The Hoover "Fly for Free" Fiasco | Fascinating Failures

I tell the story of a poorly-thought-out promotion that wreaked havoc in the UK in the 1990s...
Kristian Crow posts monthly(ish) videos about infamous flops, failures and mistakes from throughout history... and whatever other weird stories from the past catch my eye. Thanks for watching!
LINKS: 🔗
► My main channel: / @fascinatinghorror
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► "A Stranger Thing" by Bruno E
► "Drop the Tapes" by TrackTribe
ILLUSTRATIONS: 🎨
► Comics by Emma Galloway (artofemmag.car...)
#history #failure #disaster #business #mistakes #weirdhistory

[@abbycross90210]

"WE WANT FREE TICKETS TO AMERICA!!" "You can only go to Gary, Indiana." "Oh, nevermind."

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

@@KATHIESHOES Yeah...nope!

[@gohawks3571]

Fr😂😂😂

[@Roddy556]

@Lucinda_Jackson I would go see it for $100. Better than watching youtube at home.

[@danw2112]

The thing is, people from Europe and Asia might not know the reputation of Gary Indiana.

[@abbycross90210]

@@danw2112 all it takes is one unfortunate pair reporting back to the Old Country. Provided they weren't murdered.

[@RoundSeal]

Not gonna lie, I burst out into laughter when you said 'the hostage situation'. The whole debacle sounds like an Only Fools plotline, and that just sent me.

[@TheJillianRussell]

When my parents first married in 1974, then had me in 76, there was a door to door Hoover salesman that sold them a Hoover vacuum. They paid some absolutely insane price for it. My mother has and uses the vacuum to this day. It really was a quality product in Canada. At least in the 70's.

[@cindys.9688]

Very cool! 😄

[@gargoyle7863]

They should have advertised: Get free tickets over the Atlantic if it ever breaks.

[@inrainbows1829]

My first job ever was selling Kirby's door to door and doing demonstrations 😅

[@jiggermole]

You just wanted an excuse to use all the puns, don't lie.

[@saraquill]

Ba-dum tish.

[@TheNewRobotMaster]

He's showing why this can't be on the main channel; too many good one liners

[@dixiesmaster]

I think he covered all the puns. It would behoover him not to do a follow-up.

[@markchapman2585]

I bought a Dyson vacuum it really sucked.

[@sheepkind]

can you blame him? 🤣

[@bevwiseman6914]

It's great that you now have a platform that allows your dry sense of humour to come out!

[@LiamMonticelli]

"No relation". Well played, sir. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@klocugh12]

And "even Hoover couldn't sweep under the rug". Or "reputation went down the pipe" 👏🏻

[@justmoritz]

I don't get it

[@zarabada6125]

​@@justmoritz In the UK there is a brand of vacuum cleaner called "Henry" marked by a smiley face in a red case (as seen at 0:55). As vacuum cleaners in the UK are often called hoovers, he is joking that the businessman, Henry Hoover is not related to "Henry" hoover.

[@balfronsocialclub4290]

Me and a pal flew to new York in 1994 courtesy of Hoover. I don't remember being messed about by them at all, though I was flexible on dates as I was a student at the time. The face value printed on the tickets was in the thousands though. I had a great time, thanks Hoover!

[@peterallen2904]

Same here. I flew with my pal to New York City in 1994 completely free and had a great time.

[@roydidlock1867]

"By the end of the 1980's, Hoover had warehouses full of products just........ gathering dust- and not in the way they were supposed to"😊😊

[@SakuraFade]

To me, this story reeks of high-powered executives who have never looked at a price tag in their lives. "It's two tickets to America! How much could it cost, 100 pounds?"

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

Execs get all their tickets for free, plus champagne and big expense accounts, free Amex gifts and the lot.

[@danger450]

@@Andrew-rc3vh Whoopty do, they also know that plane tickets don't cost $50.

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

@@danger450 Obviously they didn't think. You could say that in their shoes it felt like plane tickets were complimentary.

[@adde9506]

It seems more like middle management promoted beyond their capability (maybe more than once to get them out of the way) cutting corners and executives assuming that Someone has done the obvious leg work.

[@mynameisworld]

The customers weren't any brighter. "They won't give me my $300 tickets? I'll spend $1000s to sue them!"

