ABSTRACT
In February of 2005, Maytag-a home and commercial appliance company with a presence in markets around the world and sales operations in Canada, Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom-launched the Skybox with great fanfare (https://gizmodo.com/archives/maytag-skybox-019629.php). Skybox is a personal beverage vendor, or a beverage vending machine, that does not require any money. It holds 64 cans or 32 bottles, which it chills and dispenses by the touch of a selection button. It can also be customized with the logo of one’s favorite sports team. At around $500, the Skybox did not represent tremendous value. After all, you might get a basic refrigerator (in the Unites States) for far less. But was value ever the point? More likely, the point was to create a sensation, to create that hot new product that nobody actually needs, probably, but that they crave and have to have before their neighbor does. e price likely reflects that the Skybox is an indulgence-more of a trophy than a functional appliance. Indeed, the marketing blurb on the Skybox Web site emphasizes the bragging rights.
