Make It Make Sense: 45 Well-Known Companies Selling Random Products That Have Nothing To Do With Their Brand

By Garry G

After years of unquestionable success and top-tier sales figures, many famous brands have started to get creative. This is usually a good thing… until it isn’t! Most of the time, the creative products and inventions that your favorite companies come up with are great.

However, sometimes they just miss the mark and, instead of being called “great,” earn themselves a place in the “weird” category.

While these strange products aren’t necessarily the most useful, practical, or sought-after, they can become some of the most fun topics of conversation. They also make for great inclusions on this list! So, without any further ado, here are 45 weird products that have been designed by well-known brands (and that, perhaps, we could have done without?).

McDonald’s-Themed Cards

We spy, we spy with our little eyes….something we like to call passive-aggressive fast food chain rivalry! Whether it was intentional or not, these super-unique McDonald’s-themed cards also manage to scream “anti-Burger King,” and it’s pretty humorous if you ask us.

Image courtesy of lolfrijoles/Reddit

The owner noticed that the Queen card was holding a burger, not the King, who instead held a container of fries. Harmless, right? Sure! Until you consider that the creator of the cards very well may have designed the set in a way that ensured there was no mention of a Burger King.

Audi Dog Toys

When you think Audi, you probably don’t think of cute puppy dogs and furry, four-legged friends – we sure don’t! However, from what this customer received after having their Audi serviced, it’s safe to assume that the Audi mechanics are dog-friendly.

Image courtesy of judgejamin/Reddit

Luckily, the owner of this Audi has dogs at home, and they were more than happy to rip, shred, and toss these random dog toys! We can’t help but wonder, though, what the owner would have done with these odd extras if they hadn’t had pets at home who were willing to use them.

Paper Clips

Aren’t paper clips exciting? Shiny, thin, and made of metal that’s fun to bend into animal shapes…If you don’t agree with that, then you’re not alone. We didn’t agree with that, either…until we saw these Porsche-shaped paper clips, of course!

Image courtesy of DrDankelbergg/Reddit

The wealthy Redditor who stumbled across these oddities was surely just as stunned as we were. There are no words for this product. There’s truly no reason for car-shaped paper clips! Yet, they aren’t the weirdest things on this list by far. They could even be considered useful and practical (but still weird).

Shaker Seasoning

Popcorn is a salty, savory snack, so it makes sense that when it comes to seasoning flavors, we’ve seen cheddar, dill pickle, nacho cheese, salt and vinegar, and even butter-flavored. What wouldn’t make quite as much sense, though, would be sweet seasoning shakers…that’d just be weird.

Image courtesy of Theydontnowenotheyno/Reddit

Weirdness set aside, Twix has gone ahead and launched its own seasoning shaker. Marketed for use on a variety of desserts (and popcorn), we’re not sure how we feel about this. What would this seasoning taste like? What would make this seasoning stand out from a standard chocolate seasoning (if there was one)?

Colorful Calculator

We’re all for well-known companies branching out and expanding their product lines, but you’d assume that a children’s brand would stay within the realm of kids’ products, right? Wrong! Crayola expanded and took things in a whole new direction. However, we’re not 100% convinced that this was the right way to go.

Image courtesy of SmellChickens/Reddit

Technically, a crayon-themed calculator could be marketed for an older group of children. But really, what use would they get out of it? A calculator like this would more likely be used as a pretend cellphone or a cash register than a number-calculating and computing device for solving complex mathematical equations.

Spicy Fire Log

In itself, a fire log isn’t weird at all. When a popular fast food company gets its hands on one, though, weird things start to happen. Like this one, for instance! KFC has designed a KFC chicken-scented fire log and launched it to consumers.

Image courtesy of robbiehat/Reddit

If someone wanted to smell KFC chicken so bad, why wouldn’t they simply take a run through a KFC drive-thru? How many poor souls have tried to eat this thing because it smells like their favorite fried chicken? It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Sausage-wagen

Cars and sausage…in what ways could they be linked? Well, maybe you could be eating a sausage in your car, or maybe you could have bought sausage at the store and are taking them home in the backseat of your car….pretty mundane options, right?

