Large brands, their logos, products and even slogans are known by almost every inhabitant of the planet. Often, most people even know the names and faces of the founders of these companies, since it is difficult for such popular personalities to remain in the shadows. After all, not everyone can create a transcontinental empire.
Nevertheless, there are some creators who do not like to bask in the rays of glory and popular love. They have enough of those successes that bring business, and the fact that the name of the creator is not written on every billboard does not bother them. It's time to give these great people their due and tell a little about them.
Ferrero - Michele Ferrero
The creators of Kinder Surprise, Ferrero Rocher, Rafaello and Nutella took over the family chocolate business back in 1957. His ideas helped the business grow stronger and eventually become a world famous and beloved brand. Yes, Tic Tac is also Michele's idea. Sadly, the creator of the sweet empire passed away at the age of 89.
Lacoste - Rene Lacoste
And the creator of this world-famous brand was a tennis player. In the 1920s, tennis was played in long-sleeved shirts. For one of the tournaments, Rene made himself a polo shirt with short sleeves from a light knit fabric. In 1933, Lacoste retired from sports and organized his own company. Since during his sports career he was nicknamed the Alligator, it is clear where the logo came from.
Nike - Phil Knight
In his youth, Knight was fond of running, but the quality of sports shoes did not suit him at all. Then he founded Blue Ribbon Sports, which imported sneakers from Japan. Then, due to supply problems, Phil decided to start his own shoe company. Initially, it was supposed to be called "The Sixth Dimension", but acquaintances dissuaded him, and today we have an easily recognizable brand.
Pandora - Vinnie and Per Enywoldsen
In 1982, a small jewelry store was opened in Copenhagen, selling jewelry from Thailand. It was discovered by the couple Enivoldsen. In five years, the store has grown into a large company and it was decided to produce jewelry of its own production. In 2000, a self-assembly service became available, and since then, the Enywoldsens are the richest people in Denmark.
Instagram - Kevin Systrom
The creator of the most popular photo network was a Stanford student when he became interested in photography. Some time later, he managed to get some money, and with his friend Mike Krieger, he began developing a suitable platform. To stand out from the competition, the guys came up with special filters. The brand later bought Facebook for a billion dollars, and the number of users is growing by leaps and bounds.
Zara - Amancio Ortega
In the 70s, Amancio and his wife sewed custom-made nightgowns in their own living room, but after a series of failures, the couple decided to start selling the goods on their own. The first store appeared in 1975 in A Coruña. Since then, the company has been renamed Intitex and has opened a number of stores: Zara Home, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear, Bershka and many others. In August 2017, Ortega was even recognized as the richest man on the planet.
Starbucks - Howard Schultz
In 1971, the first Starbucks opened in Seattle - a store selling coffee beans and equipment. Only 16 years later, when it was bought by Schultz, who then owned the Il Giornale coffee chain, the institution began to transform. Drawing inspiration from classic Italian coffee houses, Howard Schultz was able to build a world famous empire.
Hard Rock Cafe - Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett
The Doors, while recording the Morrison Hotel album, stumbled upon a small establishment called the Hard Rock Cafe. They thought it was a funny coincidence, because the album was also recorded in the genre of hard rock, so the band members took several photos there, which ended up on the cover of the album. A year later, they received a call from Morton and Tigrett asking them to allow them to open an establishment with that name. This is where the history of the huge Hard Rock Cafe chain begins.
Myths and legends have long become a condition for the brand's success in the market. A product that cannot be told a story is not a brand. Well-known brands are shrouded in myths and legends, half of which are real facts from the history of their creation, and half are the fruit of the imagination of marketers. Western companies even have a special term "storytelling".
IKEA
When the first IKEA stores were opened in the United States, already gaining acceptance in Europe, furniture sales fell short of expectations. After some research, it turned out that while Americans liked the simplicity of the design, they wanted furniture to match the larger dimensions of their homes. All that had to be done was to increase the size of the furniture.
Western Union
Western Union owned almost all of the telegraph office in the United States. At the very beginning of his commercial activity, Alexander Bell, who at that time had many debts, turned to WU, offering to buy out the patent for the phone for only 100 thousand dollars, but the company refused to spend money, considering the phone a "toy" product. When the understanding of all the possibilities of telephone communication came, the leaders of WU decided not to contact Bell and create their own system. However, Bell, who started his own telephone company, sued WU and won. So Western Union lost its telephone business, which reduced demand for its main service - telegraph communications.
Pampers
Victor Mills, a leading chemist and technologist at Procter & Gamble, who helped his daughter look after the children, had to repeatedly pull out wet diapers from under his grandchildren, wash and dry them. Of course, he did not like the process and wanted to somehow make his life easier. Then the idea of \u200b\u200ba disposable "diaper" came to mind - a foldable pad with a high absorbency, which was planned to be placed in underpants of a special shape. After several experiments with different materials, Mills developed a new product for P&G, which began to be released under the Pampers trademark, which became a household name.
Chupa-Chups
The Chupa-Chups brand was founded in Spain in 1958 of the last century as part of the Granja Asturias company. Enrique Bernat was the first to create a lollipop (originally wooden) that could be sucked without getting your hands and clothes dirty. The design of the brand's logo to the owner of the company, Enrique Bernat, "by acquaintance" was drawn by the famous fellow countryman Salvador Dali. It was he who in 1969 invented the shape of the flower for the Chupa Chups logo, which, with minor modifications, has happily survived to this day. He also suggested placing the logo not on the side, but on top of the candy.
Land rover
The Land Rover brand emblem has remained essentially intact for six decades. It is said that the design of the logo was inspired by a jar of sardines. One of the engineers allegedly forgot it in the drawings. The oil print from the can was copied and proposed as a silhouette for the emblem of the new car.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola was invented by pharmacist John Pemberton, consisted of coca leaves and cola nuts, patented as a medication for nervous disorders, and sold in pharmacies. Cocaine at that time was not a prohibited substance, and nothing was known about its health risks, so it was often added for pleasure and tone to drinks instead of alcohol - Coca-Cola was not an innovation in this. When cocaine was banned, Coca-Cola was partly blamed for its popularization. Cocaine was excluded from the drink, but the positioning of the product did not change and its popularity grew exponentially.
