This week we're joined by comedian Val Vasilas to discuss the long and mostly depressing history of Southern California's biggest inland body of water, The Salton Sea. Join us to see how it went from engineering disaster, to getaway for the rich and famous, to a desert wasteland in just 30 years. Sources https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=639 https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g28926-d272553-r177427730-Salton_Sea-California.html https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/11/the-airborne-toxic-lake-event/414888/ https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-history-of-the-salton-sea-2015jun02-story.html https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/christmas-valley-oregon-m-penn-phillips-real-estate https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/6/17433294/salton-sea-crisis-drying-up-asthma-toxic-dust-pictures http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/02/04/the_salton_sea_in_california_turned_from_a_relaxing_resort_to_an_apocalyptic.html  

Dying On A Hill

The Salton Sea

This week we're joined by Marianne Garcia to talk about the time Facebook got caught lying about their video numbers for over 2 years on their way to earning 170 BILLION dollars.   Sources https://www.statista.com/statistics/271258/facebooks-advertising-revenue-worldwide/ https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17989712/facebook-inaccurate-video-metrics-inflation-lawsuit https://www.classlawgroup.com/facebook-advertising-analytics-lawsuit/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-reaches-proposed-settlement-in-video-measurement-lawsuit-11570482031 https://www.ccn.com/facebook-lied-about-video-metrics/ https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-lawsuit-pivot-to-video-mistake/ https://phrasee.co/the-history-of-facebook-advertising-a-timeline/ https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/FB/facebook/revenue https://slate.com/technology/2018/10/facebook-online-video-pivot-metrics-false.html

Facebook's 2016 Analytics Lawsuit

Savings & Stampedes! We're joined this week by actor/comedian David Coe to talk about the time someone accidentally pepper sprayed 20 people in self defense at a Wal Mart. Sources https://www.statista.com/statistics/271258/facebooks-advertising-revenue-worldwide/ https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17989712/facebook-inaccurate-video-metrics-inflation-lawsuit https://www.classlawgroup.com/facebook-advertising-analytics-lawsuit/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-reaches-proposed-settlement-in-video-measurement-lawsuit-11570482031 https://www.ccn.com/facebook-lied-about-video-metrics/ https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-lawsuit-pivot-to-video-mistake/ https://phrasee.co/the-history-of-facebook-advertising-a-timeline/ https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/FB/facebook/revenue https://slate.com/technology/2018/10/facebook-online-video-pivot-metrics-false.html

Walmart Black Friday, 2011

Remember the Microsoft Zune? It's what happens when the world's richest company thinks it can buy its way into a market. This week we're joined by voice actor and Groundling Tom Blank and we're talking about the world's most famous brown e-device. Sources https://www.silicon.co.uk/mobility/smartphones/tales-tech-history-microsoft-zune-210569 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/may/26/microsoft-zune-history https://www.wired.com/2015/09/what-to-do-with-your-zune-rip-zune/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8qw5ax/zune-forever-the-diehards-still-obsessed-with-microsofts-colossal-failure https://medium.com/@shiriendamra/why-the-zune-failed-132784522ff0 https://slate.com/technology/2012/10/microsoft-zune-how-one-of-the-biggest-flops-in-tech-history-helped-revive-a-great-american-tech-company.html https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-zune-that-never-was-developed-by-members-of-the-former-microsoft-courier-team/ https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/13/technology/13zune.html https://youtu.be/I14b-C67EXY https://www.pcworld.com/article/146109/article.html

Microsoft Zune

This week we're joined again by writer, director, producer, actor Brandon Alexander III to chat about what Nintendo did before video games, SEX HOTELS.   Sources https://kotaku.com/the-nintendo-theyve-tried-to-forget-gambling-gangster-5784314 https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2031.html https://nintendowire.com/news/2019/02/14/happy-valentines-day-did-you-know-nintendo-used-to-run-love-hotels/ https://classic-video-games.yoexpert.com/classic-video-games-history/did-nintendo-run-love-hotels-in-japan-31273.html https://www.techtimes.com/articles/97134/20151020/nintendos-strange-history-includes-yakuza-taxi-service-love-motels.htm https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/former-nintendo-headquarters-will-become-a-hotel-no-not-a-love-hotel/ https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/nintendo-video-game-savior-love-hotels https://www.businessinsider.com/before-mario-nintendos-playing-cards-toys-and-love-hotels-2011-8 https://unseenjapan.com/japanese-love-hotel-culture/ https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484

Nintendo Love Hotels

We're back with our second episode of Crowdscams! This week we're looking into the Triton Re-breather, a device that took the internet by storm, and then took about $900K of funding before being shut down by SF Bay area Maritime Law crusaders.