Image courtesy of King_Artua/Reddit

If you ask Volkswagen, cars and sausage have a very, very direct connection…They launched their own line of currybockwurst sausages in Germany! Complete with great taste, affordable price, and even their own designated parts number from the factory, these sausages scream Volkswagen.

Recycled Hats

Known for its somewhat easy-to-build furniture, stores large enough to get lost in, and its irresistibility to wives everywhere, IKEA is known for many things. What it is not known for, however, is something that it should probably never grow to be known for…IKEA bag hats (and yes, they are a thing).

Image courtesy of smashmouthftball/Reddit

We’re not sure whether these IKEA bag hats were some kind of marketing campaign or if they are supposed to represent something else, but either way, they’re pretty terrible. They don’t look comfortable, and they’re definitely not stylish in any sense of the word, so what’s the deal here?

Minty Beef Lasagna

Upon first glance at this terribly thought-out product, we’re hit with a terrible taste in our mouths. The name Colgate on the front, paired with a photo of a delicious-looking lasagna, causes us to think of minty beef – and that’s just disgusting!

Image courtesy of CircleToonsHD/Twitter

Why a renowned toothpaste company would ever venture into the realm of food products, we’re not sure. All we know is that it’s truly an idea that makes out stomach churn. In reality, the lasagna probably doesn’t taste too bad, but the name on the package is enough to turn us off immediately.

Socks

Guess which company is making its second appearance on our list of weird products? KFC! Honestly, we’re highly impressed by the creative minds that work here – they just keep cranking out unique ideas (even if they are pretty strange)! First, a chicken-scented fire log, and now…this?

Image courtesy of DeluxeaYT/Reddit

The ‘this’ in question is socks. Socks with the KFC logo and a chicken drumstick on them. Practical? Yes. Unnecessary? Also yes. Stylish? Erm…that’s where they drop the ball, unfortunately — but positivity is key, so at least they were free! That’s right; this customer received a free pair of socks with their order.

Face/Body Wash

The best part of buying a new body or face wash is, for sure, standing in the aisle of the grocery store, opening each bottle, and taking a big whiff. There are so many scents that your nose starts to overload with pleasantness, and, at some point, all the scents blend together.

Image courtesy of fiahcircumsizer/Reddit

What would happen if you’re enjoying the varying scents of florals and fruit, and pick up a bottle…and get hit with the smell of Doritos or Mountain Dew?! We’d be so shocked that we’d probably have to pinch ourselves to make sure we weren’t dreaming. Who would want their face smelling like Doritos?

ShoeBox

In our opinion, this one really isn’t that weird. In fact, it’s kind of cool-looking! There’s nothing better than a louder-than-life product promotion – and while this one is about something as mundane as shoes, it sure stands out. Kids would love this one.

Image courtesy of aloofloofah/Reddit

The funniest part about this promotion is the fact that the shoes match the product packaging. While the box looks like a giant Lego brick, the shoes themselves look like something that has been meticulously built from said Lego bricks. Impressive? For sure!

Ferrari-Powered

In our opinion, this one is a bit of a rip-off. Looking at it, it’s obvious that the manufacturer isn’t Ferrari – it’s a company whose products you can purchase at the local drugstore. However, the Ferrari brand logo is present on the tag of this hair dryer. So what gives?

Image courtesy of ChrisMeehanYouBitch/Reddit

Well, apparently, Ferrari has decided to expand from making A-class vehicles to partnering with smaller brands to create hair styling products for the everyday consumer. This hair dryer is powered by an internal engine that Ferrari manufacturers have designed…and we can’t help but wonder why.

Hello, Pasta Sauce

If you’re reading this, you probably know Hello Kitty in some fashion. From clothing to coloring books, this cute kitty’s face could be found on just about anything no less than ten years ago…but on pasta sauce? Someone must have been hungry when posing marketing ideas to company executives…

Image courtesy of dearevermi/Reddit

It’s hard to imagine the thought process behind making the switch from toys to pasta sauce, but we’ve got to give it to whoever took this idea and ran with it…it’s quite unique! We can’t think of any other instance in which we’ve seen everyday pasta sauce with our favorite childhood characters on them.

