I am stuck on Band-Aid brand...
If I was to ask you what the following words had in common...
Kleenex, Xerox, Q-Tip, Band-Aid, and Frisbee
...you'd probably be able to guess. They are all the standard examples of "genericized trademarks"... brand names that have achived such general use in the English language that they've become the colloquial description of the product. Companies have to fight hard to make sure they retain their trademarks, because if a word becomes too genericized, it can fall into the public domain.
Now what you guess if I listed the following words...
Popcicle, Rollerblade, Kitty Litter, ChapStick, and Speedo
How many of these did you know were also "genericized trademarks"? It is interesting when you see a list of them to discover the different levels in which words like this have entered our consciousness. I know for me, I was genuiely surprised when I saw that Kitty Liter was one. Words like Kleenex and Q-Tip are easy to recognize because the companies that make them have made it a point to emphasize their branding, and insist we call the generics "facial tissue" and "cotton swabs". But does Ed Lowe do the same for his brand name of Kitty Litter? Nope. Thus I didn't really know.
I think all of us have picked up little bits of this kind of knowledge over time (probably in various newspaper articles, tv shows, websites etc.) where we learn which words are genericized trademarks. One person might know Frisbee is, while someone else might know that Ziploc is. But how many of you knew that Zamboni is too? Or Ping Pong? Dumpster?
Or even that Kerosene and Aspirin were both brand names at one point in history? (Both of which their respective companies lost their trademarks in the U.S. because of what is colloquially known as "genericide".)
You know what some other trademarks are that have been the victim of genericide?
Cellophane
Crock Pot
Dry Ice
Escalator
Trampoline
Zipper
Heroin
That's right... Heroin used to be a brand name of the Bayer company. Damn shame that fell out of trademark, cause I'dve loved to see Bayer company representatives coming onto the airways demanding that news organizations stop referring to celebrities as having "heroin addictions".
"Excuse me, Dan... but Robert Downey Jr. was suffering from a semi-synthetic opioid addiction... not a Heroin addiction! We own that trademark and do not want our product confused with what caused Mr. Downey's problems."
To end... here are further brand names that you may or may not know are
actually company trademarks. Enjoy!
Bubble Wrap
Hacky Sack
Jacuzzi
JumboTron
LEGO
Mace
Post-It
REALTOR
Rolodex
Saran Wrap
Scotch tape
Sheetrock
SPAM
Styrofoam
Thermos
Windbreaker
Yo-Yo
Kleenex, Xerox, Q-Tip, Band-Aid, and Frisbee
...you'd probably be able to guess. They are all the standard examples of "genericized trademarks"... brand names that have achived such general use in the English language that they've become the colloquial description of the product. Companies have to fight hard to make sure they retain their trademarks, because if a word becomes too genericized, it can fall into the public domain.
Now what you guess if I listed the following words...
Popcicle, Rollerblade, Kitty Litter, ChapStick, and Speedo
How many of these did you know were also "genericized trademarks"? It is interesting when you see a list of them to discover the different levels in which words like this have entered our consciousness. I know for me, I was genuiely surprised when I saw that Kitty Liter was one. Words like Kleenex and Q-Tip are easy to recognize because the companies that make them have made it a point to emphasize their branding, and insist we call the generics "facial tissue" and "cotton swabs". But does Ed Lowe do the same for his brand name of Kitty Litter? Nope. Thus I didn't really know.
I think all of us have picked up little bits of this kind of knowledge over time (probably in various newspaper articles, tv shows, websites etc.) where we learn which words are genericized trademarks. One person might know Frisbee is, while someone else might know that Ziploc is. But how many of you knew that Zamboni is too? Or Ping Pong? Dumpster?
Or even that Kerosene and Aspirin were both brand names at one point in history? (Both of which their respective companies lost their trademarks in the U.S. because of what is colloquially known as "genericide".)
You know what some other trademarks are that have been the victim of genericide?
Cellophane
Crock Pot
Dry Ice
Escalator
Trampoline
Zipper
Heroin
That's right... Heroin used to be a brand name of the Bayer company. Damn shame that fell out of trademark, cause I'dve loved to see Bayer company representatives coming onto the airways demanding that news organizations stop referring to celebrities as having "heroin addictions".
"Excuse me, Dan... but Robert Downey Jr. was suffering from a semi-synthetic opioid addiction... not a Heroin addiction! We own that trademark and do not want our product confused with what caused Mr. Downey's problems."
To end... here are further brand names that you may or may not know are
actually company trademarks. Enjoy!
Bubble Wrap
Hacky Sack
Jacuzzi
JumboTron
LEGO
Mace
Post-It
REALTOR
Rolodex
Saran Wrap
Scotch tape
Sheetrock
SPAM
Styrofoam
Thermos
Windbreaker
Yo-Yo