Lacoste
The captain of the French tennis team promised a crocodile suitcase to Rene Lacoste if he wins the Davis Cup. Because of this dispute, which, incidentally, won Rene, the American press nicknamed the tennis player "alligator". In France, the nickname Lacoste was changed to "crocodile" and stuck with him because of his stubborn and tenacious behavior on the court. Robert George, a friend of Lacoste's, drew a crocodile for him, which was later embroidered on the short-sleeved shirt the athlete wore.
Swarovski
Daniel Swarovski created the world's first electric grinding machine for cutting crystal and gemstones, which allowed him to streamline the process of creating rhinestones. Rhinestones were named after Georges Frederic Strass, a famous fraudulent jeweler of the 18th century, who passed off faceted crystal shards as diamonds. Thanks to Swarovski's flair and taste, the imitation has risen on a par with the original, and the name has become a world famous brand.
Apple
According to one of the legends, Apple owes its logo, bitten by an apple, to the brilliant mathematician, the progenitor of the modern computer, who made a huge contribution to computer science and suffered for his non-traditional sexual orientation, Alan Turing.
Turing was a homosexual, which was illegal in the UK at the time, and homosexuality was considered a mental illness. In 1952, Turing was charged with sodomy and convicted. He was offered two sentences to choose from - either imprisonment or suppression of libido with injections of the female hormone estrogen, which was essentially chemical castration. The scientist chose the latter.
Growing breasts and decreased libido were one of the effects. In addition, as a result of the conviction, he lost his job and the right to work in the field of cryptography. For a whole year, the scientist lived in seclusion, and then committed suicide, poisoned by cyanide potassium. The cyanide solution was injected by Turing into the apple, which he bitten and died. The apple was found on the night table next to the dead body.
Nestle
The original logo for Nestlé, founded in the 60s of the 19th century, looked like this: a nest with three chicks and their mother. Henri Nestlé used the family coat of arms as a trademark for his first products. At that time, parents and three children were considered a traditional family. Later, closer to the middle of the 20th century, traditions changed. The logo has also changed. Now in the nest, traditionally for Europe, there are only 2 chicks.
Ariel
Further, a joint study by P&G and Levi Strauss Jeans showed that employees in casual clothes are more creative and perform much more efficiently than those who wear suits. And what did they do? P&G internally introduces the right to wear casual clothes on Friday. The news received huge coverage in the press through the efforts of both companies, and many corporations followed suit. The laundry detergent market has grown by 20%.
Pirelli
In 2002, Pirelli broke with more than forty years of tradition and released its famous calendar with photographs of women dressed rather than naked. On the cover of the publication was a photo of a girl in an autumn coat, and the seventeen-year-old niece of the then President of the United States, George W. Bush, was chosen as a model. Lauren Bush, the granddaughter of the 41st President of the United States (Bush Sr.), was just happy and shared her emotions with reporters: “I talked to my grandparents and they were happy. And when I said that I would be wearing clothes in the photo, they were even more delighted. "
Absolut
Uncle Ben's
The prototype for Uncle Ben is Frank Brown, the head waiter of one of the pre-war Chicago restaurants frequented by Mars executives. Uncle Ben's image is tied to American folklore. One of the old stories tells of a black farmer who was famous throughout the country for his excellent quality and taste of rice.
Michelin
At the beginning of the twentieth century, especially in the twenties, every large factory or small workshop acquired its own brand name. These were heroes of mythology, and images of animals (Peugeot the lion and Lacoste crocodile), and symbols created from the company's products, such as Bibendum. Bibendum was created by the cartoonist O'Galop in 1898, who brought the idea of \u200b\u200bAndré Michelin to life. The myth says that all the models were stacked on top of each other at the bicycle tire show. The resulting stack was shaped very much like a fat man. For more than 100 years, Bibendum has undergone major changes, but it has remained a character of the Michelin concern.
Mazda
Zoom-zoom is an imitation of the sound of a fast moving object. "Zoom-zoom" is spoken by English-speaking boys playing with toy cars. And this is how Mazda creates the image of a brand with a sporty character, capable of driving the customer into a truly childish delight. By the way, when talking about Ferrari they use the expression “Vroom-vroooom”, and Mini Cooper makes “Beep-beep”.
Heinz
Red bull
The energy drink Red Bull was born in 1982, when Dietrich Mateschitz, during a business trip to East Asia, became interested in the widespread energy drinks there. He acquired the licensing rights for the well-known Thai brand Krating Daeng (translated from Thai as "red bull") and the use of the recipe from Taisho Pharmaceuticals (Japan. When the drink was introduced to the wide market (Europe, USA), Coca-Cola , and Pepsi, and Molson, and Labatt, and Anheuser-Busch.The concept was similar for all - they toned up and stimulated, and the energetic Jolt Cola contained, among other things, a dose of caffeine that was doubled compared to Red Bull.
Then Dietrich Mateschitz took a risky step: he artificially raised the price twice compared to competitors, reduced the volume of containers in the shape of a battery, and began to place cans in stores not in the beverage departments, but in any other (note, when in the next Once you go to the store - Red Bull cans, along with the rest of the energy drinks, can be found almost in the sausage department, including the alcoholic one).
In addition, Red Bull crates were distributed free of charge to students on university campuses. At student revels, Red Bull went with a bang, because by chance and happy coincidence of circumstances, it was quickly discovered that he was perfectly suited to vodka. This is how the new and very popular Vodka Red Bull cocktail was born.
Hewlett-Packard
HP founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would appear first. As you can imagine, Bill won.
Adidas and puma
It is known that the Adidas company got its name in honor of one of the founders, Adolf Dasler. And Puma was created by his brother Rudolf Dasler. There is a legend that the father of the Dasler brothers worked all his life as a baker. Adolf and Rudolf Dasler together opened a workshop for tailor-made sports shoes. Adolf had the qualities of a designer, Rudolph - a marketer.
After the Second World War and the death of their father, the brothers had a serious quarrel and divided the no longer small company "Dassler" (about 60 people) in half. This happened in the German town of Herzogenaurach, which was also divided by the brothers' quarrel into two parts. The workers of these factories went only to their taverns, drank different beers, their children attended different schools. The companies maintained their own soccer teams.
