Perhaps you remember, back in the late 00s, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin starred in a successful, Emmy-winning sitcom on NBC called "30 Rock." The premise had Tina playing the producer of a sketch comedy show (picture Saturday Night Live), while Alec played her corporate-focused boss. It was one of the few sitcoms I watched, and I did find it funnier than average sitcom fare.
"What does this have to do with appliances?", you may fairly ask. Well, in the show's storyline, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin's character) was promoted and tasked to save the struggling sketch comedy show. The reason for his promotion: Donaghy's fantastic success with launching the "GE Trivection Oven." In fact, the pilot episode devoted a decent amount of time extolling the virtues of this (at the time) exciting new product!
What was there not to love, right? So what happened? Why did this breakthrough product not catch on?
The biggest reason was probably the price. At a $2999 retail, the oven was significantly more expensive than a corresponding standard wall oven. Additionally, product reviews were largely indifferent to the unit's cooking performance, and generally dubbed it "not worth the additional expense." Quietly, and without fanfare, GE discontinued production a few years later.
Here's a link for the press release for GE's product rollout:
https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/new-ge-profile-harmony-clothes-care-system-first-ever-laundry-pair-communicates
(Not that the satirically-inclined 30 Rock writers were willing to ignore the demise of the Trivection Oven. Below is a synopsis link from the final season of the sitcom where the Trivection Oven is put to rest (my favorite line -- Jack: How many vections does this new product have?" Technician: "It has five vections." Still makes me smile!)
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2010/11/nbc-s-30-rock-bids-farewell-to-the-ge-trivection-oven/index.htm
GE's solution: Induction ranges give consumers uber-speed on their cooktop with zero compromise in performance. Also, GE has done very well with another combo product, the Advantium Oven. This unit combines convection, microwave, and halogen light energy to give the consumer an oven that cooks four to eight times faster than a normal, without any reduction in the quality of the finished product. The Advantium line remains in the GE lineup.
https://www.geappliances.com/ge-appliances/kitchen/advantium-ovens/
(Interested in more about induction ranges? Check out my blog from 5-27-23)
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Now, the Trivection Range is not the only "near miss" in the industry when it comes to product rollouts. I remember back in 2003, long before streaming, Bluetooth technology, and Smart appliances were commonplace, GE (sorry; I reallydon't mean to pick on GE exclusively!) introduced their "Pro Harmony" washer and dryer. This laundry set featured the ability of the washer and dryer to communicate to one another.. Radical thinking for it's time!!
https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/new-ge-profile-harmony-clothes-care-system-first-ever-laundry-pair-communicates
The units came with a sleek, sort of "half crescent" back control panel, so that when the two pieces were placed together they would like one team:
Now, in 2024, in an era where Smart technology is pervasive and ubiquitous, it's reasonable to wonder why this set didn't catch on. The number one reason, as with the Trivection Oven, was the price: $2199 for the set - for comparison purposes, at that time a reasonable top load washer-dryer pair sold in the $1000 range. I also remember showing this set to my customers, and I was met almost universally with resistance to the extra technology involved with using the machines (oh my God! -- the washer and dryer required a "patchcord" to commuciate with one another - remember, this predates Bluetooth type technologies), and the mere mention of having to attach a cord was enough to deter consumers who were not used to, and frankly had no interest in, such a technologically advanced washer and dryer.)
What happpened? Of course, "Smart" appliances caught on. They are everywhere today, and offer extra convenience features through easily downloadable phone apps. Today, not only is the concept of a connected appliance normal, for many consumers this convenience is expected or even demanded!
(For more discussion of Smart Appliances, please refer to my blog from 5-17-24)
Simply put... the Harmony washer and dryer was an idea ahead of its time.
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Here's one more example of a idea that sounded irresistible, but didn't catch on: 3D televisions.
Avatar! Avatar!!! In 2010, back when Manny's still sold televisions, back when electronics companies still sold their wares to retailers (such as Manny's TV and Appliances!), Avatar (which set records as the biggest dollar grossing movie ever up to its time) ran in our store open-to-close, 24-7, on a 60" 3D television in our showroom. Customers could try out the cool-looking glasses, and get awed by the impressive depth effect of the picture. 3D television was the "Next Big Thing", and was wildly hyped by TV manufacturers, cable companies, dish suppliers, etc.
And -- almost no one rushed out to buy these amazing televisions.
First, the requirement of needing glasses to view 3D was an obstacle the industry never succesfully overcame.
**Personally, I think that requiing individual glasses took away from the social enjoyment of watching a movie with your friends or family. Also, what if five people are over to watch a movie, and you only have four sets of glasses?? Ouch!**
Consumer reaction was basically a gigantic yawn of indifference.
Also, it turned out that even a large home TV (50-70") simply didn't provide the same "WOW" factor of a large cinema screen. Both content producers and cable/satellite providers were slow to upgrade to 3D programming and signal (At that time, signal "compression" and the resulting loss of HD quality was a frequent complaint among owners of upper end video equipment.) Also, televisions at the time were capable of displaying a signal of at most 1080p resolution - without going into a techie explanation, by the mid 2010s 4K, with roughly four times the resolution and detail, had become the industry norm.) In other words, picture quality improved to the point that 3D had been largely reduced to "gimmick" status. Sometime around 2013, 3D television was quietly mothballed.
What's happened since? Short answer: TV signals became better. Advances in technology and signal delivery allow us to watch programming in vivid color and detail, markedly better than even a decade ago. Watch a football or baseball game on a 4K set with 4K signal, and the image is so life-like that the picture almost has a 3d, deep quality without the need for special glasses or equipment.
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I hope you enjoyed these examples of highly touted and good product ideas that for one reason or another didn't catch on with consumers.
Now, should you have questions about modern appliances, please reach out to us at any of our eleven showrooms (addresses etc., can be found on the first page of our website!)
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