On the cold morning of January 28th, 1986, anticipation filled the air as the space shuttle Challenger prepared for its 10th mission. This historic event featured Christa McAuliffe, the first civilian to join a space mission, aiming to inspire students with live broadcasts from orbit. Tragically, just 73 seconds after launch, the Challenger exploded, leaving millions of viewers in shock. In the months that followed, the Rogers Commission, led by former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, was formed to investigate the disaster. What they found would shake America’s trust in NASA for years to come.

In 2015, Alex Garden, the enigmatic co-founder and CEO of Zume, unveiled an ambitious plan to revolutionize the pizza industry with advanced technology and robots. His concept caught the attention of major venture capital funds, including Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo, and SoftBank’s $100 billion Vision Fund. With substantial funding and media attention, Zume seemed poised to transform the food industry. However, despite having all the right ingredients, what led to their downfall was so outrageous it will have you scratching your head and questioning how half-baked the management was. This is sure to be one of the most intriguing failures you’ve ever heard about yet.

In the 1980s, Action Park was a summer hotspot for many in the Tri-State area, attracting visitors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Entrepreneur Gene Mulvihill sought to transform the former Great Gorge Ski Resort into his own ‘Disney of Jersey’—one of the first modern American water parks. The concept was promising.

Yet, the reality took a darker turn with poorly designed rides, inexperienced staff, and unrestricted alcohol, resulting in hundreds of injuries and six deaths. These dangers left many wondering how and why Action Park could continue operating so many years without any repercussions?

Tune in to Episode 65 of The Great Fail, to hear the story. Special thanks to Seth Porges, director of Class Action Park, for his insights in this segment.

American wrestling, which most notably revolves around the WWE brand, owes much of its success to the influential presence of the McMahons – Vince McMahon, most of all. There is no doubt about the influence he had on wrestling and the way he turned the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan into household names, as well as his role in creating the blueprint for pay-per-view programming. However, in the wake of the legacy he has left behind, are allegations – a dirty laundry list that includes sexual misconduct and lawsuits claiming his abuse of power.

For more than four decades, he was both an executive and a performer in his own show, acting as the diabolical “Mr. McMahon.” But to what extent does the fiction intertwine or blur into reality?

Tune in to Episode 64 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Abraham Josephine Riesman for her contributions to this segment.

Once at the top of the food chain, Quiznos achieved over $2 billion in sales and had nearly 5,000 restaurant chains. But just as things were heating up, the iconic company found itself in a pickle, leaving behind a very sour taste.

Tune in to Episode 63 of The Great Fail to listen to one of the most significant and dramatic restaurant collapses in American history. Special thanks to Jonathan Maze for his contributions to this segment, and a shout-out to Adweek and Acast for their support.

A surprising announcement rippled through Silicon Valley in the Spring of 2017. A mysterious ‘flying car’ venture took the spotlight, fueled by rumors of Google co-founder Larry Page’s involvement. A marvel of engineering, this all-electric innovation promised to reduce traffic congestion and open the skies for dreamers—a moonshot that captivated engineers, futurists, and tech enthusiasts. But over time, that moonshot started to look more like a longshot. With Page’s financial backing and abundant resources, how could this project have possibly failed?

Hear the full story on episode 62 of The Great Fail. Special thanks for Hugh Langley for his contributions to this episode. Shoutout to Adweek and Acast.

As a special bonus episode this week, we are spotlighting another amazing series on the Adweek Podcast Network. Hosted by Jenny Rooney, Adweek’s first chief experience officer, Marketing Vanguard: the podcast, spotlights the people who are driving the industry forward. It will feature valuable, must-listen nuggets of marketing-leadership wisdom, humility, stories, strategic insights, and growth opportunities in an era of ever more complex industry pressures and realities. Together we’ll dive into what’s driving the decision-makers of today to move the needle of some of the world’s most exciting brands in incremental or monumental ways.

The Wing, a pioneering and exclusive women’s co-working space, shattered glass ceilings and secured over $100 million from investors, including WeWork and Airbnb, venture capitalists, and celebrity investors such as Megan Rapinoe, star of the US National Women’s Soccer Team, and comedian, writer, and actress Mindy Kaling. At its peak, The Wing held a valuation of approximately $365 million, maintained 11 locations across NY, LA, Boston, and Chicago, and catered to 12,000 members with a waitlist of 9,000. But as The Wing was enjoying its ascent into stardom, its employees would soon threaten to clip the Company’s soaring wings.

For 52 years, Bed, Bath & Beyond was the destination for high-quality home goods merchandise, top brands, and a discovery zone for home shopping that made it inspiring and fun. By January of 2014, the company had operated more than 1500 stores in North America and had reached a share price of $70 dollars. Despite all the success, the company would soon become a victim of mismanagement, burdened with debt and unwanted inventory, unaware that its own fate would soon be put on layaway.

Tune in to Episode 60 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Seth Basham for his contributions to this segment and shout out to Adweek and Acast for their support.

In 1952, Revlon created one of the most iconic, paradigm-shifting ad campaigns known as “Fire & Ice,” which posed a dramatic twist on why women wore makeup. Instead of seeking male admiration, it empowered women by prioritizing their ambitions and needs. For decades, Revlon spearheaded feminism and cosmetic innovation, establishing itself as the world’s second-largest producer, with products sold in 150 countries. However, in 2022, it faced another transformative phase, resulting in Revlon’s once-vibrant prominence fading in its luster.