And until now, an employee of one company will be immediately fired if he is seen wearing shoes or clothing produced by a competitor.
Each famous brand has its own logo by which it is recognized. Usually this logo is small and simple, but some of them are elaborate and mysterious. The history of the emergence of such specific logos of several of the world's most influential fashion houses - in this article.
Lacoste
An old and respected brand. Their logo - a tiny green alligator - is known to everyone who loves fashion. In 1927, during the Davis Cup, the American press dubbed Lacoste the "alligator" over a controversy over which the winner of the tournament got a suitcase made of alligator skin. In France, Lacoste's nickname was changed to "crocodile" and stuck with him because of his stubborn and tenacious behavior on the court, where Lacoste never forgave his opponents mistakes.Robert George, a friend of Lacoste, drew a crocodile for him, which was later embroidered on the blazer in which the athlete performed, and then established itself as a logo for all things the company produces.
Fendi
In 1925, the brand emerged as the name of a married couple who opened their first store. And only in 1952, the Fendi family decided to invite a professional designer, German Karl Lagerfeld, who laid the foundation for the brand, making it the way we see it now. The designer also developed a memorable logo that is still used today. The double letter "F", apparently, symbolizes the Fendi spouses.
Chanel
The famous Chanel logo was first shown to the fashion world in 1925 on a bottle of Chanel # 5. There are several versions about the origin of the picture. One story says that two crossed horseshoes are a symbol of success and good fortune. However, most fashion historians are inclined to believe that the emblem is the initials of Coco Chanel, the founder of the French design house.
Calvin klein
November 19, 1942 is the date of birth of the famous designer. Having started his atelier with the release of men's outerwear, Klein gradually moved on to design clothes for women. In the 1970s, the designer adapted the classic men's suit for women's fashion. In 1970, he introduced the PeaCoat, a double-breasted short coat with wide lapels.
This model became not only a hit of the season, but also determined the fashion of women's outerwear for almost a whole decade. Company logo - CK is easy to remember and gives a connection to the brand. The dark emblem is used on Haute couture clothing, the gray emblem is for regular garments, while the white emblem is for sportswear.
Hermes
Erme is a French design corporation that is directly associated with impeccable taste and first-class style. Designer Erme's logo depicts
a horse with a cart, which is very symbolic for the brand - the history of the company began in 1837, when Thierry Hermes founded a private company for the production of horse harnesses. Hermes is the name of the founder.
For the next five generations of this family, they constantly expanded their production, creating a real Hermes empire. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Hermes production was supplemented by leather goods and luggage bags. At the same time, a unique technology for processing leather products with a special "saddle" stitch was applied. The Hermes style was born.
Burberry prorsum
The company's success began with the invention of a waterproof material - gabardine - and its use in raincoats and long waterproof coats for soldiers. In 1901 Burberry already had a large order for these clothes. He marked the order with his new emblem - a horse rider in armor and a spear in his hand was registered as a trademark of the brand. The knight's costume was a copy of the original.
The Latin word "Prorsum", used in heraldry as a motto meaning "Forward", reflects the company's commitment to progressive innovation, and the spear is a symbol of the protection of tradition.
Versace
Versace's logo is symbolically associated with Greek mythology. The head of Medusa Gorgon, as conceived by the couturier, symbolizes the fact that with his collections he turns viewers to stone. The designer's logo was invented in 1978 by Gianni Versace himself, who was obsessed with classic themes. So, jellyfish was the best option for him, since it was she who he considered "the embodiment of fatal attraction."
All ingenious is simple. The short stories of the origin of the names of world famous brands collected in this material once again confirm this law of life.
Adidas
The founder of Adidas was named Adolf Dassler, or Adi for short. His first company was called even more unpretentious - Dassler, but by agreement with the co-founder of Dassler, brother Rudolph, with whom they had a hard fight 60 years ago, none of them had the right to use this name anymore.
Adobe systems
In 1982, 40-year-old Xerox programmers John Warnock and Charles Geschke quit their jobs and formed a software company. They named it Adobe, after the stream that ran behind Warnock's house.
Apple
Apple is founder Steve Jobs' favorite fruit. After three months of futile attempts to find a name for the new business, he gave his partners an ultimatum: "I will name Apple if you don’t offer the best by 5 o'clock." Apple Macintosh is the name of an apple variety sold in the United States.
Audi
Audi is Latin for "listen!" This is the Latin version of the surname of the founder of the company - August Horch
Bmw
BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke. English version - Bavarian Motor Works.
Canon
In 1930, in Japan, Goro Yoshida and his half-brother Saburo Uchida created a company with an unspoken name, Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in Japan. Four years later, developments led to the creation of their first camera, which they named Kwanon, in honor of the thousand-handed Buddhist deity of mercy.
The company registered a lot of words to protect its trademark, which were similar in sound to Kwanon. One of them - already known to us Canon - eventually replaced the original name due to disagreements with religious leaders. Canon translates from English as "Canon", and from French - "Cannon".
Casio
In honor of the company founder Kashio Tadao.
Cisco
Acronym for San Francisco.
Coca-Cola
The main ingredients of Coca-Cola, at the opening of the drink, were as follows: three parts of coca leaves (from the same leaves the drug cocaine was obtained) to one part of the nuts of the tropical cola tree.
Compaq
From Comp and paq (small integrated part).
Corel
In honor of the founder of the company, Michael Cowpland (Dr. Michael Cowpland). Stands for COwpland REsearch Laboratory (Copeland Research Laboratory).
Daewoo
The founder of the company, Kim Woo Chong, called the company modestly, "Big Universe", which is how it is translated from Korean.
FIAT
The company was founded in 1899. Fiat is an abbreviation for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Plant of Turin). In addition, this abbreviation can be translated from Latin as an independent word that is often used in church use - "let it be."
Fuji
Everything is very simple here, in honor of the highest and most famous mountain in Japan, Fuji.
This is the second name of the most famous search engine in the world, the first was BackRub. But it was soon replaced by Google. This is a slightly altered word "googol", denoting the last of the numbers that have at least some meaning - one with a hundred zeros.