Shower Gel

Traveling comes with various perks, but sometimes, the best part is making random, unexpected discoveries in quaint gift shops and unique stores in the cities you visit. If you look hard enough, you can find something special just about anywhere; fun flavors of your favorite products, new technology, and much more.

In Austria, this Redditor managed to find something truly unique indeed – a Big Mac shower gel courtesy of the golden arches. McDonald’s in this country has branched out, producing shower gel that smells like one of their most popular burgers. With any luck, though, it’s not as greasy as the inspiration.

Tissues

There are only so many creative things that can be done using tissues…right? We’ve seen colored tissues, tissues infused with lotion or medication, and tissues that are teeny tiny. But we’ve never seen tissues that are scented – until Dr. Pepper launched this line of scented tissues, that is.

Image courtesy of Mnmsaregood/Reddit

We can’t even begin to imagine how irritating these tissues would be on the nose. After all, there is a reason why doctors recommend unscented facial products for skin irritation (such as noses that have been rubbed raw from blowing!).

Dr. Beans

“Sweet and a bit sassy,” that’s what the can says. Well, we think it’s more like sweet, sassy, and disgusting! Just take a minute (like we did upon seeing this photo) to imagine what the combination of sweet, carbonation, and beans would be like.

Image courtesy of BSWhip805/Reddit

We wonder if these beans taste like the ever-popular soda. The idea of Dr. Pepper-flavored baked beans makes us shake our heads with disgust and intrigue. Now that we’ve seen this terribly unfortunate product, we’re going to be calling Dr. Pepper “Dr. Beans” from now on. You can’t blame us, can you?

Sewing Machine

When you think of Toyota as a company, the first thing that comes to mind is likely a vehicle. Your imagination might jump to a Toyota Camry or a Toyota Corolla – but there are a few images that your mind didn’t automatically conjure up, including food, babies, and pants that don’t fit.

Image courtesy of zozyzoo/Pikabu.ru

Well, Toyota is looking to change that! The brand has launched its own Toyota-brand sewing machine for home and commercial use, and we are just as confused as you. For the sake of personal relationships everywhere, we just hope that no one asks for a Toyota for the holidays and receives this instead.

Samsung Fashion

Samsung is well-known in the tech world. Chances are you’ve had one or two Samsung devices in your life, which proves just how widespread the company is in their sector. Because they’re one of the most successful tech companies, we can’t help but wonder why they felt the need to break into the fashion sector.

Image courtesy of TheOneInTheHat/Reddit

Samsung Fashion is the tech giant’s newest make-money-quick scheme, and it’s totally confusing. What could Samsung brand clothing stores possibly sell? If you happen to visit this peculiar store one day, we would love to hear your thoughts on their products.

Elevator

If you’ve never ridden in a Ferrari before but always wanted to, all you have to do is take a trip to Rome! Here, Ferraris can be found anywhere and everywhere – including at flats around the city. However, the ones most commonly found in this historic city won’t be found racing down the road.

Image courtesy of hjh208 / Reddit

These ones are going to take you somewhere – but not across the country. They’re going to take you to the floors above and below because these elevators are Ferrari-powered. What does that mean, exactly? We have no idea, but these elevators have got to be the fastest in the business, right?

Bath Bombs

Until you realize who the design company is for this product, it’s easy to imagine that these super simple bath bombs smell just as delicious as the hyper-realistic strawberry photos look…but then, as we said, you realize that the company behind the product is none other than Mentos.

Image courtesy of miracul0usladybug/Reddit

Immediately, the scent of strawberries that we conjured up in our brains is replaced with a strange soapy-strawberry taste – as weird as that sounds. Mentos has officially been ruined for us forever (RIP to our favorite candy). Some things just aren’t meant to have crossovers!

