10 products that are gone but not forgotten
#1
08-11-2009, 08:21 AM
10 products that are gone but not forgotten
As new goods appear on store shelves, some older ones disappear to make room. Many times consumers hardly notice. But these particular products have had loyal (if not numerous) customers who miss them.
Pulling the plug
Talk about a discontinued product: When General Motors' EV1 electric car was withdrawn from the market in 2003, the company took back all of the vehicles and crushed most of them.
GM introduced the EV1 in 1996 in response to a looming California requirement that all major carmakers doing business in that state offer zero-emission vehicles. GM's aim was to use the EV1 to test the feasibility of electric cars in a real-world setting, and to that end it leased them to a select group of consumers in California and Arizona.
Despite waiting lists of would-be lessees and positive feedback from those driving the cars, GM canceled the EV1 program after California dropped its zero-emissions mandate.
NUMBER 2
A cola difference you could see (through)
Part of a wave of clear products that hit the market in the early 1990s, Crystal Pepsi was promoted as a "clear alternative" to other colas. (Coca-Cola later joined the fray with a clear version of Tab diet soda.)
Crystal Pepsi, which contained no caffeine or artificial colors, was sold beginning in 1992. Sales were strong at first, totaling about $474 million in the first year, but they fell sharply, and PepsiCo pulled the plug in 1994.
Some people who fondly remember the product say it was a cola you could spill on a light-colored carpet without leaving a stain.
Number 3
Breaking up is now harder to do
Bonomo's Turkish Taffy, introduced after World War II, was sold in wrappers that urged consumers to break the brittle bars into pieces for a longer-lasting chewy treat.
During the candy's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, 80 million to 100 million bars were sold each year.
After product creator Victor Bonomo retired in 1970, the brand was acquired by Candy Corporation of America and then, in 1980, by Tootsie Roll Industries. In 1989, the product was discontinued, and nostalgic hearts (but not candy bars) were broken.
Number 4
They gave us those nice, bright colors
Before digital cameras came to dominate the scene, taking pictures was all about capturing images on film. And for professional photographers (and serious amateurs), choosing the brand of film to use was as important as picking the kind of camera.
Kodachrome, a brand of film immortalized in a 1973 Paul Simon song of the same name, was introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was actually developed as a motion-picture film, but Kodak developed versions in a variety of formats, including the slide film that became prized by photographers for its rich, bright colors.
Alas, after 74 years of production, Kodak discontinued the film in June, citing falling demand in a digital age. The move added new poignancy to Simon's refrain of "Mama don't take my Kodachrome away."
Number 5
Best discontinued candy, BarNone
Hershey introduced the BarNone candy bar in 1987. The company's first new product introduced for national distribution in five years, BarNone had a cocoa wafer and a chocolate filling, as well as peanuts and a milk chocolate coating.
The candy bar was reconfigured in 1993, with two chocolate-covered wafers, peanuts and caramel. But the change was not enough to save the product, which was discontinued a few years later.
Fans contend the decision to stop production was premature and are calling for its return. An online petition asking Hershey to bring back the BarNone has hundreds of signatures, but so far the result hasn't been sweet.
Number 6
Disbanding the 'Team'
Nabisco's Team Flakes cereal was introduced in 1963, with advertisements boasting that it was a four-grain cereal that would stay crispy even after being immersed in milk.
Early ads suggested the product got its name because it contained four grains -- corn, rice, oats and wheat -- that teamed up in flakes to keep the cereal from getting soggy. Devotees say the cereal stayed crunchy down to the bottom of the bowl. But the brand did not live long past Philip Morris' early-1990s acquisition of RJR Nabisco's cold-cereal business in North America.
The bad news for those hoping the crispy breakfast food will make a comeback: There's a Team Flakes Web site, but the crispy cereal itself is history.
Number 7
A dramatic exit
Falstaff beer dates to 1903, when Lemp Brewery of St. Louis chose the outsized Shakespearean character as the symbol of its company. By the 1960s, Falstaff Brewing was America's third-largest beer maker, with plants around the country.
But the company's fortunes began to wane in the 1970s, and the next two decades were marked by sales declines and plant closings. In 1990, the Falstaff brand name was acquired by Pabst Brewing, which continued to brew the beer through 2005.
Now devotees can celebrate the storied brand via the fan Web site or by listening to the Sheryl Crow song "A Change Would Do You Good," which mentions the brew. But if they want an actual cold one, they'll have to choose something else.
Number 8
A disagreeable departure
Agree was a popular hair care brand in the 1970s, when the shampoo and conditioner vowed to help young consumers avoid the scourge known as "the greasies."
S.C. Johnson's advertising for its Agree shampoo, and the accompanying cream rinse and conditioner, promised to fight the oily hair that it said teens in particular were especially susceptible to. The ads said that Agree conditioner, for example, was 99.75% oil-free and provided "beautiful wet combing and great conditioning, without the use of oils that can cause the greasies."