Hallmark
One of the most famous companies in the world in the industry of congratulations (postcards, etc.). Hallmark means the hallmark that English guild masters have placed on their products since the 14th century, as evidence that the guild is a guarantee of quality.
Honda
The founder's name is Soichiro Honda.
Hotmail
Founder Jack Smith came up with the idea of \u200b\u200baccessing email via the web from anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with a business plan for the service, he went through all the words ending in "mail" and eventually settled on hotmail, as the title was HTML (markup language).
HP (Hewlett-Packard)
Founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would appear first. As you can imagine, Bill won.
Hyundai
In Korean, "present" (tense).
IBM
The IBM company was formed in 1924, its name stands for International Business Machines ("International business machines").
IKEA
Ingvar Kamprad (founding father) lmtaryd (home farm) A gunnaryd (home village in Småland, Sweden, where young Ingvar Kamprad was born and started his pen mailing business).
Intel
Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name the company Moore Noyce, but by that time there was already a chain of hotels with that name. So they decided to stick with INTegrated ELectronics.
Kodak
K is the favorite letter of George Eastman, the founder of the company. He was looking for words that begin and end with this wonderful letter. Moreover, in all alphabets "K" is spelled the same way. In the end, Kodak was chosen, supposedly this is the sound the camera makes when shooting.
Lego
Derived from two Danish words: leg ("play") and got ("good"). And in translation from Latin lego means “I read”, “I connect”.
Lg
Initially, these were two separate organizations: the cosmetics company Lucky Chemical Industrial (since 1947) and the GoldStar radio-electronic plant (since 1958). After the merger, the company received the name Lucky Goldstar, and in 1995 changed it to LG Electronics, simply shortening the name to an abbreviation.
Microsoft
MICROcomputer SOFTware. It was originally written as Micro-Soft. Then the line was removed.
Mitsubishi
Invented by the founder of the company Yataro Iwasaki in 1870. translated from Japanese mitsu - three, and hishi - diamond. The letter "b" turned out to be the sixth not because of an error, but due to the fact that the Japanese usually pronounce the "h" in the middle of the word as "b". As for the logo, then, contrary to the prevailing opinion, it is he who is primary, and not the name. And it looks like this because the trefoil was the family crest of the founder of the company.
Motorola
Founder Paul Galvin came up with the name when his company started making car radios. Many audio component manufacturers at the time ended with "ola", the fashion was so weird.
NEC
Abbreviation for Nippon Electric Company, Ltd, abbreviated in 1983.
Nike
In 1978, Blue Ribbon Sports was officially renamed Nike, Inc. It is believed that the name is taken from the name of the goddess of victory Nika.
Nikon
Originally Nippon Kogaku means "Japanese optics".
Nintendo
Composite of three Japanese characters "Nin-ten-do", which can be translated as "Heaven blesses hard work." It's so hard to play.
Nissan
Formerly known as Nippon Sangio, which means Japanese Industry.
Nokia
In 1865, Knut Fredrik Idestam founded a pulp and paper mill in southwestern Finland. The company began to bear the name Nokia after it moved to the bank of the Nokianvirta river in the city, in fact, Nokia. The very word "Nokia" in Finnish means a dark, very furry animal, something like an ermine.
Pepsi
First manufactured in 1890s in New Bern, North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham. On August 28, 1898, Brad's Drink was renamed Pepsi-Cola. The Pepsi-Cola trademark was registered on June 16, 1903. According to one of the versions, Caleb Bradham derived the name "Pepsi" from the word pepsin (a digestive enzyme that helps to break down protein). According to another version, Caleb Bradham borrowed the name "Pep Kola" from one of the local competitors, slightly corrected it and named his drink Pepsi-Cola.
According to another version, Caleb and his visitors simply liked the sound of this word, since it reflected the fact that the carbonated drink gave a certain vigor and energy (pep - pep, energy, liveliness).
Philips
The company is named after its founder, Friedrich Philips and his son Gerard, who founded it in 1891 in Eindhoven to manufacture light bulbs. They have not refused to bring light to the people to this day, but they have replenished their assortment with a couple of hundred more items.
Puma
This company was owned by the brother of the Adidas founder, Rudolf Dassler. After the historical scandal in the Dassler company, the brothers dispersed on different sides of the river and each founded their own enterprise. Initially, Puma was called Ruda, in honor of, as you know, Rudolph himself, but the name had to be changed in favor of euphony and memorability, leaving the base - four letters, the same vowels, a similar first consonant.
Samsung
Translated from Korean "samsung" means "three stars".
Sanyo
In Chinese "Three oceans".
Sharp
The origins of the etymology lie in the 10s of the last century, when Tokuji Hayakawa, a Tokyo resident, began producing a branded product - an ever-sharp mechanical pencil that does not require sharpening. Sharp is "sharp" in English.
Siemens
Founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens.
Sony
The original name of the company in Japanese was "Tokyo Tsushin Koge Kabushiki Kaisa" and translated into English as "Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company". The founders of the company, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuki, were looking for a suitable word for a short name for a long time and stumbled upon the Latin word sonus (sound). In the 1950s, the American word sonny was popular in Japan, which is consonant with the word sonus and the word sunny. What could be better? But the word sonny, written in hieroglyphs, meant “unprofitable”. Then Akio Morita came up with the idea of \u200b\u200bdeleting one letter "n" and named the company "Sony".
Subaru
By the name of the constellation Pleiades, which in Greek was also called the "Seven Sisters". And that's just the "Seven Sisters" in Japanese "Subaru". Literally into Russian, brnedname is translated as "to unite into one whole." The constellation of the Pleiades is displayed on the company logo.
Swatch
Acronym for Swiss Watch ("Swiss watch")
Toshiba
It got its name from the abbreviation in 1978 of the former name Tokyo Shibaura Elektric Co., Ltd, obtained through the merger of Tokyo Denki, which was engaged in household electrical appliances, and Shibaura Seisaku-sho, which produced heavy electrical equipment.
Toyota
By the name of the founder Sakichi Toyoda. Subsequently changed to a more euphonious Toyota. In Japanese, it consisted of 8 letters (a lucky number in Eastern culture).
