Product Packaging Designs That Weren’t Exactly As Promised

Product Price: $0.98*
Purchased at: Walmart
Made by: Campbell’s 

When it comes to soup, there are few companies out there that are quite as well known as Campbell’s. The brand has been operating for an astonishing 151 years, but despite their longevity, they’re still prone to mistakes just like everyone else. 

Campbell’s Tomato Soup ©hockeychick96 / Imgir.com

A few years ago an error saw some Campbell’s tomato soup cans roll out that were the same size – with different labels on. Some had “30% bigger” on the top while others claimed to be “40% bigger.” Which one was telling the truth? It’s a mystery for the ages. 

Product Price: $3.77*
Purchased at: Rowe’s Cornish Bakehouse
Made by: Rowe’s

How many of us have ventured into a store to grab something quick for lunch, only to be lured in by its fancy packaging? They say never judge a book by its cover, but what about judging a wrap by its well-placed label? 

Rowe’s Falafel ©Qander / Imgur.com

Rowe’s is a British Cornish bakery found in Penryn, Falmouth, but before you find yourself ditching Walmart and taking a hop across the ocean for lunch, think again. You could end up with a deceptively small falafel wrap that isn’t cheap. At £2.90 ($3.77) a pop, you may want a little more bang for your buck. 

Product Price: $4-$5*
Purchased at: Krakowski Kredens, Krakow
Made by: Krakowski Kredens

Chocolate is a universal language that sweet lovers everywhere understand. Multiple brands across the world pride themselves on making high quality cocoa products, including Krakow’s Krakowski Kredens. The luxury store offers a selection of different chocolate variations, including a Chocolate Cranberry Bar. 

Krakowski Kredens Chocolate Cranberry Bar @MrWasap_com

The only problem is, they have been known to scrimp on the cranberries. One disgruntled customer found that their bar didn’t exactly have an even mix. The company still continues to operate so perhaps it was just a blip. This is something you’d expect to find in the discount section at Kroger, not at an exclusive chocolatier. 

Product Price: $1.69-”1.99*
Purchased at: Arby’s
Made by: Inspire Brands

Arby’s has been around since 1964. Although the sandwich shop may not have the same fame as Subway, it’s still a pretty big deal as a company that operates in several territories, including Canada, Turkey, Kuwait and even South Korea. 

Arby’s Fries (Large Vs. Medium) ©ThePocho361 / Imgur.com

Given all that experience, it makes this packaging mishap all the more unfortunate. One eagle-eyed consumer noticed that really, the only difference between a large order of fries and a medium one is the packaging. A medium order costs $1.69, while you can buy a large for $1.99 – but are you just paying for more cardboard? Maybe it’s safer to take a trip to McDonald’s instead. 

Product Price: $2*
Purchased at: Aldi
Made by: Aldi

It’s only natural that big companies want to make their products look as appealing as possible, but we’ve come to expect more from stores like Aldi. After all, the German supermarket has taken Europe by storm and is fast conquering America, too. The products are usually great – but you may want to give their Fit & Active range a miss. 

Fit & Active Turkey & Broccoli Sandwiches ©snakeoil-huckster / Reddit.com

It’s possible this could just be a blip, but this Turkey & Broccoli low-cal sandwich certainly doesn’t look like it does on the packaging. You could be better off buying a loaf of bread and some turkey slices from Walmart. 

Product Price: $1.29*
Purchased at: McDonald’s
Made by: McDonald’s

Running by McDonald’s is a sure-fire way to get something quick that won’t break the bank. The company has built a solid reputation on their fast food, helping them amass a value of $171 billion. That doesn’t always mean everything is as it should be, though. 

McDonald’s Folded Burrito ©Teelo888 / Reddit.com

Their folded burritos might only cost around $1.29, but are they really as appealing as they look on the menu? In some cases the answer might be yes, but this customer got less than what they bargained for when they dug into their bargain meal. It’s not the ideal look for McDonald’s.

Product Price: $8.24*
Purchased at: Walmart
Made by: Keurig Green Mountain Inc

When coming up with a name for a brand, it’s important to really tie a link to what it’s about and what you’re offering. At least, that’s what most companies do. Chock Full o’Nuts Coffee sounds like it might be a truly delightful nutty blend that’s “smooth and full-bodied” according to the website. 

Chock Full o’Nuts Coffee ©shrugalicious / Reddit.com

However, consumers are often more than a little confused when they see the huge lettering on the can that reads, “No Nuts! 100% Pure Coffee.” If there’s a special meaning to the name then it’s lost on the majority of us, rendering this product completely misleading and more than a little bit confusing, which is probably why it’s available mainly on Amazon as opposed to retail stocks. 

