Parker [Brothers] identifies as its "wildest failure" a game called Oobi, which it trotted out in 1971. This was billed as "the new message medium." It consisted of an egg-shaped hollow container on which was printed these words:

"I contain a message to another human being. Please further my journey an inch, a foot or a mile. Add a note, if you wish. Then help me to the next nice person like yourself."

Parker was so high on Oobi that it instituted special security measures to keep competitors from stealing the idea. Development went forward under the code name, "Project O." The game was introduced on the West Coast with an artful television commercial declaring, "Oobi means love."
Sales were weak but Parker didn't believe it. Oobi was moved into the Southeast. Then Parker got the message: The public hated Oobi.

The Dayton Journal Herald - Jan 2, 1974

Under the leadership of Morris’ son, Ben, Ideal expanded to produce the Shirley Temple Doll; the first black baby doll; Betsy Wetsy; and one major flop, a baby Jesus doll, which had the Catholic Church’s blessing.

“What a bomb,” exclaimed [Paula] Michtom. “Being Jewish, [the family] didn’t understand that no one was going to buy the toy. No one was going to have their children playing with the Christ child.”