Viagra
The first part of the word, "vi-", is taken from the words virility (potency), vitality (vitality), vigor (energy). And the ending "-agra" means "catch", "grab."
Xerox
Comes from the Greek "Xer", which, contrary to the guesses of especially witty comrades, is translated as "dry". The fact is that at the time of writing the name for the future copying giant (the end of the 40s) there was only wet copying, and the author wanted to emphasize the use of dry powder dye in the technology. In English-speaking countries, the brand name does not sound "copier", but "zirox".
Yahoo
The word was coined by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver's Travels. That was the name of one nasty tribe that Gulliver had to face in his travels. Founders of "Yahoo!" Jerry Yang and David Filo chose this name because they called themselves yahoo. Besides, it's such a cry of joy.
3M
The mathematical notation of the three-fourths of the acronym for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company).
What happens if you translate the names of famous companies into Russian: literally, creatively, with humor, or all together.
What shapes do you see? It's just your imagination ... 
English graphic designer Graham Smith created the original Brand Reversioning series, in which he replaced the corporate identity of one brand with the corporate identity of another, often competing with it. 
Facts about the origin of the names of famous world brands
Adobe - named after the Adobe Creek, which flowed behind the home of company founder John Warnock.
Adidas - in honor of one of the founders of Adi Dasler.
Apple - the favorite fruit of the founder of the company Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs). After three months of vain attempts to find a name for the new business, he gave his partner an ultimatum: "I will name Apple if you don’t come up with something better by 5 o'clock." Apples Macintosh is the name of an apple variety marketed in the United States.
Canon - in honor of Kwanon, the Buddhist god of mercy. Changed to Canon to avoid religious protests.
Casio - in honor of the founder of the company Kashio Tadao.
Cisco - San Francisco for short.
Compaq - from Comp and paq (small integrated part).
Corel - in honor of the founder of the company Michael Copeland (Dr. Michael Cowpland). Stands for COwpland REsearch Laboratory (Copeland Research Laboratory).
Daewoo - the founder of the company, Kim Woo Chong, called the company modestly, "Big Universe", that is how it is translated from Korean.
Fuji - in honor of the highest mountain in Japan, Fuji.
Google - the name comes from the word Googol, meaning one followed by 100 zeros. And Google was written on a check that the founders of this project (including, by the way, a former Russian - Sergey Brin) received from the first investor. After that, they named the search engine that way.
HP (Hewlett-Packard) - Founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would be the first in the title. As you can imagine, Bill won.
Hitachi - dawn in Japanese.
Honda - the name of the founder of Soichiro Honda.
Honeywell - the name of the founder, Mark Honeywell.
Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea to access email via the web from anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with a business plan for the service, he went through all the words ending in "mail" and eventually settled on hotmail, as the title was HTML (markup language).
Hyundai - in Korean "present" (tense).
IBM - International Business Machines.
Intel - Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name the company Moore Noyce, but by that time there was already a chain of hotels with that name. So they decided to stick with INTegrated ELectronics.
Kawasaki - in honor of the founder Shozo Kawasaki.
Kodak - K is the favorite letter of George Eastman, the founder of the company. He was looking for words that begin and end with this wonderful letter. Moreover, in all alphabets "K" is spelled the same way. In the end, Kodak was chosen, supposedly this is the sound the camera produces when shooting.
Konica - formerly known as Konishiroku Kogaku.
Lg Are the first letters of the two Korean brands Lucky and Goldstar.
Lotus - Mitch Kapor, founder of the company, practiced meditation. Hence the name (lotus pose).
Microsoft - MICROcomputer SOFTware. It was originally written as Micro-Soft. Then the line was removed.
Mitsubishi - invented by the founder of the company Yataro Iwasaki in 1870. In Japanese it means “Three Diamonds”. The name is also displayed in the company logo.
Motorola - Founder Paul Galvin came up with the name when his company started making car radios. Many manufacturers of audio components at the time ended in "ola".
Mozilla Foundation Is the successor to the Netscape Navigator browser. When Marc Andreesen, the founder of Netscape, created a browser to replace Mosaic, the company called it Mozilla (Mosaic-Killer, Godzilla).
Nabisco - originally "The NAtional BISCuit COmpany", changed to Nabisco in 1971.
Nikon - originally Nippon Kogaku, means "Japanese optics".
Nintendo - Composite of 3 Japanese characters "Nin-ten-do", which can be translated as "heaven bless hard work."
Nissan - formerly known as Nichon Sangio, which means "Japanese industry".
Nokia - began as a woodworking plant, expanded to the production of rubber products in the Finnish city of Nokia.
Novell - the name was invented by the wife of co-founder George Canova. She mistakenly thought “Novell” in French means “new”.
Oracle - Company founders Larry Ellison and Bob Oats worked on a consulting project for the CIA, codenamed Oracle. Subsequently, the project was closed, but the name remained.
Sanyo - in Chinese "Three oceans".
SAP - "Systems, Applications, Productss in Data Processing" was founded by 4 former IBM employees who worked in the Systems / Applications / Projects group.
SCO - from the Santa Cruz Operation.
Siemens - founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens.
Sony - from the Latin "Sonus" (sound) and "sonny" (youngster in slang).
Subaru - by the name of the constellation. It is also displayed on the company logo.
SUN - founded by 4 university friends, short for Stanford University Network.
Suzuki - named after the founder Michio Suzuki.
Toshiba - was founded after the merger of the consumer goods company Tokyo Denki (Tokyo Electric Co) and the Shibaura Seisaku-sho electric company (Shibaura Engineering Works).
Toyota - named after the founder Sakichi Toyoda. Later it was changed to a more noble Toyota. In Japanese, it consisted of 8 letters (the lucky number in Japan).
Xerox - The inventor, Chestor Carlson, wanted to include the word "dry" in the title (since at that time there was only wet copying). "Xer" - dry in Greek.
Yahoo - the word was coined by Jonathan Swift in the book "Gulliver's Travels". That was the name of a repulsive, disgusting person. Founders of "Yahoo!" Jerry Yang and David Filo chose this name because they called themselves yahoo's. However, now the name stands for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.
