Today, as part of our “World Brands” section, we decided to deviate a little from the tradition of publication topics and talk about a seemingly ordinary product - scissors, only their price starts from 1000 euros. In the modern world, the origin of a thing often speaks about its quality. Remember, for example, Swiss watches, German cars, Russian caviar. All these things are united not only by a high price, but also...

Even children know that the world around them consists 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 solving cubes every year. If this number is divided by all the inhabitants of the earth, it will be about an hour for each person.

There are cars that are good on their own. Riding them is a pleasure. Such cars include cars of the famous Bugatti brand. The French company Bugatti and its amazing products have left a noticeable mark on the history of the world automotive industry. Therefore, today, as part of our regular column “World Brands,” we will introduce you to the history of the creation and development of the famous Bugatti brand.

Today, in the “World Brands” section, we decided to publish a biography of one of the most secretive, but at the same time popular women in Russia. We will talk about the ex-wife of Vladimir Putin - Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Putina (nee Shkrebneva). In 1958, on January 2, Lyudmila Shkrebneva (Putina) 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 where young people, passionate about an idea, achieved a lot in their lives. Some of them did not have a rich inheritance, while others rose to the pinnacle of fame literally from poverty. There are many examples of this. One of the takeoffs was made by a poor teenager named Jason Daniels, carrying the famous taste and recipe of whiskey through the years. Jack Daniels. Mr. Daniels was very devoted to his beloved...

Today, under the heading “World Brands”, Andrey Shipilov has prepared for you a publication about the most large network fast food 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 their child would grow up to be a big man. Beginning with...

In Germany (in Wiesbaden) in October 96 of the last century, shocking information about the famous speculator of the planet, George Soros, was published on the pages of a report from a bureau called the Executive Intelligence Review. Soros was accused of worldwide scams and speculation that affected the lives of ordinary people in entire countries. Until now, a number of experts believe that he ruined the main Bank of England, whose leadership responded...

Bernard Arnault is the owner of LVMH and a successful French businessman. Born on 03/05/1949 in a wealthy family. Already in his youth, Bernard Arnault began to be interested in luxury things, he studied fashion trends, art and knew good wines. Bernard Arnault is known in the world as the number one figure in the production of luxury goods and wealth. Arno's company controls at least sixty brands from the world...

The Industrial Revolution gave impetus to the development of scientific and technological progress. Transfer from traditional society to industrialization was accompanied by improvements in technology, the emergence of new products on the world market, and an increase in the range of existing ones. Then the need arose to differentiate products from one segment. The information society dictated its own laws, the keen eye of the consumer was looking for something new, unique, special. Manufacturers whose products met the expectations of the masses received worldwide recognition, being loved by more than one generation. However, few people know that the stories of famous brands are, first of all, the stories of ordinary people., who did not strive for fame at all; rather, on the contrary, they suffered from crisis and poverty.

Hugo Boss: clothing for soldiers of the Third Reich

Today, Hugo Boss produces luxury clothing under the separate Hugo and Boss brands, perfumes, as well as sunglasses and watches. Recently Hugo Boss together with by Samsung released a mobile phone.

It all started back in 1923, when 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 Boss's inner circle. Soon a small store opened. The tailor's clients were mainly policemen and workers. But things go badly, and in 1930 Hugo Boss announces the closure of the business.

However, the enterprising tailor did not have to sit idle. Having joined the National Socialist Party of Germany in 1931, he again opened his own business, this time on a larger scale - a clothing factory. The enterprise is gradually growing, so the owner is forced to use work force prisoners of war with different countries Europe: France, Poland, Austria, etc. This was a period of success and recognition, the Boss' 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, having never recovered from the blow, Hugo Boss dies in 1948.

After this, the factory passes into the hands of his son-in-law Eugen Holy. Clothes for general workers and postmen are being produced again. In 1953, the company released its first men's suit. It was this event that marked the new future of Hugo Boss as a luxury clothing brand.

In 1967, the founder's grandchildren, Jochen and Uwe Holy, became the company's directors. They are promoting the brand for the first time, making it famous and recognized throughout the world.

