Mediaweek When good ideas go bad, a top ten list of the worst branding mishaps. Dasani is amoung them naturally, and so is the infamous Hong Kong poster.

When ads go bad they go bad big time. If a marketer and his agency get it wrong, the nature of the communication business ensures that everyone knows.

News of a bodge-up goes to rivals, consumers and probably their mums as well. As you can’t fail to have noticed, the latest brand to feel the cold hand of public humiliation is Dasani, Coca-Cola’s wonder water from Sidcup.

Having already been slated for the profit margins achieved by reselling purified tap water, the new brand then failed a basic safety test. Millions were lost and a pan-European launch is now, perhaps permanently on hold.

In many cases, spectacular marketing failure is often symptomatic of a business that is struggling or lacks vision. A confused marketing message can merely reflect inner turmoil in the executive suite.