Effective Advertising: Brand names as names of the products

This very unoriginal thought just occurred to me today: people use brand names as the name of the product.

Credit

Here is the list of words I’d use on a regular basis:

• Kleenex = Facial Tissue Papers
• Band-Aid = Adhesive Bandages
• Chapstick = Lip Balm
• Clorox = Bleach
• Crazy Glue = Instant glue
• Crock-Pot = Slow Cooker
• iPod = MP3 Player
• Glad Wrap = Plastic Wrap
• Google = To search for something
• Jacuzzi = Hot Tub or Whirlpool Bath
• Jell-O = Gelatin dessert
• Post-Its = Sticky Notes
• PowerPoint = Electronic Presentation
• Q-Tips = Cotton Swabs
• Styrofoam = Polystyrene Foam (which I hate the sound of)
• Tupperware = Food Storage Containers
• Vaseline = Petroleum Jelly
• Xerox = To Photocopy
• Ziplock Bags = Reusable Zipper type storage bags

I know in other languages, they also use the brand name as the name for the product itself.

I of course, cannot think of any right now but I do remember hearing a lot of that in France when I was there, and asking what [brand name] was.

Totally unrelated random thought to words:

When I worked in fast food, I would ask if people wanted any cutlery with their takeout. 75% of the time, I’d get a blank stare until I waved the plastic fork and spoon in their face.

I finally learned to say: do you want a plastic knife, fork or spoon with that?

Why we didn’t just leave them out for people to take was beyond me, until I realized that people actually STEAL cutlery to use at home, even if they didn’t eat at the fastfood joint.