10 brand names with amazing stories
Every brand in the world became famous because of its simplicity, accessibility, and creativity. They communicate exactly the message they want to send to their audience without any difficulty, and people flock to them.
But there’s a story behind every brand. It helps people understand the journey from the concept to creation and completion. Take a look at some of them!
1. Pepsi, a drink for indigestion
Have you ever been told to have a glass of soda to fight stomach problems? Like many carbonated soft drinks, Pepsi was first sold as a remedy for indigestion. It was first made by pharmacist Caleb Bradham, using a mixture of sugar, caramel, water, lemon oil, kola nuts, and nutmeg. At first, it went by the name “Brad's Drink,” but when it started to become popular, Bradham changed the name to “Pepsi,” because it was more attractive. The name was inspired by the medical term for indigestion, dyspepsia. The brand is more than 100 years old.
2. Google, a typo
Who could go without Google today? No one! But the number one search engine in the world almost wasn’t spelled that way. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, its founders, wanted to call their company “Googol,” which is the math term for the number 10 followed by 100 zeroes! It’s a huge number, but it isn’t infinite. Larry Page misspelled the name and the company was registered as “Google.” It was a fortunate mistake.
3. McDonald's and the inventors of fast food
The name Ray Kroc is often associated with the chain’s creation. There’s no doubt that he was influential in its growth. But did you know that McDonald's was actually named after the inventors of fast food, Maurice “Mac” and Richard “Dick” McDonald? During World War II, they owned a small restaurant. After the war, they decided to try a new system, to limit the amount of time customers had to wait for their food. That’s how “fast food” started.
The first McDonald's opened in 1948. A few years later, the brothers bought milkshake mixers from Ray Kroc, who came up with the idea of ??developing the restaurant all around the world. Today its golden arches are the most recognizable logo in the world.
4. Gatorade, help to win
Gatorade isn’t just a brightly colored drink. Its success it real, but it all came about as a solution to a problem. The University of Florida “Gators” football team was suffering from poor performance and heat-related illnesses in 1965, during the hot Florida weather. Experts discovered that players lost electrolytes and carbohydrates from rigorous physical exertion. So they developed a drink, first called Gator-Aid, to help restore the lost body fluids. The Gators won the Orange Bowl in 1967, and the product’s popularity took off!
5. Rolex, the whisper of success
The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, wanted to give his product the perfect name. But no matter how many ways he arranged the letters of the alphabet, nothing seemed good enough. And then one day, during a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, his company would change forever. Someone he referred to as a “genius” whispered the word “Rolex” into his ear, and the rest is history.
6. IKEA, the Scandinavian enigma
What could the letters “IKEA,” from the famous Swedish brand created in 1943, mean? It’s actually an acronym, with the initials of its founder: Ingvar Kamprad, as well as letters representing the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd) and the village where it was located (Agunnaryd).
7. Haagen-Dazs, a Danish company?
© Imaginechina-Editorial / Depositphotos
This top-quality ice cream was created in the United States. But its creator, Reuben Mattus, was actually a Jewish immigrant from Poland. He and his wife decided to launch this brand with a Danish-sounding-looking name. Except that he just made the name up. He simply wanted to pay tribute to Denmark, the only country that defended Jewish people during World War II.
8. Zara was inspired by a movie
© belart84 / Depositphotos © Zorba The Greek / 20th Century Fox
Amancio Ortega, its creator, first wanted to call the brand “Zorba,” after the movie Zorba, The Greek in 1964. But before the brand launched in 1975, he changed the name. Zorba was also the name of a bar just a few steps from his own store. So he took out the “b” and changed the “o” to an “a,” giving us one of the most famous Spanish brands in the world.
9. Amazon.com, a river of possibilities
Amazon started out in the garage of Jeff Bezos, first under the name of “Cadabra.” But Bezos’s first lawyer, a man named Todd Tarbert, thought the name sounded too much like the word “cadaver.” So Bezos selected “Amazon,” to relate the largest bookstore in the world to the longest river in the world...
© Amazon / Internetlivestats.com
10. Starbucks, the literary sailor
This world-famous café is closely related to the sea. The first Starbucks opened in Seattle, a port city. The Starbucks logo represents a mermaid with two tails. And the name Starbucks came from the ocean, specifically one found in English literature. In fact, its creators, Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegel, were English and History teachers, and Gordon Bowker was a writer. “Redhook” and “Cargo House” were two names that were almost chosen. Then, drawing inspiration from the name of the factory town of “Starbo,” Bowker was reminded of the first officer of the Pequod, the ship in Moby Dick. That officer’s name was “Starbuck.” They added an “s” – and 40 years later, the company is sailing with success.
By Straker Julia
Writer
Passionate about writing, I write articles on the subjects that I love. Creativity and Animals themes are my favorites!