[@MightyMezzo]

My mom may still have the Hoover Constellation canister vacuum she got as a wedding present in 1957. Last I heard, the motor still works, but the connectors have worn out.

[@01SaltyWitch]

Now even a Dyson lasts maybe ten years

[@ThePolaroid669]

what 'connectors'?

[@gargoyle7863]

The ol' days when they build changeable brush connectors. 😉

[@MrSolodriver]

My late parents used this offer to stay with friends in Orlando. They lived in Southampton and the flight went from Manchester at stupid o'clock in the morning. I took them there. On the way back at Orlando airport, they got talking to a couple from Liverpool on the same offer. Their flight was to Gatwick!

[@joshuaharper372]

Too bad they couldn't just exchange their return tickets!

[@tracythomas132]

My parents bought a Hoover vacuum cleaner for this offer. They ended up sitting in the worst seats-at the back next to the toilet. The For Sale ads in the local newspaper were full of these vacuum cleaners for a very long time afterwards!

[@hazelleblanc8969]

I used to have one of the old, good Hoovers. I inherited it from my parents, and it was over 25 years old when it finally broke. The sad thing was that it wasn't the motor that died, but the upright part sheared off at the base due to metal fatigue after years of being moved up and down.

[@sturmovik1274]

10:10 "There are relatively few ways that a free handheld mop can go wrong." THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN ISSUED

[@kingofallhallowseve]

Ok but the comic showed has a cute art style

[@pseudotsugame]

yeah, I want to know the artist!

[@Peterscraps]

yea the art style is real nice

[@sr6424]

I remember the days when a vacuum was referred to as a Hoover, whatever the make! I didn’t realise the company still existed!

[@andrewb9590]

This story is included in a British book called “Business Blunders” I got from my grandfather. Also includes, among others, the downfall of the Osborne computer company.

[@desdicadoric]

The one that always comes to mind is Ratners

[@reddwarfer999]

@@desdicadoricDon't talk crap!

[@petehealy9819]

Fascinating! As a retired marketer, I can't believe I'd never heard about this - maybe because in the 1990s I was too busy marketing Jelly Belly jelly beans into the UK. Anyway, it's a great example of stupid marketing. Government regulations almost always affect the form commercial promotions can take; but all Hoover had to do in this case was to offer *a chance to win* round-trip tickets to the US with a minimum purchase, with the winner(s) drawn at random. That's just basic marketing campaign planning, and Hoover got what they deserved for having such idiots in their Marketing department.

[@iaincowell9747]

You had me at jelly beans

[@xiaria]

so ur the reason my grandad gets so kiddy getting his ridiculously big tub of jelly beans at christmas

[@rustyshackelford3371]

You might run into problems with gambling laws if set up that way. You'd have to have an option for people to enter the drawing without making any purchase.

[@spikephotography]

Unbelievable that as a professional marketer you’d not heard of this? It’s a famous case study even in the 1990s - it led to Hoover and USA patent Maytag (you may have heard of them) being sold to Candy 😊

[@Innesb]

@@rustyshackelford3371 That would easily have been resolved by allowing free entry by postcard (which was a common clause in consumer competitions, and which almost no one would complete). It still wouldn't change the number of flights on offer in a competition so the additional cost would be negligible. I think the main problem with offering a competition for this promotion would be that it's success would be limited because not many people would buy an expensive consumer product with the hope of a chance of winning flights. The reason the promotion was so successful (in terms of sales) is because the flights were guaranteed with purchase.

[@GradKat]

I remember that scandal. A colleague of mine bought a vacuum and he was furious he didn’t get his free holiday!

[@Dalesmanable]

A blast from the past. My parents bought a Hoover for this and eventually got great flights.

[@JamilaJibril-e8h]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@llouie4999]

I had never heard of this particular dirt on Hoover. Also love how your humor writing is also as excellent as your narration, research, and horror writing skills are!

[@sarahewson3607]

Ok, I loved this video!! 😅 I respect that you don’t include personal commentary on the Fascinating Horror channel, as a matter of fact it’s why I love that channel. But the script here was gold! I’m a big fan, my guy 😊

[@stunimbus1543]

I got my flights. London Gatwick to Orlando. Admittedly 4am on January 1st. Got my Dad to drive us to airport 😀

[@gab_v250]

I like the drawings used. Who's the author?