Product Price: $1-$2*
Purchased at: Unknown
Made by: Unknown

Going for ice cream is a time honored tradition that brightens up anyone’s day – but imagine getting down to it and realizing you’ve been shafted. Every ice cream seller worth their salt knows that it’s important to scoop and push down into the cone… So perhaps this seller missed the memo.

Fast Food Soft Serve Ice Cream Cone ©intermedia.ge

We don’t know where this cone hails from which is all the more worrying. We’d like to think that the good folks at Berkshire Hathaway’s Dairy Queen wouldn’t do us dirty like that. The sad fact is, this kind of daylight robbery could be happening all over the world. We just don’t know it. 

Product Price: $3.32*
Purchased at: Coles
Made by: Coles Group

Australian supermarket chain Coles operates in the Land Down Under, employing over 100,000 people across its multiple locations. That being said, it’s an industry titan with over $21 billion in assets as of 2018. That’s plenty of money to hire someone to make sure your seedless watermelon is actually seedless… Isn’t it? 

Coles Seedless Watermelon ©SpicyFlamingCinnamonRollTigerBearOfRage / Imgur.com

Alas, Coles was caught out by the irony of packaging when its supposedly seedless product was quite obviously the opposite. It’s not clear what happened, but it certainly wasn’t a great look for the supermarket chain. The company shouldn’t be all that embarrassed. It happens to the best of them, from Target to Kroger. 

Product Price: $2.60*
Purchased at: Walmart
Made by: Monde Nissin

Veganism and vegetarianism has been steadily on the rise for the past few years. In fact, the vegan food market alone is worth over $13 billion dollars. Companies like Monde Nissin’s Quorn certainly know how to cater to non-meat eaters, but that doesn’t mean they always get it right. 

Quorn Meat Free Mini Sausage Rolls ©AahSenorBlinky / Imgur.com

Back in 2017 the company faced an uproar over their wording on packs of their Meat Free Sausage Rolls. While the pack claimed to contain 12, small print lower down says that’s only the case when each sausage roll is cut into four. We’ll let you decide if that’s fair next time you take a trip to Kroger.

Product Price: $5.99*
Purchased at: KFC
Made by: Yum! Brands

We all know that KFC makes fried chicken incredibly well. With their secret recipe and ability to make an enticing advertising campaign, the company has all the components to make a finger lickin’ good amount of money. 

KFC Chizza @Fizzikry_ / Twitter.com

So, when one cook lets the team down it’s a disaster that Yum! just doesn’t deserve. KFC’s Chizza’s aren’t all that cheap, so consumers expect them to fill the box. This one fell horrendously short of the bar considering it’s smaller than average and still costs around $5.99. There’s nothing about this product that looks anything like the picture.

Product Price: $6*
Purchased at: Waitrose
Made by: Waitrose & Partners

Waitrose is the creme de la creme of British supermarkets, reserved solely for those able to splash the extra cash on groceries. Interestingly, the brand supplies all of the food Queen Elizabeth II eats, as well as Prince Charles. 

Waitrose Smoked Salmon @andy_p10 / Twitter.com

Her Majesty may not be overly thrilled if she were to open up a packet of their Smoked Salmon trimmings, though. A packet like this shows that it can be about keeping up appearances and not necessarily delivering the right amount of goods for the price. Given Waitrose’s reputation, let’s hope this was just a hiccup.

Product Price: $1*
Purchased at: CVS
Made by: CVS Health

What child (or adult) doesn’t love buying a chocolate Santa when the holidays roll around? They’re usually cheap and cheerful, injecting the perfect amount of Christmas cheer into your day. However, CVS may have got their holidays a little bit confused with this one. 

CVS Chocolate Santa ©Bocknoi / Imgur.com

Instead of a chocolate Santa, this unsuspecting customer unwrapped their treat to find the Easter Bunny staring back at them. What’s the difference to a company worth over $150 billion? After all, Easter is just a hop, skip, and jump away from Christmas.

Product Price: $2.97*
Purchased at: Walmart
Made by: Hostess Brands LLC

Any shopper that looks upon a box of Chocolate Filled Twinkies can’t help but admit that it looks like an appetizing product. With heaps of chocolate filling oozing out from the center, why wouldn’t this Hostess product be the perfect addition to any snack cupboard? Twinkies are tried and tested… Right? 

Chocolate-Filled Twinkies ©u/nimblebutter / Reddit.com

Even long-standing brands like Hostess can get it wrong sometimes. This picture of a distinctly barren Twinkie is living proof of that. If there ever needs to be a picture next to “disappointment” in the dictionary, this would be the perfect candidate.