Agree and most of S.C. Johnson's other shampoo lines were divested in the early 1990s. Agree was later discontinued, although the hair care products are not forgotten, and some devoted fans still buy dusty bottles via the Internet.
Number 9
Chickening out
Ragu Chicken Tonight was a line of sauces sold during the 1990s and available in flavors such as honey mustard, country French and Thai green curry.
The sauces were promoted with the slogan "I feel like chicken tonight" and the promise that they could turn a skillet of chicken chunks into a flavorful entrée.
But, apparently, not enough Americans felt like chicken on enough nights to keep the product on store shelves, and it was discontinued.
A version of the product sold under the Knorr brand did catch on in Australia and the United Kingdom, so U.S. fans of the product can still stock up -- if their grocery budgets include sizable travel allowances.
Number 10
Shedding tiers
Jell-O 1-2-3 debuted in 1969, offering consumers a new wrinkle in homemade desserts. Jell-O gelatin itself was nothing new by that time; the product had been concocted in 1897. But what made this version of the product different was that once it was mixed with boiling water and set aside to cool, it would separate into three layers: a clear bottom, a chiffon middle and a creamy top.
After a few decades, the novelty may have worn off, and the product was discontinued in 1996 due to declining sales.
To console any remaining disappointed fans, Kraft recently added a recipe to its Web site showing how to make a similar dessert using sugar-free Jell-O and Cool Whip Lite.
Do you remember any of these?
Besides the obvious Chevrolet Monte Carlo, are there any other products that you wish were still around?
Pulling the plug
Talk about a discontinued product: When General Motors' EV1 electric car was withdrawn from the market in 2003, the company took back all of the vehicles and crushed most of them.
GM introduced the EV1 in 1996 in response to a looming California requirement that all major carmakers doing business in that state offer zero-emission vehicles. GM's aim was to use the EV1 to test the feasibility of electric cars in a real-world setting, and to that end it leased them to a select group of consumers in California and Arizona.
Despite waiting lists of would-be lessees and positive feedback from those driving the cars, GM canceled the EV1 program after California dropped its zero-emissions mandate.
NUMBER 2
A cola difference you could see (through)
Part of a wave of clear products that hit the market in the early 1990s, Crystal Pepsi was promoted as a "clear alternative" to other colas. (Coca-Cola later joined the fray with a clear version of Tab diet soda.)
Crystal Pepsi, which contained no caffeine or artificial colors, was sold beginning in 1992. Sales were strong at first, totaling about $474 million in the first year, but they fell sharply, and PepsiCo pulled the plug in 1994.
Some people who fondly remember the product say it was a cola you could spill on a light-colored carpet without leaving a stain.
Number 3
Breaking up is now harder to do
Bonomo's Turkish Taffy, introduced after World War II, was sold in wrappers that urged consumers to break the brittle bars into pieces for a longer-lasting chewy treat.
During the candy's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, 80 million to 100 million bars were sold each year.
After product creator Victor Bonomo retired in 1970, the brand was acquired by Candy Corporation of America and then, in 1980, by Tootsie Roll Industries. In 1989, the product was discontinued, and nostalgic hearts (but not candy bars) were broken.
Number 4
They gave us those nice, bright colors
Before digital cameras came to dominate the scene, taking pictures was all about capturing images on film. And for professional photographers (and serious amateurs), choosing the brand of film to use was as important as picking the kind of camera.
Kodachrome, a brand of film immortalized in a 1973 Paul Simon song of the same name, was introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was actually developed as a motion-picture film, but Kodak developed versions in a variety of formats, including the slide film that became prized by photographers for its rich, bright colors.
Alas, after 74 years of production, Kodak discontinued the film in June, citing falling demand in a digital age. The move added new poignancy to Simon's refrain of "Mama don't take my Kodachrome away."
Number 5
Best discontinued candy, BarNone
Hershey introduced the BarNone candy bar in 1987. The company's first new product introduced for national distribution in five years, BarNone had a cocoa wafer and a chocolate filling, as well as peanuts and a milk chocolate coating.
The candy bar was reconfigured in 1993, with two chocolate-covered wafers, peanuts and caramel. But the change was not enough to save the product, which was discontinued a few years later.
Fans contend the decision to stop production was premature and are calling for its return. An online petition asking Hershey to bring back the BarNone has hundreds of signatures, but so far the result hasn't been sweet.
Number 6
Disbanding the 'Team'
Nabisco's Team Flakes cereal was introduced in 1963, with advertisements boasting that it was a four-grain cereal that would stay crispy even after being immersed in milk.
Early ads suggested the product got its name because it contained four grains -- corn, rice, oats and wheat -- that teamed up in flakes to keep the cereal from getting soggy. Devotees say the cereal stayed crunchy down to the bottom of the bowl. But the brand did not live long past Philip Morris' early-1990s acquisition of RJR Nabisco's cold-cereal business in North America.