3M - Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
The industrial revolution gave impetus to the development of scientific and technological progress. The transition from a traditional society to an industrial one was accompanied by the improvement of technologies, the appearance of new goods on the world market, and an increase in the range of existing ones. Then the need arose to delimit the products of one segment. The information society dictated its own laws, the keen eye of the consumer was looking for something new, unique and special. Producers whose products met the expectations of the masses received worldwide recognition, falling in love with more than one generation. However, few people know that the stories of famous brands are primarily stories of ordinary people., who did not at all strive for fame, rather, on the contrary, suffered from crisis and poverty.
Hugo Boss: clothing for soldiers of the Third Reich
Today, the Hugo Boss company produces luxury clothing under the separate Hugo and Boss brands, perfumes, as well as sunglasses and watches. Recently, Hugo Boss has launched a mobile phone together with Samsung.
It all started back in 1923, when the tailor Hugo Ferdinand Boss founded a textile manufacturing company in the small German town of Metzingen. The family business was run by several people - the close circle of the Boss. A small shop soon opened. The tailor's clients were mainly police officers and workers. But things are going badly, and in 1930, Hugo Boss announces the closure of the business.
However, the enterprising tailor did not have to sit around. Having entered the lava of the National Socialist Party of Germany in 1931, he again opens his own business, this time on a large scale - a clothing factory. The enterprise is gradually growing, so the owner is forced to use prisoners of war from different European countries as a labor force: France, Poland, Austria, etc. It was a period of success and recognition, the Boss's clients included Wehrmacht officers, high-ranking officials of Nazi Germany and even Hitler's close associates.
After the end of World War II, the tailor was accused of collaborating with the Nazis, fined and deprived of the opportunity to vote. Apparently, never recovered from the blow, Hugo Boss dies in 1948.
After that, the factory passed into the hands of his son-in-law, Eugen Holi. Clothes for handymen and postmen are being released again. In 1953, the firm launched the first men's suit. It was this event that heralded the new future of Hugo Boss as a luxury clothing brand.
In 1967, the founder's grandchildren, Jochen and Uwe Holi, became the head of the company. For the first time, they are promoting the brand, which makes it famous and recognized all over the world.
In the 70s of the twentieth century, the company turns into a fashion house, which brings together famous fashion designers and designers.
The release of a perfume line, a collection of clothes for children, a demonstration of a mobile phone under our own trademark - this is how we know the Hugo Boss brand today: luxurious, refined and unique.
Tefal and Teflon: they found each other
The history of the Tefal trademark, one of the most famous world brands, begins in 1954 and is associated with the great discovery of the French engineer and fisherman Marc Gregoire. As he pondered how to fix the sticking problem of a telescopic spinning rod, he discovered that polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon can be applied to aluminum surfaces. The case was put into practice, and the problem with the sliding system of the fishing device disappeared forever.
At first, Gregoire's discovery was used in areas far from the manufacture of kitchen appliances, mainly in the design of aerospace technology.
The first Teflon-coated pan was made by the Gregoire family. The couple realized that aluminum, to which nothing sticks, is salvation for hundreds of thousands of women. After the successful test of the miracle frying pan by the discoverer's wife, a long period of obtaining a patent began.
In 1956 the Tefal company was established. The newly minted manufacturer received a brilliant name, a combination of two words - TEFlon and Aluminum. The pans quickly gained the trust of both housewives and experienced chefs. In 1958, more than a million pans were sold, a year later, about three.
In the 60s, the Tefal brand, recognized in Europe, began to conquer the overseas market. In America, they were delighted with the novelty, selling about a million pans a month.
Business thrived, with non-stick frying pan businesses set up all over the world. Then Marc Gregoire decided to transfer the furrows of management to experienced managers, and he himself took up what he loved - invention. And as always, he achieved an excellent result. Soon, Tefal expanded the range of its products - the production of household appliances was added to the manufacture of various kitchen appliances.
Nike is a brand recognizable by a tick
The legend of the brand began in 1964 when American student Phil Knight was faced with the problem of choosing athletic shoes. He was a runner and needed comfortable shoes for training. Then on sale there were only branded Adidas sneakers, which only the world champion in running could afford, and ordinary sports shoes for $ 5, after wearing which the legs hurt.
Phil Knight studied economics at Stanford University, the idea to create his own brand came to him at one of the seminars on marketing. Each student was engaged in his own project. As a homework assignment, it was necessary to think over a business development strategy and marketing plan. So the first steps were taken in the development of a global brand.
Phil believed in his idea to the end. Therefore, when it came time to decide how to produce affordable and high-quality shoes, he was not at a loss, because he had already matured a plan. The student travels to Japan and contracts with a local company to supply sneakers overseas.
At first, Blue Ribbon Sports (it was called that way) did not even have its own store. Phil traveled around the country in a van, selling shoes on the street.
One day he met a man named Jeff Johnson. Everything has changed since then. The seasoned athlete turned out to be an excellent marketer who launched a brand promotion campaign.
In 1965, the founders of the company came up with a new name for it - Nike. Johnson allegedly dreamed of the winged goddess of victory, Nick.
A simple to the point of genius, the swoosh logo appeared in 1971. It was invented by Portland University student Carolyn Davidson for only $ 30. Later, Phil Knight would reform and reward her with a diamond figurine and even give her part of the company's shares.
The famous checkmark is called "Swoosh", translated from English "flying with a whistle". She symbolizes the wing of the goddess who brings victory.
Indeed, Nike has defeated many of its competitors, but its main achievement is the trust of a huge number of people from all over the world.
Popular brands that have long been recognized all over the world, as a rule, were created by ordinary people. Often the stories of famous brands are an amazing series of coincidences that combine into an incredible sequence of events, giving birth to legends before the eyes of generations.
If you are planning to launch your own product on the market, KOLORO specialists will help you create, come up with a fascinating history of its development.
Today, within the framework of our section "World Brands", we decided to deviate a bit from the tradition of publication topics and talk about seemingly ordinary products - scissors, but their price starts from 1000 euros. In the modern world, the origin of a thing often speaks of its quality. Think, for example, a Swiss watch, a German car, Russian caviar. All these things are united not only by the high price, but also ...
