slapped on a wealth of food products over the years. From cereal to cookies (and even Chef Boyardee), marketing efforts seem to suggest that the iconic turtles are fond of more than just pizza. However, not every TMNT-endorsed product is created equal, with one of the worst offenders being Hostess’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies. While the vanilla pudding filling is enough to sell any kid, one look at the pie outside of the packaging will make you question what exactly you’re putting in your mouth. They just couldn’t make them turtle shaped cupcakes, huh?

#8: Coca-Cola BlāK
How do you connect with trendy young adults? How about making a mysterious “black edition” of your cola? Sure, that’s great and all, but if you REALLY wanna get the people talking, you better drop a letter… and randomly capitalize the K! Silly branding aside, Coca Cola BlāK just didn’t work. Why? Because its whole gimmick was that it was coffee-flavored. Consider it Coca-Cola’s own attempt to capture the coffee drinking market. They gave it a sophisticated-looking bottle that screamed “flavored coffee” and hoped to connect with the masses. Connect… they did not. It earned a few devotees, but mostly people preferred to keep their coffee and cola separate. It only lasted 2 years.

#7: The Thanksgiving Dinner Holiday Pack
Jones Soda have managed to co-exist with the heavyweights by carving out a niche for themselves with their unique photography-based bottle designs and willingness to embrace odd flavors. Yes, they offer up standards like Root Beer and Cream Soda, but they also do unusual flavors like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Chocolate, and FuFu Berry. It’s the specialty and holiday releases where things get really odd. The 2007 Gingerbread Man flavor? That we can get behind. This Thanksgiving sampler... not so much. The 2005 “National Pack” comes with the following flavors: Turkey & Gravy, Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto, Cranberry, Wild Herb Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie. The 2006 variety added an “antacid” flavor! Yikes. Not exactly refreshing.

#6: Ghostbusters Key Lime Slime Twinkies
The company behind Twinkies has gone through some bizarre flavors over the past few decades, especially when it comes to cross-promotional products. We can tolerate flavors like Orange Creme Pop, Peppermint, or even Pumpkin Spice, but there was something about their Ghostbusters Twinkies that really threw us off. In addition to a White Fudge Marshmallow flavor, Hostess put out Key Lime Slime Twinkies as a promotional deal for the 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot. We suppose the Key Lime flavor fits with Twinkies’ cake-y nature, but something about that green filling made these snacks seriously unappealing - and oddly familiar. It just looks wrong!

#5: Crystal Pepsi
“Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is the highest-grossing movie in the Indiana Jones franchise, and who doesn’t love Crystal Gayle? However, not all things “Crystal” are a success. Allow us to take you back to the early 90s when North America was going crazy for clear… clear soap, clear mouthwash and even clear beer. Not to be outdone, Pepsi jumped head first into this fad with Crystal Pepsi. Sure, it did taste a little different from regular Pepsi - and it did have those awesome commercials with that Van Halen song. And yes, consumers did associate clear with a more pure product. But they also associated a certain taste profile with Pepsi that the Crystal version didn’t match. It was discontinued within 2 years.

#4: Ranch Dressing Soda
The company behind Twinkies has gone through some bizarre flavors over the past few decades, especially when it comes to cross-promotional products. We can tolerate flavors like Orange Creme Pop, Peppermint, or even Pumpkin Spice, but there was something about their Ghostbusters Twinkies that really threw us off. In addition to a White Fudge Marshmallow flavor, Hostess put out Key Lime Slime Twinkies as a promotional deal for the 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot. We suppose the Key Lime flavor fits with Twinkies’ cake-y nature, but something about that green filling made these snacks seriously unappealing - and oddly familiar. It just looks wrong!

#3: EZ Squirt Ketchup
Most people agree that ketchup is already perfect in its own right. Whether you're using it for your fries, burgers, or a massive plate of crispy tater tots, ketchup arguably makes everything taste better! But what happens when you decide to mess with an already-winning formula? You wind up with the sort of failed product line that Heinz had on their hands with the EZ Squirt Ketchup in the early 2000s. For a limited time, kids could drizzle a rainbow of ketchup on their food. Unfortunately, the color just made the food look less appetizing (to adults, at least). Yeah, it was still ketchup, but its appearance did not sit well with customers.

#2: Shrek Twinkies
We knew something felt off about those Ghostbusters Twinkies, and this was the reason! In 2001, dozens of food companies had their own cross-promotional deal to make disgusting “Shrek”-themed products, but of them all, Shrek Twinkies were arguably the worst. For starters, the green filling was unsettling, and it didn’t help that the front of the box proudly advertised “Ogre Green Creamy Filling”. If you were one of the poor, unfortunate souls who bought a package, you probably realized your mistake after opening one of these foul sweets and discovered the Twinkie looked worse than what was on the box. And to think they brought it back to promote “Shrek 2.”

#1: Cocaine
This drink promised serious levels of energy and wasn’t afraid to invoke highly addictive illicit drugs to make that clear. The can even featured a font that looked like bumpy lines of white powder. The marketing was so problematic, the FDA actually had it banned on the grounds that Redux Beverages "was illegally marketing the drink as both a street drug alternative and a dietary supplement." They compromised, and rebranded it as “No Name,” before eventually reverting back to the original name. Branding aside, this drink is also a bad idea for consumers. The caffeine and taurine levels are drastically higher than the competition, so much so that doctors have publicly warned against drinking it.

What’s your feelings on these fails? Let us know in the comments