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Large corporations, particularly the well-known ones, usually maintain a distinct public identity tied to specific products. However, some well-established companies have ventured into unexpected and highly surprising side businesses. Here are 10 that might just blow your mind.
10. Sony Dives into Life Insurance
Sony Corporation is renowned for its electronics, ranging from the legendary Sony Walkman to 3-D headsets. Paradoxically, however, its electronics division has been losing money—it cost the company $8.5 billion over a span of 10 years from 2003 to 2013, while its insurance sector proved to be the star performer, bringing in over $9 billion in the same period.
Sony initially focused solely on electronics, but in the 1950s, one of its founders was so captivated by the towering skyscrapers he saw during a US tour that he envisioned the company one day venturing into financial services. By the 1980s, Sony entered the insurance market. Around this time, Sony’s digital and media records division, another profitable arm, also saw substantial growth.
Despite calls from some financial analysts and corporate insiders for Sony to exit the electronics sector or separate it into a standalone entity, the company has remained hesitant to abandon the industry it is most famous for and in which it still holds a notable market share.
9. Chrysler Once Manufactured Rockets
Before World War II, Chrysler was primarily known for manufacturing automobiles, but with the United States' militarization, the company pivoted to building tanks and military electronics. Chrysler earned a reputation for providing innovative engineering solutions to various military challenges, all while refraining from overcharging the U.S. government during the war. Afterward, Chrysler leveraged its engineering expertise to develop the U.S.'s first ballistic missile, the Redstone rocket, which would later launch the first American astronauts into space. Initially hesitant to accept the contract to build the Redstone missile, a series of fortuitous events, including the cancellation of other military projects, allowed Chrysler to repurpose a factory for missile production.
Chrysler also played a key role in manufacturing the first stage of the Saturn IB rockets, which were responsible for launching the first Apollo capsules into space. Later, they contributed to the first stages of the colossal Saturn V rockets that ultimately facilitated the landing of humans on the Moon.
8. Target Involved in Crime Scene Investigations
Target, one of the largest retailers in the U.S., isn't typically associated with high-tech forensics. However, since the mid-1990s, Target has been using its anti-theft technology to assist in solving crimes. Originally developed to track inventory and prevent theft in stores, Target's technology has been applied to help law enforcement agencies across the U.S. in tracking criminals and coordinating investigations. Additionally, Target's asset tracking group has collaborated with police forces to aid in solving cases.
Target also operates its own private forensics labs, which hold the same accreditation as the forensics labs used by city police departments. These labs handle some cases that local crime labs may struggle with, such as dealing with video evidence in unconventional codec formats. Furthermore, Target has provided free technology to police departments, and at times, its employees become deeply involved in FBI operations targeting criminal organizations, even going undercover.
7. Bose Corporation Explored Cold Fusion
Bose Corporation is widely recognized for its high-quality speakers and sound systems. Founded by Amar Bose, an MIT professor and scientist, the company was born out of his frustration with the inferior quality of available speakers. Bose, who is an inventor at heart, has maintained private control of his company, allowing him to reinvest the profits into research of his choice. However, not all of this research is focused on sound or electronics.
In 1989, Bose attended a forum about the controversial claim of cold fusion—an idea that had the potential to revolutionize the world if proven true. However, when he found the scientists at the forum more focused on insulting each other rather than discussing cold fusion in a scientific manner, Bose decided to assemble a team of scientists from his company to thoroughly investigate the cold fusion claims. Over the next two years, they debunked every one of them.
6. Microsoft Sold Children’s Toys
In 1997, just before the dot-com bubble burst, Microsoft introduced a groundbreaking new toy that it claimed would change the way children played—Actimates. These 40-centimeter (16-inch) toys, which included characters like Barney the Dinosaur and Arthur the Aardvark, were equipped with sensors and transmitters. This allowed the toys to make comments about TV shows the children were watching, in sync with the action, and also respond to the children through pre-programmed motions. Television channels would broadcast a secondary carrier signal to enable real-time interaction and commentary.
Actimates was discontinued after just three years. The system was costly and complex to set up, priced at $175. Additionally, the choice of characters after Barney wasn’t as popular, leading to lower sales of later toys. By the time technology was making inroads into the toy market, the concept hadn’t gained enough traction.