[@divinechild_creativerebellion]

Really love these type of videos. Fascinating Failures maybe you could do the Sega Saturn next.

[@kevinnorth1224]

Sega Saturn: that would be a great video! Sega was king of the world at that point and they made some colossal mistakes

[@geoffgeoff3333]

​@kevinnorth1224 Time is THE MOST PRECIOUS gift sentient species have from our mother we call The Universe. Playing video games is a disease akin alcoholism, etc. addictions. Seek professional help - or, better yet, quit Cold Turkey. Live life to your fullest. Enjoy!

[@divinechild_creativerebellion]

@@geoffgeoff3333 What are you talking about, no one is talking about playing video games, it's about studying business history and learning from it. And learning how not to repeat the same mistakes. If you want to preach take it to a different side of the internet.

[@planescaped]

@@divinechild_creativerebellionIf you reply to every person off their meds on the interwebs, you're gonna be at it forever, lol.

[@sturmovik1274]

9:43 For those who don't know, in Britain a Royal Warrant grants the right to advertise one's product as used by the sovereign/royal family.

[@JoeJaJoeJoe]

The comics and puns are great 😂 really enjoying the new content

[@straymusic]

This content is stolen directly from the fascinating horror KZbin channel

[@funnystoneman5323]

@@straymusic Wow, it's almost like this channel and Fascinating Horror are run by the same person!

[@aperson1754]

​@funnystoneman5323 That's absurd, how could you suggest such a thing?!

[@rhondajohnson8310]

This was a great one!! Dumb idea about the flights but great video! I bout fell out my chair during the Hoover Hostage Crisis part! My dude had had enough of the foolishness!!

[@KTZed]

I didn't know you had another channel! Awesome, I'm here for it. 😊

[@graemebrown1191]

Me to

[@westtnskirmishlog6820]

Good Lord what a bunch of bad noise over an advertising stunt. Then to have it go on and help cost other poor folks their jobs, who were just trying to hit the clock. Great work as always sir, and cool illustrations too.

[@ChildfreeMatto]

Thank you Kristian Crow for another one interesting video. My mum always says "she's going to hoover." And I say oh, you're going to vacuum. I know what she means, I'm just teasing her of course. 🙂

[@DeeDerry]

I love this kind of content...Maybe im an old school nerd, but i find it so nostalgic and very interesting, thanks 👍🏽💯

[@hallscroft]

Went to Florida courtesy of Hoover. The Hoover Junior I bought is still going!

[@deveus1]

i want you to know how much i appreciate these puns

[@yitznewton]

The best point for me is the irony of human nature, where people spend more than the original offer to punish the company for weaseling out

[@kitsworld]

"The police turned up, took one look, and decided they weren't getting involved" - standard.

[@nancycurtis7315]

Just saw reference to this channel from your other one. Subscribed. I haven't even watched it yet! Just started, paused, subbed, now watch. Greetings from Dimboola, in Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺 😊.

[@beakt]

Awesome! I've heard this story before, but I love hearing my favorite Disasters Documentary guy narrate this, because I also love corporate and economic intrigue stories.

[@JTiger1046]

i absolutely love all the puns you managed to put into this story 😂

[@jenniferlonnes7420]

Yes, they were well integrated.

[@johnfyten3392]

I hope this channel takes off. These disastrous company decision videos are super interesting and amusing

[@outlawstar4923]

Lol 😂 you sure went all out on this one. Well done, sir. bravo 👏🏽

[@tfrowlett8752]

There was one event that went wrong in one way, but good in another way. In 1956 Reader’s Digest decided to take their subscription letter proverb in a literal sense, by mailing two pennies with each subscription letter. They ordered 100 million pennies, which they promptly stored all in one room, and the excess weight caused the floor to collapse. But the promo worked, it brought in a record number of responses.

[@Whatever8197V]

Wow ....didnt hear this story before ..thankyou❤

[@jenniferryersejones9876]

Another FF that I chortled all the way through! Thanks, KC!

