Colgate’s Weirdest Product Line

Once upon a time Colgate tried to sell frozen food and it was the weirdest brand extension ever. Colgate is a name that millions instantly connect with toothpaste and oral care. For decades, Colgate has been the trusted brand found in bathrooms around the world. Families have relied on it to keep their teeth clean and their breath fresh. It’s a staple. A product people grab off supermarket shelves without thinking twice. But behind this household name lies one of the biggest brand failures in marketing history. This is the story of Colgate’s frozen meals. A failed brand extension that remains one of the strangest business decisions ever made.

In this video, we dive deep into the Colgate brand failure that left consumers confused and marketers scratching their heads. How did a company synonymous with minty toothpaste and oral hygiene end up launching frozen dinners? Known officially as Colgate Kitchen Entrees, this attempt at entering the food industry became one of the most famous product flops of all time. It’s a marketing case study often cited in business schools as a classic example of brand extension gone wrong.

Colgate's frozen meals included items like lasagna, spaghetti, and meatloaf. But no matter how tasty they might have been, consumers couldn’t shake the association with toothpaste. Seeing the familiar Colgate logo on a frozen dinner box felt off. It felt wrong. And it created an identity crisis for a brand that had built its reputation on oral care, not food. This expensive marketing mistake quickly turned into a disaster. Sales flopped. The frozen dinners were pulled from shelves. And Colgate was left with a failed product launch that damaged its brand credibility.

So why did Colgate's brand strategy fail so badly? In this detailed business failure analysis, we break down the reasons. We explore how brand extensions work, and why they can sometimes backfire. Colgate ventured into a market where it had no experience and no consumer trust. Competing in the frozen food industry requires more than a well-known name. It requires brand alignment. And Colgate’s move simply didn’t make sense to customers. The disconnect between toothpaste and frozen dinners was too big to ignore.

We also compare Colgate’s failure to other brands that got it right. Take Yamaha, for example. Known for its piano keyboards, Yamaha expanded successfully into motorcycles and other electronics. The reason it worked? Yamaha stayed true to its brand values and consumers could see the connection between its products.

This case study is packed with lessons for anyone interested in marketing strategy, business case studies, and brand management. We’ll show how top brand failures happen when companies stray too far from their identity. We’ll also explain why Colgate’s attempt to enter the frozen food market is still discussed today as a warning for marketers and executives.

If you’re looking for marketing disasters, failed brand extensions, and high-value brand mistakes, this video covers it all. From the origins of Colgate founded by William Colgate in eighteen oh six, to its rise as a global oral care powerhouse, and finally to its expensive mistake with Colgate Kitchen Entrees. We cover the full story.

Whether you’re a business student, a marketing professional, or just someone fascinated by strange brand moves, this video will give you valuable insights. You’ll learn about the risks of brand extension, the importance of consumer perception, and how even the most trusted brands can stumble.

Watch as we break down one of the biggest marketing disasters ever. See why Colgate's frozen food experiment failed, and discover how brand strategy mistakes can turn into costly marketing failures. This is more than just a failed product launch. It’s a business strategy disaster that shows the power of brand identity and consumer trust.
Join us as we explore this famous product flop and uncover the lessons that still matter today. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into top brand failures, unexpected product launches, and famous marketing case studies.

00:00 Colgate is a trusted name
00:20 The Strange Frozen Food Move
00:52 Colgate and Meadow Gold
01:16 The History of Colgate
01:39 Frozen Meals Confusion
01:59 Frozen Dinner Launch
02:36 Product Failure
02:46 Lacked Food Credibility
03:04 Successful Brand Extensions