Fire Extinguishers

Adding a designer’s name can do wonders for any product. We’ve seen this to be true in so many cases that we can’t even count them on our hands. One thing we haven’t seen elevated by a designer-backing, though, is fire extinguishers!

Image courtesy of Herbylicious/Reddit

Fire extinguishers aren’t something that needs to be ‘elevated’ or ‘taken to the next level for any reason. They have one sole purpose: to assist in emergencies. That doesn’t need to be glamorous or profitable…unless you’re the designer behind Louis Vuitton! These over-ambitious designers are convinced that preventing fires must be fashionable.

McDonald’s DS Game

We’re well aware that Japan is a country that’s incredibly into video games of all types and varieties. Still, we never imagined that anyone (even the Japanese) would turn McDonald’s training into a game. But here it is! The world’s first Nintendo DS training game for new McDonald’s staff.

Image courtesy of consolevariations/Twitter

It’s a system that would probably make the prospect of joining the McDonald’s team much more attractive to potential employees, which is probably part of the reason it was created in the first place. Who doesn’t want to do paid video game-based training, right?

Pencil Holder

How many times will we see Louis Vuitton on this list? We’re down to two already. As you can see, LV strikes again…with yet another incredibly interesting, probably very silly, and almost certainly unnecessary product. But what, exactly, is this product, you ask?

Image courtesy of louisvuitton.com

It’s a pencil holder. That’s right…a Louis Vuitton brand pencil holder. We can’t help but wonder who the target audience for this is. Kids, who usually use pencil holders, can’t afford them, and adults…well, most adults haven’t used pencil holders since grade school. Who is this for, and why is it $900? Yikes.

Perfume

If you’re a car lover, you’re probably familiar with the “new car smell” everyone loves. The crisp smell of brand new, never sat on leather sets, and the pungent smell of pine air fresheners that have never been opened until the day you drive the car from the lot? Yup, that ever-appealing smell.

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While we’re definitely fans of that particular fragrance, we’re perfectly fine experiencing it every once in a while (when we buy a new car, for example) and don’t feel the need to smell it every day. Some people, though, require frequent whiffs of it…Mercedes perfume, anyone?

Yakisoba

It’s truly amazing how many flavors of ramen, chow mein, and yakisoba noodles there are to try. Looking at the store shelves, it almost seems as if the flavor options are endless! Perhaps, though, some flavors should be brought to an end, like this one.

Image courtesy of mobeast1985/Reddit

From what we can see in the product photo, these yakisoba noodles taste like sour cream and onion Pringles, and we’re not sure what to do with that information! On the one hand, it sounds like it could be a genius new flavor, but on the other hand, it sounds like a disaster.

Water

It’s common knowledge among water connoisseurs that water from different brands tastes differently. Fiji water, for example, tastes like mountains and is best served chilled, while tap water tastes like city life and iron, and Evian tastes slightly minty and fresh.

Image courtesy of mmyax/Reddit

What does BMW water taste like, though? That’s the question on our minds today! We’ve never had anyone offer us BMW-brand water before, but we’re almost certain that it’s got to be an experience worth remembering. We might have just kept the bottle to show it off. It’d make a great talking point, right?

Pepper Mill

The 80s were a wild time. From big hair and loud, colorful outfits to rock concerts and fancy cars, this bustling decade is still revered as one of the best – by both those who lived through it and those who wish they had.

Image courtesy of MeeIsEng/Reddit

Peugeot was a popular car brand during this time, with various makes and models of different colors rolling down the street in large party cities and small country towns alike. But did you know that the brand also made other things during the 80s? Things like heavy-duty wooden pepper mills, to be specific.

Hinges

This is the second time that Ferrari has made an appearance on our list – and this time, it’s for something even more mundane than a hair dryer, if you can believe that. According to the imprints on this Redditor’s hinges, Ferrari has made a name for itself in the home decor and renovation department.

Image courtesy of Justinkarim/Reddit

They chose to manufacture hinges in its downtime instead of something car-related (which you’d think would sell a lot better). There’s no telling how much the poster spent on these hinges, but since they’re name-brand and crafted by a luxury car dealership, we can take a wild guess.

