City envy: 5 excellent fails at Shanghai's new Museum of Failure

Spray-on condoms, Colgate microwaveable meals and more failed innovations

Touring a collection of arguably terrible ideas and excellent ideas that were horribly implemented, the Museum of Failure has arrived in Shanghai’s No 1 Shopping Center (that's its actual name, rather than a boast), bringing with it a bunch of creations that crashed and burned in the annals of innovation.

The exhibit, which started out in Sweden in 2017, features over 100 failed inventions. It might sound like a museum of broken dreams – which it essentially is – but the secret to success, according to this exhibit, is failure. The Museum of Failure was founded by psychologist and innovation researcher Samuel West and actually set out to help people deal with failure and accept it as an essential factor of the innovation process, featuring a selection of motivational quotes throughout (‘What if you fail? You will, then you move on’) to keep spirits high.

Photograph: courtesy Museum of Failure

Alongside Persil Power washing powder that was so intense it destroyed clothes, almost-totally-awesome Nike Magneto sunglasses that required glueing magnets to your head to wear them, fat-free crisps that caused diarrhoea and ‘anal leakage’, fish-flavoured cat water, the ’60s grass skis and the ’80s monoski, Coke II, a ‘shareable girlfriend’, Luo Yonghao’s Smartisan T1 phone, the McDonald's Arch Deluxe burger you’ve never heard of, a plastic bike, and a section dedicated to Donald Trump, here are five excellent fails on display.

A quick PSA: the exhibition is in Chinese only, but there are English guides available on request at the entrance.

Logbar Ring

2014-2015

Going for a literal world at your fingertips vibe, this was a smart ring with serious ambition. The plan was that wearers would be able to control multiple devices with hand gestures, like writing a text message by drawing with your fingers in the air. Grand ambitions aside, according to the exhibit, the ring worked around 5 to 10 percent of the time, was extremely uncomfortable and was criticised as ‘the worst product ever made’.

Phone fingers

2007

Easily mistaken for teeny condoms, these rubber phone fingers came out of Austria as a fairly impractical answer to smears on phone screens. Though they were made available in a variety of shapes and sizes, they proved a hassle to get on and never really took-off. 

Spray-on condoms

2006-2008

An actual condom that looks nothing like a condom, this spray-on version from Germany was supposed to be the answer to finding the perfect fit. The plan was that users would pop their penis in a small apparatus, cover it with melted latex and wait three minutes while it dried and then ta-daa: customised condom. It initially didn’t even make it past testing stages. 

Colgate Frozen Entrées

1980s

According to the curator, the toothpaste giant didn’t want to share/discuss its foray into microwaveable frozen foods, so West recreated this box based off his research. 

UroClub

2008

Although this urinal that disguises itself as a golf club became something you might get at a white elephant gift exchange, it was originally meant to be a medical aid for men who needed to pee in the middle of the golf course. It was said to have a leak-proof cap and a towel dangling down in front to protect to the user’s modesty.

For even better museums to see right here in Beijing, hit 'Read more' below. 

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