Your not a failure and you can actually get them to stand up still. You have to be dedicated to taping the ears and leaving them taped for 3 days. Then remove the tape and see if they stand, if they still stay down after a day with no tape then re-tape them again for 3 more days. 3 days taped, then 1 day without, then 3 days taped, then 1 day without again. You can do this as long as necessary, since the day with no tape allows his ears to get plenty of air and rest. Here's how I was told to tape my boys ears. Fold them in half long wise like a taco and put your finger in the ear when you wrap the tape around the bottom of the ear. here's a picture of my boy before , during and after. If you have questions feel free to ask...
If they dont stay on top of his head, you can tape them together which will kinda look like a tennis net.