Soap

Are you a home chef? Do you take pride in healthy eating? Do you love getting your greens in any way possible? If you answered “yes” to any or all of those questions, you’d probably agree that cilantro is one of the freshest kitchen scents there are.

Image courtesy of chipotle/Instagram

Cilantro is also one of our favorite smells (especially freshly chopped!). Delicious and healthy! But do we love it enough to smell like it every day? Absolutely not. Sorry, cilantro soap! You won’t be making your way into our homes anytime in the near future.

An Oddly-Shaped Ball

Next up on our list is a soccer ball that makes us think of peanuts, candy, and sweets! Who would have imagined that? Not us, that’s for sure! It’s not every day that a soccer ball drudges up feelings of hunger…

Image courtesy of tomb2509/Reddit

This strangely oblong-shaped, bright orange, M&M-like soccer ball hails from the Netherlands. Locals claim that it was developed and used as promotional material for a soccer championship. We’d bet that it did its job! We’d definitely remember the upcoming championship as we kicked this guy around the soccer field.

Candies

It’s no secret that sweets are a good marketing angle. They can make even the most boring product, service, or company seem interesting and appealing, which is likely exactly why Nissan Denmark opted to use them as an advertising campaign.

Image courtesy of advanttage/Reddit

The Danes who are in the market for a new Nissan are being spoiled with this super-sweet campaign! We’d be more than happy to test drive a Nissan if we could get a complimentary package of sugar-covered gummy candies and a friendly smile. Ten points and a nod for creativity and resourcefulness, Nissan. Good play.

Cellphone

And who’s coming in next on our list?! Is it Adidas? Samsung? Apple? Or is it Five Guys, Esso, or Gucci? Nope! The company behind this monster of a cellphone is none other than the very company that’s graced our list two times before…Ferrari!

Image courtesy of YouTouchedMyTraLaLa/Reddit

Another one of Ferrari’s more questionable creations is this cellphone, a brick of a phone that looks more like a paperweight than any modern cellphone. In truth, this phone is probably fairly old, and we’d be impressed if it still worked, but the point is that it’s still an eyesore to look at.

I’ll Have The McKids!

Why does it seem like it’s always the fast-food joints that make the weirdest product transitions? The answer, put simply, is unknown! All we know is that McDonald’s used to have a clothing line for kids, and it’s super weird to think about.

Image courtesy of Shanamet/Reddit

The clothing line came about as part of a partnership with Sears. The line was called McKids and was a line of stores that sold McDonald’s brand clothing, not just a random line of clothes that could be picked up at Walmart or the local mall. Have you ever seen a pair of McKids pants?

Water Cooler

Like many of the products on our list, this one isn’t weird all by itself. There are plenty of practical reasons to use these items and an even greater number of manufacturers that make them. What makes this one weird is who the manufacturer is.

Image courtesy of DoNotUpvoteTooMuch/Reddit

Hyundai! A water cooler made by Hyundai isn’t something we ever thought we’d see, and surely the person who took this photo probably didn’t expect it, either. It’s not the weirdest instance of branching out that we’ve seen so far, but it’s still a bit of a random change for the company.

Chapstick

What two words start with C and have nothing in common on paper? We’ll give you a minute to think…but remember, these two items are completely unrelated upon first thought. Ready for the answer? We’re talking about Cheetos and Chapsticks!

Image courtesy of BigFatmoonmins/Reddit

These two items are completely unrelated but have been combined into one singular product all the same. We’re happy to voice how terrible this truly sounds. Cheesy lips? No, thanks! Sounds like something we’ll have to pass on…as tempting as the idea is.

Shoes

Porsche has made headway in the fashion scene, coming in strong with the development and launch of gas pedal-like shoes. Why? We don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be much of a reason when you really look at what’s going on here…

Image courtesy of serbet/Reddit

For starters, these shoes just look huge, like they’d get in the way of the pedal – and what is so special about them? They don’t sing, light up, help you maintain your speed, or serve any specific purpose. Honestly, we’d skip the Porsche shoes and opt for something cheaper.