Crowdscams: Triton Rebreather

Happy Holidays from Dying On A Hill! Trevor Martin joins us again for this bonus episode to watch the Jon Lovitz narrated VHS promo to Banjo-Kazooie. The Phil Hartman jokes were kept to a minimum, we promise.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUqd1Y1p_Jg  

Jon Lovitz' Banjo-Kazooie Promo Video

We're joined again by comedian Trevor Martin to talk about the Sega Dreamcast and how it may have been doomed from the beginning of its 9-9-99 ad campaign.   Sources https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/9/6126607/sega-dreamcast-marketing-plan https://www.polygon.com/2013/8/7/4599588/why-did-the-dreamcast-fail-segas-marketing-veteran-looks-back https://www.chiefmarketer.com/dream-weavers-segas-strategy-in-launching-dreamcast-was-simple/ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/segas-depressing-100-million-marketing-plan-that-failed-to-save-the-dreamcast.891830/ https://www.marketingweek.com/sega-in-50m-euro-blitz-for-dreamcast/ https://segaretro.org/History_of_the_Sega_Dreamcast/Release https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLKiHfux50I https://web.archive.org/web/20120609161654/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps2_e.html https://youtu.be/kT1Tbc_PD2k https://the-video-game.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_SEGA_video_game_consoles  

The Sega Dreamcast

This week we're joined again by Lauri Roggenkamp ('Hello Uglies' Podcast) to answer the age old question, "How Do You Market To 65-Year-Old Russians Pretending To Be Gen Z On Twitter?"   Materials https://zebraiq.com/report/

The State of Gen Z

This week we're joined by Director Actor, Producer Niel Garguilo as we talk about TheGlobe.com, the website that was too "successful" for its own good.   Sources https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-14-fi-42595-story.html https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/theglobe-com#section-ipo-stock-price https://www.dailywireless.org/internet/what-happened-to-theglobe-com/ https://www.barrons.com/articles/facebook-wont-be-the-next-theglobe-com-1543923000 https://www.wired.com/wiredinsider/2018/12/theglobe-collapse-greatest-social-network-no-one-remembers/ https://medium.com/@writerjudy7/stephan-paternot-talks-theglobe-com-273f4147e19b https://nypost.com/1999/04/07/theglobe-com-gets-an-attitude-for-43m/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMNbudm-078 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB988750097459636 https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r7975730-Something-Creepy-about-Voiceglo

The Globe (dot com)

We're joined by this week by Editor Candice Young to talk about one of the worst giveaways in marketing history.   The year was 1992, and nothing sucked like a Hoover.   Sources: https://thehustle.co/the-worst-sales-promotion-in-history/ https://apnews.com/a4864ea6762ace8183d1f63d0ad6f5ac https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sucker-punch-to-free-rides-hoovers-ill-fated-flight-of-fancy-has-dealt-a-fresh-blow-to-the-image-of-1453279.html https://apnews.com/a2a6a07bcc9fe8e44619590dd5edc47d https://www.independent.co.uk/news/hoover-set-to-lose-pounds-20m-over-free-flights-fiasco-task-force-moves-in-to-sort-out-chaos-after-1500925.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3704669.stm https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/history-advertising-no-141-hoovers-free-flights-voucher/1356868 https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/sep/25/budgetingforyourholiday http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/12/time-company-nearly-bankrupted-offering-free-flights-america-bought-vacuum-cleaner/