[@rosalindwyatt8274]

Hi Kristian Crow! That was so interesting and funny. I know from your profile that there is no particular theme to this channel, but if you do more "Fascinating Failures" I would be keen to hear them. Thanks for your hard work ✈

[@sadie9728]

How tf did I not know Spengler from Ghostbusters was named after this guy??? The trap is a damn vacuum!!

[@wryalways985]

I learned about this debacle from the KZbinr Applemask. Thanks for elaborating on it. Quite a dust-up!

[@abzzeus]

There were stories of weddings where the bride & groom had 10 or more Hoover Vacuums - all minus the flights voucher - as wedding gifts

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

Grew up in the US South. A lot of old timers around here still call their refrigerator a ”kelvinator”. I’ve always liked that! 😊

[@mynameisworld]

Strange. I've lived in the south all of my almost-50 years, in 5 southern states. I've never heard that word in my life.

[@scotiajinker8392]

My mum used to work in the hoover factory in cambuslang (near Glasgow) the Christmas party that hoover did for the workers children was fantastic.

[@katrinafitch3534]

Fascinating Horror Channel is my favorite since it's beginning!!

[@joecummings1260]

I had my grandmother's Hoover canister type that she bought in the late 40's after she got a new vacuum sometime in the 70's. I used it in the garage to vacuum out cars and anything else I needed to vacuum. Damn thing lasted until almost 2000. I had her old HotPoint fridge in the garage too that was from 1950, I left it there when I sold the house in 2001 and it was still working. We used to make some quality appliances in America

[@squaremilk]

I LOVE these fascinating failures videos, my fave of all your content! Please make more 🙏🏻

[@nickbeer2658]

The deal wasn't just via department stores - it was any Hoover retailer including Comet, Currys and independents (I worked for one of the latter during this)

[@JD-cw4qg]

This is brilliant, i do remember all the furore 😂 love your dry humour, was chuckling throughout, especially the hostage situation 😂

[@Magneticle]

I could listen to you tell stories all day, be they light or dark! And the puns - the puns!

[@DARWINZOO]

Thank you K. Crow

[@Gatherway]

I imagine that for many in the pressure group, it at some point became no longer about money or plane tickets, but rather about sending a message.

[@MervynPartin]

It is a real shame that a company that makes a good product should be brought down by incompetent management. They definitely were good products and we were very pleased with the washing machines that were made in the Merthyr factory. The workforce lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The washing machines that were subsequently imported after the takeover of Hoover were very poor by comparison.

[@hilarylaw8415]

You have a new space. I couldnt click fast enough. Said I'd listen if you recited the phone book, i meant it. Im subscribing so if you post, im gonna listen. Then i'll plug in my Hoover Wind Tunnel Pet blah blah machine and vacuum! Cuz it's Friday night and I'm that kind of boring.

[@UraniumChef]

My boy you sound even more baked than the last one, absolute legend on the second channel hahaha

[@desdicadoric]

I remember this, my aunt and uncle went to the US on it. Genuinely

[@rebeccaleathers7907]

These are truly enjoyable, keep them coming!!!

[@Smug_1996]

I love this series already 😂

[@Redchannelconditions]

I’m sorry David. But the engineers comments made me crease up.

[@Musician-Lee]

Hoover’s Gerald Ratner moment.

[@paulyiustravelogue]

Slightly off topic, do you know if Hoover still own and operates at that 1950s looking Hoover building by a Tesco store near Wembley? I love the look of that building, and I would love to visit it someday.

[@sandic3892]

I didn't know you had another channel! I quickly subscribed!

[@Cortinaman63]

A 72 year old "HOVER CONSTELLATION" I own is still working fine, bought brand new back in 1952, by my Mum, the only replacement parts it needed was a new plastic flexy hose as the original cracked by 1996, the company made great quality products back in the 1950's & 60's, and what I loved about the Constellation as a child was it floated on air and had a option to connect the vacuum pipe underneath and it would blow air, great for dusting up in high areas for example, a very useful feature, and very unique for its time, and still to this day, as I don't think any modern day vacuum cleaner offer that feature?,or indeed would last 72 years?.

[@Matthew6248]

Have a suggestion for a future topic: the disasterous production and initial box office failure(s) of Heaven's Gate (1980 movie) and how it helped hasten the demise of United Artists.