In the 70s of the twentieth century, the company turned into a fashion house, which united famous fashion designers and designers.

Release of a perfume line, collection of clothes for children, demonstration mobile phone under its own brand - this is exactly how we know the Hugo Boss brand today: luxurious, sophisticated and unique.

Tefal and Teflon: they found each other

The history of the Tefal brand, one of the world's most famous brands, begins in 1954 and is associated with the great discovery of the French engineer and fisherman Marc Gregoire. While thinking about how to eliminate the problem of the sliding spinning rod jamming, he found out that polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon could be applied to aluminum surfaces. The matter 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 production of kitchen appliances, mainly in the design of aerospace equipment.

The first Teflon-coated frying pan was made by the Gregoire family. The couple realized that aluminum, to which nothing sticks, is a salvation for hundreds of thousands of women. After the successful testing of the miracle frying pan by the discoverer's wife, a long period of obtaining a patent began.

Tefal was founded in 1956. The newly created manufacturer received an ingenious name, a combination of two words - TEFlon and Aluminum. The frying pans quickly gained the trust of both housewives and experienced chefs. In 1958, more than a million frying 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 new product; about a million pans were sold a month.

Business boomed, with non-stick frying pan manufacturing facilities being established all over the world. Then Marc Gregoire decided to hand over the management furrows to experienced managers, and he himself took up his favorite thing - inventing. And as always, I achieved an excellent result. Soon, Tefal expanded its product range - the production of household appliances was added to the production of various kitchen appliances.

Nike is a brand recognizable by its swoosh

The brand legend began in 1964, when American student Phil Knight was faced with the problem of choosing sports shoes. He was a runner and needed comfortable shoes for training. At that time, only branded Adidas sneakers were available for sale, which only a world champion runner could afford, and ordinary sports shoes for $5, after wearing which my feet hurt.

Phil Knight studied economics at Stanford University, and the idea to create his own brand came to him at one of his marketing seminars. Each student worked on his own project. As homework, it was necessary to think through a business development strategy and a marketing plan. This is how the first steps were taken in the development of a global brand.

Phil believed in his idea until the end. Therefore, when the time came to decide how to produce affordable and high-quality shoes, he was not at a loss, because he already had a mature plan. The student goes to Japan and enters into a contract with a local company to supply sneakers overseas.

At first, the Blue Ribbon Sports company (that’s what it was called) didn’t even have its own store. Phil traveled all over 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 experienced athlete turned out to be an excellent marketer who launched a campaign to promote the brand.

In 1965, the company's founders came up with a new name for it - Nike. Johnson allegedly dreamed of Nick, the winged goddess of victory.

A logo in the shape of a check mark, simple to the point of genius, appeared in 1971. It was invented by Portland University student Carolyn Davidson for just $30. Later, Phil Knight will correct himself and reward her with a statuette with diamonds and even give her part of the company’s shares.

The famous tick has the name “Swoosh”, translated from English as “flying with a whistle”. It 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 different parts of the planet.

Popular brands, long recognized throughout the world, were usually created ordinary people. Often the stories of famous brands are an amazing series of coincidences that combine into an incredible chain 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 and come up with a fascinating story of its development.

Photos from open sources

Our past makes us who we are. Everyone has a story behind them that has somehow changed their worldview and life. Some stories are quite boring, while others you can listen to with bated breath and wonder what is even possible. This also applies to brands, such as those described below.

1. FedEx Rescue
In the early 1970s, just a few years after FedEx was created, the fledgling company was already in dire shape, losing up to a million dollars a month. At one point it seemed that they would not be able to meet their financial obligations. While waiting for his plane, Fred Smith, the company's founder, impulsively boarded a flight to Las Vegas, where he won $27,000 in blackjack. The company was saved.

2.Lamborghini sports cars were born thanks to the pride of Enzo Ferrari
Lamborghini was originally a tractor manufacturer. Its owner, Ferruccio Lamborghini, was interested in luxury cars, especially Ferraris. While performing a routine check, Lamborghini discovered that the clutch in his Ferrari was broken. He also noticed that the car used the same clutch as his tractors. When he suggested that Enzo Ferrari replace the clutches in his cars with better ones, Ferrari simply kicked him out, saying that he was a tractor manufacturer and knew nothing about racing cars. We all know what happened next.