Hoover in 1992

We're joined again by musician and comedian Nick Johnson for the conclusion of 'Nestle, The Baby Killer.' Picking up from Part 1, we take a look at the crafty ways baby formula companies are marketing to new mothers in the developing world. It's as awful inducing as you think!   Sources http://archive.babymilkaction.org/pdfs/babykiller.pdf http://archive.babymilkaction.org/pages/history.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070415171525/http://www.ibfan.org/english/issue/bfUndermined01.html https://newint.org//features/1982/04/01/babies/ https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott#cite_note-Ferriman_1999-22 https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/10/04/formula_whistleblower_battled_nestle_for_17_years_porter.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070415171525/http://www.ibfan.org/english/issue/bfUndermined01.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott#Baby_milk_controversy https://web.archive.org/web/20070409144431/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/Who%2BCode%2BIssues/Allegations/ http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914298,00.html https://www.bmj.com/content/318/7181/417.2.full http://www.bpni.org/Press_Releases/pr-nov.22,2000.pdf https://www.ranker.com/list/nestle-baby-formula-boycott/melissa-sartore https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/01/nestle-under-fire-for-marketing-claims-on-baby-milk-formulas https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nestle-baby-milk-scandal-food-industry-standards https://www.starthealthy.nestle.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/06/magazine/the-controversy-over-infant-formula.html https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nestle-babymilk/nestle-to-respond-to-baby-milk-criticism-in-coming-days-idUSKBN1FM18F www.babymilkaction.org/nestlefree http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/10278 https://www.corporateaccountability.org/blog/nestle-groundbreaking-boycott-saves-millions-of-infant-lives/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1978/11/7/bottles-babies-and-breast-feeding-debating-the/

Nestle Babies Pt. 2

Nestle Baby Formula takes the spotlight this week with guest musician/comedian Nick Johnson (Downhill Jam) We'll discuss how Nestle advertises the shit out of baby formula in the developing world despite knowledge that their target audience didn't have the cleaning facilities to safely use their product, leading to a still in effect boycott.   Sources: http://archive.babymilkaction.org/pdfs/babykiller.pdf http://archive.babymilkaction.org/pages/history.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070415171525/http://www.ibfan.org/english/issue/bfUndermined01.html https://newint.org//features/1982/04/01/babies/ https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott#cite_note-Ferriman_1999-22 https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/10/04/formula_whistleblower_battled_nestle_for_17_years_porter.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070415171525/http://www.ibfan.org/english/issue/bfUndermined01.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott#Baby_milk_controversy https://web.archive.org/web/20070409144431/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/Who%2BCode%2BIssues/Allegations/ http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914298,00.html https://www.bmj.com/content/318/7181/417.2.full http://www.bpni.org/Press_Releases/pr-nov.22,2000.pdf https://www.ranker.com/list/nestle-baby-formula-boycott/melissa-sartore https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/01/nestle-under-fire-for-marketing-claims-on-baby-milk-formulas https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nestle-baby-milk-scandal-food-industry-standards https://www.starthealthy.nestle.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/06/magazine/the-controversy-over-infant-formula.html https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nestle-babymilk/nestle-to-respond-to-baby-milk-criticism-in-coming-days-idUSKBN1FM18F www.babymilkaction.org/nestlefree http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/10278 https://www.corporateaccountability.org/blog/nestle-groundbreaking-boycott-saves-millions-of-infant-lives/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1978/11/7/bottles-babies-and-breast-feeding-debating-the/

Nestle Babies, Pt. 1

This week, we're look into the recently settled crowdfunding scam Futurfon. What started as a Ponzi scheme for a dual screened laptop found its way online to the pages of Indiegogo. We look into how they almost pulled the con off and what Reddit had to do with it.   Sources: https://vimeo.com/109035390 https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/13/20758599/idealfuture-dragonfly-futurefon-indiegogo-crowdfunding-phone-scam-fraud-case https://www.plainsite.org/dockets/304bf0wax/illinois-northern-district-court/usa-v-batio/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/04/santa-clara-computer-businessman-found-guilty-of-fraud-in-chicago/ https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/silicon-valley-computer-executive-convicted-defrauding-investors-after-soliciting-money https://www.reddit.com/r/futurefon/comments/4k996m/new_update_and_video_watch_bridget_walk_around/ https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/526996-What-does-Indiegogo-do-to-protect-us- https://learn.indiegogo.com/trust/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-dragonfly-futurefon--3#/comments https://thedanzing.com/the-worst-crowdfunding-scam-ever-the-story-of-the-dragonfly-futuref%C3%B6n-4808eb9ce4b3

Crowd-Scams: Futurfon

You saw the documentaries, now see what they were selling before it all went to hell. This week we're joined by comedian Lauri Rogenkamp to go through the Fyre Festival pitch deck. Was it ever a good idea, or was doomed to fail from the beginning?   Sources: https://www.scribd.com/document/346949516/Fyre-Festival-Pitch-Deck

Fyre Festival Pitch Deck

Business & Marketing podcast about about projects that were doomed to fail. Each episode we'll go on a deep dive with a comedian guest to see who should have given up before it was too late.