Even children know that the world around them is made up of particles. We recently had the opportunity to look at such particles with the naked eye. Moreover, now you can even touch them. The conversation will be about Lego. People spend about 5 billion hours collecting blocks every year. If this number is divided by all the inhabitants of the earth, you get about an hour for each.
There are cars that are good on their own. It is a pleasure to ride them. Such cars include cars of the famous brand "Bugatti". The French company "Bugatti" and its amazing products have left a noticeable mark in the history of the world automotive industry. Therefore, today, within the framework of our permanent heading "World Brands", we will acquaint you with the history of the creation and development of the famous Bugatti brand.
Today, in the "World Brands" section, we decided to publish the biography of one of the most secretive, but at the same time popular women in Russia. It will be about the ex-wife of Vladimir Putin - Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Putin (nee Shkrebneva). In 1958, on January 2, Lyudmila Shkrebneva (Putin) was born in Kaliningrad. Lyudmila's father worked first as a postman, and then as a turner at a repair plant, and her mother worked in ...
There are many examples when young people, keen on an idea, achieved a lot in their lives. Some of them did not have a rich inheritance, while others struggled to the top of fame literally out of poverty. There are many examples of this. One of the upsides was made by a poor teenager named Jason Daniels, carrying the famous taste and recipe of Jack Daniels whiskey through the years. Mr. Daniels was very devoted to his beloved ...
Today, under the heading "World Brands" Andrey Shipilov has prepared for you a publication about the largest fast food chain in the world. The future owner of thousands of restaurants around the world, Fred de Luca was born into a family of immigrants from Italy in 1948. From an early age, the boy tried to earn money on his own and his parents saw that a big man would grow out of their child. Beginning with...
In Germany (in Wiesbaden), in October 96 of the last century, shocking information about the well-known speculator of the planet - George Soros was printed on the pages of the report of the bureau called the Executive Intelligence Review. Soros was accused of global scams and speculations that affected the lives of the common population of entire countries. Until now, a number of experts believe that he ruined the main bank of England, whose management in response ...
Bernard Arnault is the owner of LVMH, a successful French businessman. Born 03/05/1949 in a wealthy family. Already in his youth, Bernard Arnault began to be interested in luxurious things, he studied fashion trends, art and was versed in good wines. Bernard Arnault is known in the world as the number one figure in the production of luxury goods and wealth. Arno controls at least sixty brands from the world ...
December 25 is the birthday of Conrad Hilton, the man who built the hospitality empire and took the hospitality industry to the next level. Hilton corporation and 9 other legendary companies of our time - in a special ELLE review.
Microsoft
Microsoft founder Bill Gates showed his talent as a programmer back in school by developing a class schedule that allowed him to be in a class with as many girls as possible every time. Who would have thought then that ahead of the savvy teenager - the creation of a multinational corporation that will develop the world's most popular operating system Windows. Gates decided to found his own business in 1975, and in less than forty years his brainchild has gone from three employees and 16 thousand dollars in a bank to the status of a business giant (almost 90 thousand people in the state) and the largest manufacturer of software, mobile phones and computing technology. By the way, if you decide to try your luck and become part of the Microsoft team, keep in mind that the company is very pleased to welcome women into its ranks and even hosts summer camps for high school students to spark their interest in the industry. But despite this, be prepared for an extraordinary selection procedure (for example, during testing, candidates have to answer questions such as "why are sewer manholes in a round shape"), as well as fierce competition - an average of 1 million 300 per vacancy in the company thousand resumes.
McDonald's
Brothers Mac and Dick McDonald pioneered fast food, opening the first self-service restaurant in December 1948. It is likely that their business would have remained a California-wide project if it were not for a nimble supplier of cocktail mixers named Ray Kroc, who, by the way, was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time of meeting the McDonald's. It was he who believed in the future of the company and launched the sale of franchises, and in 1961 bought the business from the brothers for $ 2.7 million. The company was founded by him in 1955, and already in 1965 he operated more than 700 restaurants in the United States. The first overseas McDonald's opened in Canada in 1967, after which the hamburger corporation began its triumphant march across the planet. In Russia, the opening of the first McDonald's took place on January 31, 1990 and caused an incredible excitement: as many as 30 thousand people lined up in line for overseas cheeseburgers, despite the frost. By the way, respecting the local traditions of different countries, the company adapts the menu and the design of dishes: for example, there is no Big Mac in the menu of restaurants in India, but there is Maharaja Mac made from lamb meat. In total, McDonald's has more than 35 thousand restaurants in the world, and despite the scandals and legal proceedings (it is worth remembering at least the story with the sensational documentary "Double portion", as well as the recent trial won by Jamie Oliver), the company remains incredibly popular : more than 70 million people become its clients every day.
Dell
Michael Dell was not brilliant in school, but at the age of 12 he showed an outstanding talent as an entrepreneur, earning $ 2,000 thanks to the distribution of a subscription to the magazine. A simple craft opened up a direct selling technique for the young businessman: Dell learned the names of newlyweds by sending them greeting cards with an offer for a two-week free subscription. Amazingly, this technology of direct selling later became the proprietary know-how of the Dell business empire - a developer, manufacturer and seller of computers, servers and software. The company (which Dell founded at the age of 19, having $ 1,000 in his pocket) for the first time in its industry refused to work with intermediaries and excluded warehouses from the business chain: computers are assembled here only by order from a client and delivered directly to the buyer, offering them as bonus constant service support, minimum prices and numerous gifts-bonuses. It was Dell that pioneered the sale of computers over the Internet for the first time in its industry. Unsurprisingly, with such bold innovation and exceptional customer focus, the corporation topped Fortune magazine's 2005 list of Admired Companies.
Inditex
If the name of the Spanish company Inditex doesn't tell you much, believe me, you are very familiar with its brands: Zara, Oysho, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius - and this is not the whole list. The history of the corporation began in the 70s, when the Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega decided to open a store of inexpensive but fashionable clothes and named it Zara. The business proved to be successful, Ortega continued to open more and more stores, which in 1985 formed the Inditex holding. Further - more: within the framework of the corporation new brands were born, each with its own style and target audience, then there were stores of textiles, accessories, footwear. Thanks to the variety of brands and the ability to instantly respond to the dynamics of demand, Inditex has become a real business empire, demonstrating fantastic growth rates. Today the company owns more than 5 thousand retail outlets on all 5 continents and does not plan to stop there.