Sugar-Free Candy

Here we have another great example of flavor profiles that shouldn’t be mixed…but apparently, the creators behind these extra-disgusting sugar-free candies disagree. What do you think? Are you into this combination, or do you find the idea as repulsive as we do?

Image courtesy of gumpkin4500/Reddit

Personally, we’d like to poise the suggestion that this combination sounds like it would taste about as good as cough syrup. There’s just something about the mixture of medication and sweetness that makes us think of coughing and sore throats. Even worse, the company took away the sugar part of the equation!

Spicy Lipstick

Just when we thought we were done with the Cheetos-chapstick combination, it got worse! We’ve now stumbled upon Cheetos lipstick in fire-engine red. And it’s not just any kind of Cheetos – it’s the Flamin’ Hot one! We wouldn’t want that on our lips.

Image courtesy of cheetos/Instagram

We sincerely hope, for the sake of the wearer and any potential love interests they may have, that this lipstick isn’t actually spicy. Hopefully, it’s just a clever marketing tactic that’s being used to improve sales figures and create an air of intrigue around this strange product…

Engines

At this point, we’ve seen countless instances of car manufacturing companies turning to random markets such as candy, clothing, hair dryers, small electronics, and shoes. We haven’t yet seen examples of them taking on bigger and better projects…until right now!

Image courtesy of saugacityslicker/Reddit

A car brand popular for making fancy, expensive automobiles that are loved by many, RR is also an airplane engine manufacturer and has been since WWII when they began making engines for aircrafts such as the Spitfire. Who would have known, right? Some people, probably….but this is news to us.

Gummies

Okay..hold on a second. We can’t seriously be the only people that don’t find this weird in the slightest. On the contrary, this actually sounds brilliant! Where can we get some of these seemingly delicious gummies? This might be the best product on this list so far.

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The combination of fruity cereal and the milk taste sounds like a mixture that would be as delightful in gummy form as it is every morning after finishing a bowl of Fruit Loops. The only thing that might throw us off is the texture. A too-soft gummy could easily ruin the taste of this product.

Nosepiece

The saying goes like this, “if it’s broken, it’s a genuine BMW product.” Until now, we’ve never understood where this saying came from. If an item is broken, wouldn’t the manufacturing company hope that it wasn’t one of their genuine items?

Image courtesy of Flubba2087/Reddit

In the case of BMW, which likes to print its logo on everything, a broken item with a logo would indeed prove that the item was genuine. So, it leads us to the conclusion that this Redditor’s BMW glasses are truly BMW-brand glasses from the lenses to the nose piece.

Jeans

Another entry on our list of weird products from well-known companies is a pair of jeans from McDonald’s. Sound familiar? It should! Earlier, we spoke about McKids, the children’s line of clothing and stores sponsored by a partnership with Sears.

Image courtesy of Alchemisthim/Reddit

Sadly, there’s no telling whether these jeans are from an adult-exclusive line of McDonald’s clothing or whether they’re a DIY job. Either way, they’re definitely one of a kind in our eyes (even if they do kind of make our eyes hurt from how terrible they are).

Faucet

Well, this next product isn’t just a matter of poor choices but also of common sense and human decency. This Bugatti faucet is located in a small Portuguese village…one that is likely fairly poor and struggling. If Bugatti can install a faucet here, can’t they provide some additional sport for the villagers in the area?

Image courtesy of Sardesen/Reddit

Seems like it would be a simple task for a multi-million dollar company like Bugatti to offer some financial aid – especially if they’ve already visited the area in question to install a random faucet! It makes no sense in our books.

Chicken Candles

Some product ideas are so absurd we can’t believe they are real. We mean, who can assure us that this next image isn’t photoshopped by a person who had nothing better to do? Well, maybe the fact that it was posted on KFC’s official page in New Zealand.

Image courtesy of kfcnz / Instagram

What is up with KFC and this fixation on releasing scented products? If someone in your house is on a diet and you buy this candle, we can assure you they’ll be extremely upset. Why? Because the constant smell of KFC chicken is just going to make them hungry!