5. Pepsi Supported South American Coups
During the 1960s, US companies operating in South America had the CIA looking out for their interests. This mutually beneficial arrangement involved US corporations aiding the CIA in preventing communism from spreading across the continent, while the CIA ensured the safety of corporate assets in return. As Chile’s political climate grew increasingly unfavorable to US business interests, corporations worked tirelessly behind the scenes to push the US government, and by extension the CIA, to manipulate the Chilean political landscape to favor their interests.
One such company was PepsiCo, which had bottling operations and other business in Chile. Fearing that the socialist coalition under President Salvador Allende would nationalize foreign assets, PepsiCo made a plea to Richard Nixon in 1970, who had previously worked as a lawyer for PepsiCo. This request ultimately led to the 1970 CIA-backed coup in Chile, which ousted Allende and resulted in the rise of the military junta.
4. McDonald’s Has Its Own Fashion Lines
In 2015, McDonald’s surprised the world with an unexpected release in Sweden: a fashion line. The strange clothing included raincoats and boots featuring a white background decorated with images of Big Macs. Later, the collection expanded to include wallpaper and even apparel for dogs. Part of McDonald's global 'I’m Lovin’ it 24' campaign, the clothing was available exclusively in Sweden.
This was not just a one-off idea. In March 2016, McDonald's in Australia launched a limited-edition collection featuring pajamas, T-shirts, and casual button-down shirts, along with a national campaign offering breakfast options, or 'brekkie,' all day. The clothing designs incorporated images of hash browns and McMuffins set against a white or checkered background. Only a small number of items were sold, and they quickly sold out.
3. Hooters Had An Airline
In 2003, Bob Brookes, the founder of Hooters, ventured into aviation by launching an airline inspired by his popular restaurant chain. He acquired an existing airline and rebranded it as Hooters Air. With affordable fares and attractive, revealingly dressed hostesses onboard, the airline was initially a hit, even with just a small fleet of planes. At its height, Hooters Air was flying over 1,000 passengers every week.
However, rising fuel prices and increasing competition eventually led to the downfall of Hooters Air. Moreover, despite sharing the name and the iconic waitresses from the restaurants, no Hooters food was ever served on board. By 2006, the airline ceased all commercial flights except for charter services from a single city, leading to mass layoffs. Brookes eventually decided to stop funding the airline and let it close.
2. Monsanto Helped Manufacture Nuclear Weapons
While Monsanto is mainly associated with genetically modified organisms today, the company actually started its corporate journey as a manufacturer of chemicals. During World War II, Monsanto played a significant role in the Manhattan Project, contributing to the development of nuclear weapons. The company continued to operate the facilities used in the production of nuclear weapons components until the 1980s.
In 1943, two Monsanto chemists, Dr. Charles Allen Thomas and Dr. Carroll A. Hochwalt, were recruited to support the Manhattan Project. Thomas was particularly responsible for figuring out how to produce the plutonium needed for the atomic bomb, while another task was to produce polonium, an essential element for the weapon’s functionality. Monsanto constructed a secret industrial facility in Dayton, Ohio, to manufacture polonium, which remained operational until radioactive contamination forced its demolition after the war.
1. Playtex Made The Apollo Space Suits
In the 1960s, the International Latex Corporation, which would later become known as Playtex, leveraged its experience in designing comfortable underwear to secure a NASA contract to create the Apollo astronauts' spacesuits. However, NASA, unsure that a clothing company could handle the task, had ILC work under Hamilton Standard, a leading aerospace and defense firm. Hamilton, not consulting ILC, submitted its own spacesuit prototype to NASA, which was promptly rejected. Subsequently, Hamilton blamed ILC for the failure of the suit, causing ILC to lose the contract.
Despite this setback, ILC persevered. When NASA organized a private competition for a new spacesuit, ILC convinced them to give them another shot. This time, ILC's fully in-house designed spacesuit, meticulously handmade by seamstresses, triumphed in the competition. While two competitor designs suffered notable failures, ILC’s suit passed most of NASA’s rigorous tests. ILC ultimately produced the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong when he made his historic first step on the Moon.