3. BMW started producing cars because Germany lost the First World War.
BMW was originally an aircraft manufacturing company. After Germany's defeat in World War I, all aircraft manufacturing companies were required to cease production as part of one of the many conditions of the Armistice Treaty signed at Versailles. When the company faced bankruptcy, BMW switched to producing motorcycles and soon after, in 1928, began producing cars. The company's current logo is a tribute to its aviation heritage.

4. Coca-Cola and American Prohibition
Coca-Cola was originally created by John Pemberton, a wounded Confederate colonel who wanted to find something that would help him overcome his morphine addiction. He called it the French Vin Coca, a nerve tonic. When Atlanta passed prohibition legislation in 1886, Pemberton had to redo the formula and make a non-alcoholic version of his tonic. He named the drink Coca-Cola, the drink we all know and love.

5. History of the McDonald's logo
The McDonald's logo is one of the most recognizable in the world, probably second only to Coca-Cola. But the truth is that the name of the owner of the company was not taken into account when creating the logo. The architecture of the original store had golden arches on both sides, because the owner wanted people noticed McDonald's from a distance. Therefore, when creating the logo, this particular architectural feature of the restaurant was taken into account.

6. The meaning of the Nike icon
Originally called BRS (Blue Ribbon Sports), the company was renamed Nike, the winged Greek goddess of victory. The famous symbol symbolizes her wings and speed.

7. The Apple logo is not a tribute to Alan Turing
The truth of creating a logo for a famous company is far from poetic. The most popular version is that Steve Jobs' favorite fruit was an apple. This also explains why their first computer was named after his favorite apple, McIntosh.

8. UPS Was Founded By 2 Kids With A Bicycle And $100
United Parcel Service, or UPS, as it is known, started from scratch. In 1907, 19-year-old James Casey founded the company with only $100 borrowed from a friend and a bicycle. The teenager took over as president general director and the chairman of the company. Today, UPS is one of the world's largest package delivery companies.

9. Fanta was created in Nazi Germany
At the height of World War II, Nazi Germany was subject to several trade embargoes. Due to a shortage of raw materials and ingredients, the head of Coca-Cola Deutschland. Max Keith decided to create a new drink for the German market using what they had - "leftover leftovers". The name comes from the German word for fantasy (Fantasie).

10. Puma and Adidas exist because of a family feud.
In the 1920s, brothers Rudolf and Adolf “Adi” Dassler ran the successful shoe company Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. However, during World War II, misunderstandings became noticeable between the brothers. Rudolf was captured by American soldiers and accused of being a member of the Waffen SS, although in fact he was not. Rudolf was sure that his own brother had told him. The split resulted in the emergence of two companies, Rudolf founded Ruda (later renamed Puma) while Adi founded Adidas. They never made peace and were buried in the same cemetery, but as far away from each other as possible.

Myths and legends have long been a condition for a brand’s success in the market. A product that cannot be told a story is not a brand. Famous 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, having already gained recognition in Europe, furniture sales did not meet any expectations. After doing the research, it turned out that while Americans liked the simplicity of the design, they wanted furniture to fit the larger size of their homes. All that needed to be done was to increase the size of the furniture.

Western Union

Western Union owned almost all the telegraph services in the United States. At the very beginning of his business activities, Alexander Graham Bell, who at that time had a lot of debts, approached WU, offering to buy the patent for the phone for only 100 thousand dollars, but the company refused to spend the money, considering the phone a “toy” product. When they realized all the possibilities of telephone communication, WU leaders decided not to contact Bell and create their own system. However, Bell, who founded his own telephone company, sued WU and won. So Western Union lost its telephone business, which reduced demand for its main service - telegraph communication.

