One of the greatest marketing disasters in History!

Sometime in 1982, the world famous toothpaste brand, Colgate, came up with the idea of launching packaged frozen meals called Colgate Kitchen Entrees (or Colfoods) targeting working mothers with children and young professionals with little time to cook their own meals.

The goal is to capture a growing market for ready-to-eat meals in the United States, and to expect potential consumers to buy its toothpaste after enjoying its easy-to-prepare food offerings.

Millions of households are aware that Colgate has built its image around dental care, being the first toothpaste brand to put toothpaste into tubes and the first to put fluoride into toothpaste.

Colgate had currently set up it self in category of dental hygiene. Once it attempted to endeavor into “convenient food”, using its family name understood by old and young as a toothpaste brand name, an advertising tragedy ensued.

One resource stated that while “Colgate’s idea seemed workable on the drawing board, Colgate Kitchen Entrees flopped with customers” because of the confusion and obvious disconnect about Colgate’s brand image.