Disney
The most popular empire of family entertainment, Disney Corporation has gone from a tiny studio in a garage to one of the world's strongest giants in nine decades. Animation was a clear vocation of Disney: he began to draw comics from the age of seven, took a course in caricature and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. Starting in 1923 with cartoons about Alice in Wonderland, five years later he introduced Mickey Mouse to the public (who, by the way, he himself voiced), and seven years later he received an Oscar - the first of a record 29! In 1937, Disney presented the world with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the highest-grossing film of all time (surpassed only by Gone with the Wind), opening an era of full-length cartoons. This was followed by the classics "Bambi", "Dumbo", "Beauty and the Beast", the company gained a whole army of fans. After numerous letters from viewers asking them to visit his studio, Disney decided to open a new business - an amusement park, which eventually became a guarantee of the company's financial stability and made Walt's heirs billionaires: by 1960, income from Disneyland exceeded the income from the work of the film studio. Today, Walt Disney Productions, the second (after Time Warner) media holding, owns several film and recording studios, 535 brand stores, several newspapers and magazines, its own TV network, hockey and baseball teams, parks in different countries of the world, and an annual turnover is $ 21 billion. I wonder what kind of baggage the Disney empire will carry for the centenary?
LVMH
Guerlain, Givenchy, Hennesy, Bulgari, Marc Jacobs, Benefit, Don Peregnon and many, many more iconic luxury brands are LVMH. The French concern, owned by the Bernard Arnault family and today the world's largest luxury goods manufacturer, was founded in 1987 through the merger of two key market players - Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy. The deal marked the beginning of numerous acquisitions and mergers, the largest of which could have been the aborted 1999 acquisition of Gucci. The luxury empire, with a turnover of more than € 20 billion a year, includes companies producing clothing, watches, wine and spirits, leather goods, perfumery and cosmetics. The LMHV corporation also includes an auction firm, financial publications, an art magazine, hotels and a radio station. Having declared luxury to be its passion, the company strives for perfectionism in everything and is actively working to find and develop talent. In addition to direct business development, LVHM pays attention to charity and responsible business conduct: the company supports a number of social projects and medical institutions, sponsors events in the field of art, and also deals with the preservation and restoration of cultural monuments.
Apple
It is even somewhat ridiculous to define Apple as a "personal computer manufacturer." I would like to talk about this business empire, which has created a real cult out of its products, extremely superlatively: created by the legendary Steve Jobs on April 1 (they were joking) in 1976, Apple is today the most valuable company in the world. Every minute she earns 300 thousand dollars, the amount in her company bank account sometimes exceeds the amount stored in the US Treasury account, and in the first quarter of 2014 alone, Yabloko earned more than Google, Facebook and Amazon combined. Setting record after record, in March 2014 the company sold its 500 millionth IPhone, and, apparently, is not going to stop there - the covenant of founder Jobs “to remain insatiable” seems to have become the unspoken motto of the corporation.
L'Oreal
Hilton
Waving his hand at the unfulfilled dream of becoming a banker, 31-year-old from a grocer's family, Conrad Hilton decided to try his luck in the hotel business. His first hotel, the Dallas Hilton, opened in 1925, he was determined to make the best hotel in Texas - and eventually created a hotel empire. Even the Great Depression, which hit America powerfully in the 1920s, did not stop Hilton: forced to cede his company to creditors, five years later he bought it out and resumed active work, and in 1954 stunned the whole of America by making a major deal and buying his the main competitor - Statler Hotels - for $ 111 million. By the late 1960s, Hilton owned more than 40 hotels in the United States plus the same number overseas. The success of the Hilton business empire was built on numerous innovations that are today considered an integral part of the hospitality industry. So, it was Hilton who came up with the "star" (by analogy with cognac) hotel rating system. He also proposed integrating hotels and casinos (which instantly increased the number of customers), opening hotels at the airport and prioritizing the quality of service. In addition, Hilton enjoyed visiting competitors' hotels, observing the atmosphere and customer behavior. It was in the Hilton corporation that a system of encouraging regular customers was introduced, an information and reference system for booking rooms together with air and railway tickets, and even the Pinacolada cocktail was created at the Hilton Hotel. Today the corporation has 3800 hotels of various levels in 88 countries. It is noteworthy, by the way, that after the death of Conrad Hilton, the empire he built became, in accordance with his will, the property of the Hilton Foundation. However, one of the businessman's sons managed to challenge his father's dying will in court, and a few years later the business empire returned to the "bosom of the Hilton family".
Virgin group
In 1967, the headmaster of the school, which Richard Branson graduated from, said goodbye to his (far from the best) student with the following words: “Congratulations, Richard! You will either go to jail or become a millionaire. " The prediction came true: Branson became one of the most famous - and most shocking - wealthy of our time, and his company - the greatest conglomerate of diverse business lines. It all started with an idea as bold as it is absurd: suffering from dyslexia and, accordingly, having not read a single book, Branson decided ... to publish a magazine! From a magazine, he moved to a record store, from stores to a record label, and it started: hot air balloon operator, publishing house, international air travel, bridal clothing, online jewelry and cosmetics, vodka production, comic book making, condoms ... What is more striking in this endless list - scale or spread. Even Branson himself is rumored to be unsure exactly how many companies belong to his fantastic multibrand, which now has a combined revenue of $ 24 billion. It is obvious that the secret of Virgin's success lies in courage, bordering on insanity: it is not for nothing that Branson chose the name Virgin for his business as a designation of a "virgin" approach to business and the lack of any experience of any of the employees. A non-standard approach manifests itself in Branson's company at all levels: there is absolutely no subordination here, informality and creativity are welcomed, and employees calmly drink beer during the working day. And Branson himself, at the moment concerned about the development of, no more, no less, space tourism, still loves adventure, outrageous antics and his immortal sweater, which he does not refuse even at meetings with royalty.