10 Brands That Did Their Marketing So Well That People Forgot Original Product Name

Dettol, Cellotape, Xerox copy and Fevicol are some of the words we use everyday. But do you know that these are actually not words but brand names? These brand names have become a part and parcel of our lives, that we don’t even remember the real name of the product. The credit goes to the amazing marketing of these brands that we forgot the real names of the product. These terms are generically used by the consumers, but they cannot be used by their competitors. These words have been trademarked by their respective manufacturers.

You will be surprised to know how many everyday words you use are actually brand names.

1. Jacuzzi (Product name: Hot tubs)

Who knew that this heavenly-looking epitome of happiness is not actually the product name but a brand. The actual product name is ‘hot tub’. In fact, Americans still call it Hot Tub while in the other parts of the world it is called Jacuzzi. Jacuzzi is a brand that sells hot tubs.

2. Band-Aid (Product name: Hansaplast)

This is going to hurt. The ‘Band-Aid’ that we put on our little scatches and bruises is actually a Hansaplast. This brand name was started by the US giant Johnson & Johnson. In many parts of the world, it is called a plaster or a hansaplast.

3. Sellotape (Product name: Transparent Adhesive tape)

“Pass that Sellotape from the drawer”, how many times have we asked our colleagues in our everyday routine at the office. The item which we use as Sellotape is actually a transparent adhesive tape that is manufactured by a company named Sellotape.

4. Xerox (Product name: Photocopy)

Xerox is the general term we use for photocopying. But do you know that Xerox is actually the name of the company that manufactures these machines. Therefore, you cannot xerox a document but you can always photocopy it on a Xerox machine.

5. Photoshop (Product name: Image editing)

While the entire process is called photo editing, we like to call it photoshop. In fact, we have made an entire verb out of Adobe’s widely used photo-editing software. Whenever we see a morphed picture on social media, we take no time in commenting that it is ‘photoshopped’.

6. Flip Phone (Product name: Clamshell)

These types of phones are making headlines all over again. Samsung recently came back with a dual screen phone called Samsung Z Flip. However, these types of smartphones are not called Flip phones in a literal way. In fact, calling the Clamshell phones would be the only right word for it.

7. Trampoline (Product name: Rebound tumbler)

Scratching your head wondering what can it be possibly called otherwise? We have grown up calling this little jumpey thing trampoline. It is hard to digest that it is just a brand name. The original product name is Rebound Tumbler. I guess, we would like to continue calling it a Trampoline.

8. Thermos (Product name: Vacuum flask)

The brand Thermos did such a wonderful marketing that the actual product name Vacuum Flask got easily replaced by the brand. The brand Thermos was launched in 1923 and ever since then, people almost forgot the word Vacuum flask.

9. Bubble Wrap (Product name: transparent plastic material used for packing fragile items)

Bubble Wrap, the ultimate source of pleasure when we are stressed, is actually a brand name. The generic name of these little things that protect our fragiles is Inflated Cushioning. The term Bubble Wrap is trademarked by Sealed Air Corporation.

10. Frisbee (Product name: Flying Disc)

Frisbee is one of our greatest childhood memories. Most of the millennials spent their summer holidays playing ‘Frisbee’. But the actual name of that UFO like thing was a Flying Disc. The term Frisbee was trademarked by Wham-O that manufactured them.

Also read: 6 Popular Brands That Never Advertised And Yet Are Ridiculously Successful