The bad news for those hoping the crispy breakfast food will make a comeback: There's a Team Flakes Web site, but the crispy cereal itself is history.
Number 7
A dramatic exit
Falstaff beer dates to 1903, when Lemp Brewery of St. Louis chose the outsized Shakespearean character as the symbol of its company. By the 1960s, Falstaff Brewing was America's third-largest beer maker, with plants around the country.
But the company's fortunes began to wane in the 1970s, and the next two decades were marked by sales declines and plant closings. In 1990, the Falstaff brand name was acquired by Pabst Brewing, which continued to brew the beer through 2005.
Now devotees can celebrate the storied brand via the fan Web site or by listening to the Sheryl Crow song "A Change Would Do You Good," which mentions the brew. But if they want an actual cold one, they'll have to choose something else.
Number 8
A disagreeable departure
Agree was a popular hair care brand in the 1970s, when the shampoo and conditioner vowed to help young consumers avoid the scourge known as "the greasies."
S.C. Johnson's advertising for its Agree shampoo, and the accompanying cream rinse and conditioner, promised to fight the oily hair that it said teens in particular were especially susceptible to. The ads said that Agree conditioner, for example, was 99.75% oil-free and provided "beautiful wet combing and great conditioning, without the use of oils that can cause the greasies."
Agree and most of S.C. Johnson's other shampoo lines were divested in the early 1990s. Agree was later discontinued, although the hair care products are not forgotten, and some devoted fans still buy dusty bottles via the Internet.
Number 9
Chickening out
Ragu Chicken Tonight was a line of sauces sold during the 1990s and available in flavors such as honey mustard, country French and Thai green curry.
The sauces were promoted with the slogan "I feel like chicken tonight" and the promise that they could turn a skillet of chicken chunks into a flavorful entrée.
But, apparently, not enough Americans felt like chicken on enough nights to keep the product on store shelves, and it was discontinued.
A version of the product sold under the Knorr brand did catch on in Australia and the United Kingdom, so U.S. fans of the product can still stock up -- if their grocery budgets include sizable travel allowances.
Number 10
Shedding tiers
Jell-O 1-2-3 debuted in 1969, offering consumers a new wrinkle in homemade desserts. Jell-O gelatin itself was nothing new by that time; the product had been concocted in 1897. But what made this version of the product different was that once it was mixed with boiling water and set aside to cool, it would separate into three layers: a clear bottom, a chiffon middle and a creamy top.
After a few decades, the novelty may have worn off, and the product was discontinued in 1996 due to declining sales.
To console any remaining disappointed fans, Kraft recently added a recipe to its Web site showing how to make a similar dessert using sugar-free Jell-O and Cool Whip Lite.
Do you remember any of these?
Besides the obvious Chevrolet Monte Carlo, are there any other products that you wish were still around?
#2
08-11-2009, 08:48 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Bushkill, PA
Posts: 3,279
lets see... i remember the crystal pepsi, mostly because my uncle worked as a truck driver for pepsi co. when it was being sold, and he would bring us cases of pepsi products that were pulled off the line.... i also have a few crystal pepsi T-shirts that i still wear, lol. i wonder if they are worth anything?
ive also seen those jell-o 123 things, we cleaned out the pantry a few years ago, and we found a few boxes from '95 that fell waaayyyy down in the back... we threw them out ( 'comon, we wernt gonna EAT 10 + year old jello, lol)
ive also seen those jell-o 123 things, we cleaned out the pantry a few years ago, and we found a few boxes from '95 that fell waaayyyy down in the back... we threw them out ( 'comon, we wernt gonna EAT 10 + year old jello, lol)
#6
08-11-2009, 09:08 AM
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 6,996
I remember a few of those things. WOW. I cant believe its been that long for Crystal Pepsi. I think i might have to look for The Clapper.
#7
08-11-2009, 09:32 AM
Jarts... or Lawn Darts if you will.
Every once in a while a game or toy is released with all the good intentions in the world. Popular as it may be, however, it must be reevaluated for unforeseen safety reasons. Having said that, it is somewhat hard to believe that nobody noticed the potential for injury that accompanied a game called Lawn Darts. Throwing heavy pointed objects in the vicinity of others might seem like fun and games – until someone ends up in the emergency room, and enough people were unlucky enough to meet this fate to actually get legislation passed and ban them permanently from existence.
A better game for thinning the gene pool has yet to be invented!
#8
08-11-2009, 11:48 AM
I still remember the Pepsi with a touch of lemon in it from the 1970s. It was delicious.
Ragu Chicken Tonight
I feel like chicken tonight. Like chicken tonight.
(were you suppose to be doing the chicken dance when you sang this?)
Ragu Chicken Tonight
I feel like chicken tonight. Like chicken tonight.
(were you suppose to be doing the chicken dance when you sang this?)