[@mutedmutiny9542]

You really swept up with those vacuum puns

[@MsDawnnee]

I remember this, but let's face it, you couldn't make it up 😂

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

My sister and family waited for nearly 4-5 years to get their flight tickets after persevering through Dozens and Dozens of letters and faxes (Yes, it was that long ago). Eventually, she flew from Manchester to Orlando on Air UK Leisure, two free tickets, and three more cheap as chips extra tickets. Luckily for my sister, her neighbour at the time was a lawyer for what is or still is an ambulance chasing type of law firm. Company.

[@MrBjanders]

The puns, they're horrifying 😂

[@timd4524]

Didn't hurt the company over here. Once those Dyson wheels started falling apart over here, people went back to the more normal vacuums.

[@sanders2378]

I moved into my first property when this offer was on, people were buying hoovers just to get the flights then selling them cheap. I found a local one in the small ads (no internet then) and got a water hoover (quite a new technology) for a steal. Everybody happy... except Hoover. Only Hoover in the house now is the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner is a Dyson. Good to hear Spangler get a mention.

[@Chris-dz3rs]

I wonder how many of those vacuum cleaners were given as gifts ?

[@gohawks3571]

Geez, thought I had subbed already! Situation remedied👍

[@reenakemp9132]

You have to do the Pepsi Jet plane give away drama.

[@NoOne-hv1wz]

It’s been done to death

[@deanothemanc5281]

Hoover we're the generic name for vacuums. I used to work for a cleaning janitorial company, people would also ask for Hoover bags, even if they didn't actually own one!!!😂

[@reenakemp9132]

That's so funny. I grew up in the 80s and 90s in America and we called all Vacuums Bissels lol. I still call it a Bissel. I guess Hoover is what the 60s and 70s kid called vacuums. It's like how the whole world calls tissues Kleenex. Lol.

[@Rye_Smile]

I LOVE these second channel vids!😊 Who does your illustrations?

[@DM-hp7ct]

In 1994 I successfully took Hoover to court. They requested a court in Wales. I’m in London. I got my London court and they brought a Welsh solicitor down. Must have cost them a fortune. I even tried to settle in the court room which the judge encouraged. The solicitor said he was going to vigorously defend. That was a mistake. I won and got value of two Florida flights paid. Still makes me smile.

[@Rob2]

I wonder what is more sad, a company making a bad decision or all those people clamping on to their rights and fighting a legal battle to get their tickets...

[@lithium444]

It's cool to see that vacuum cleaners started out the same way as computers did, as giant unwieldy devices that required professionals to operate that eventually became common household objects

[@OvercookedOctopusFeet]

Wait a minute... this is the 'fascinating horror' voice?!?!?

[@earnshaw5]

I just need to spangle the stairs 😂

[@lisamclane8184]

Love this ! You are hilarious

[@markchamberlain9856]

Well done story and use of wordplay! It didn’t suck to listen to it at all!

[@snooganslestat2030]

Iv heard this story before but i never heard about the worker being held hostage! 😂

[@frankreads8618]

What a fucking insane story. It's proof that the people in charge aren't always the best and brightest.

[@andysix246]

Well done the trophy for most puns in 11 minutes is yours😂😂

[@sawliny]

I love how the police in the hostage situation were just like : "mmm.... Let's see how this plays out!"

[@bernardtheulsterman]

unfulfilled promises are the best way to get rid of customers...

[@richieduck67]

So it was a mistake keeping the $99 minimum spend?

[@kevinnorth1224]

Yes, he said Europe ticket was £99 but America £600

[@cyberleaderandy1]

So remember this and the Ratner debacle. Think it made the Ester Rantzen "thats life" show which was watched by millions at the time.

[@jaygee9590]

Gathering dust, pull the plug, down the pipe, something sucking...I see what Mister Crow did here.

[@meva4679]

As a Xennial from America, never heard this story. Fascinating!

[@orourkeda]

I bet the people that made these decisions are now in senior management.

[@skinwalker9083]

absolutely love these videos

[@Nik-8it5p]

It did ruin the Hoover company. It's not the same company any longer. The operation was bought out by Candy and unfortunately they are now just rebranded Candy machines. Our first Hoover washing machine lasted 12 years even then it didn't break it went out with a kitchen refurb. Our last one only lasted 2yrs . Candy crap.