Pampers

Leading chemist-technologist at Procter & Gamble, Victor Mills, who helped his daughter care for her children, had to repeatedly pull out wet diapers from under his own grandchildren, wash and dry them. Of course, he didn’t like the process and wanted to somehow make his life easier. Then the idea of ​​a disposable “diaper” came to mind - a folded pad with high absorbency, which was planned to be placed in specially shaped panties. After several experiments with different materials Mills developed a new product for P&G, which they began to produce under the Pampers brand, 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 made of wood) that could be sucked without staining clothes or hands. The brand logo design was drawn by the owner of the company, Enrique Bernat, “through an acquaintance” famous fellow countryman Salvador Dali. It was he who, in 1969, came up with the flower shape for the Chupa Chups logo, which, with minor modifications, has successfully survived to this day. He suggested placing the logo not on the side, but on top of the candy.

Land Rover

The Land Rover brand logo has essentially remained untouched for six decades. They say that the creators were inspired to develop the logo by a can of sardines. One of the engineers allegedly forgot it on the drawings. The oil print from the can was copied and proposed as a silhouette for the emblem of a new car.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola was invented by pharmacist John Pemberton, consisting of coca leaves and kola nuts, patented as medicine from nervous disorders and was sold in pharmacies. Cocaine at that time was not a prohibited substance, and nothing was known about its harm to health, 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 removed from the drink, but the positioning of the product did not change and popularity increased exponentially.

Lacoste

The captain of the French tennis team promised a crocodile suitcase to Rene Lacoste if he won the Davis Cup. Because of this dispute, which, by the way, Rene won, the American press nicknamed the tennis player “alligator.” In France, Lacoste's nickname was changed to "crocodile" and was assigned to him also because of his persistent and tenacious behavior on the court. Robert George, a friend of Lacoste, 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 precious stones, which allowed him to streamline the process of creating rhinestones. Rhinestones were named after the famous 18th century jeweler-fraudster Georges Frederic Strass, who passed off faceted crystal shards as diamonds. Thanks to Swarovski's flair and taste, the imitation became on par with the original, and the name turned into a world-famous brand.

Apple

According to one legend, Apple owes its logo, a bitten apple, to the brilliant mathematician, the progenitor of the modern computer, who made a huge contribution to computer science and suffered for his unconventional sexual orientation, Alan Turing.

Turing was a homosexual, which was illegal in Britain at the time, and homosexuality was considered a mental illness. In 1952, Turing was accused of sodomy and convicted. He was given a choice of two sentences: imprisonment or suppression of libido through injections of the female hormone estrogen, which was essentially chemical castration. The scientist chose the second.

One of the effects was growing breasts and decreased libido. In addition, as a result of his conviction, he lost his job and the right to work in the field of cryptography. The scientist lived in seclusion for a whole year, and then committed suicide by poisoning himself with potassium cyanide. Turing injected a cyanide solution into an apple, which he bit into and died. The apple was found on the night table next to the dead body.

Nestle

The original logo of 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, a traditional family was considered to be parents and three children. 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, joint research by P&G and Levi Strauss Jeans showed that employees in casual clothing are more creative and work 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. This news, thanks to the efforts of both companies, received huge coverage in the press, and many corporations followed suit. The washing powder market grew by 20%.

Pirelli

In 2002, Pirelli broke with more than forty years of tradition and released its famous calendar featuring photographs of clothed rather than naked women. The cover of the publication featured a photo of a girl in an autumn coat, and the seventeen-year-old niece of then-reigning US President George W. Bush was chosen as the model. Lauren Bush, the granddaughter of the 41st President of the United States (Bush Sr.), was simply 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 happy.”

Absolute

Uncle Ben's

The prototype of Uncle Ben is Frank Brown, the head waiter of one of the pre-war Chicago restaurants, often visited at one time by the management of the Mars company. The image of Uncle Ben is tied to American folklore. One of the old stories tells about a black farmer who was known throughout the country for the excellent quality and taste of rice he grew.

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 (the Peugeot lion and the Lacoste crocodile), and symbols created from the company’s products, such as Bibendum. The Bibendum was created by cartoonist O'Galop in 1898, bringing to life the idea of ​​Andre Michelin. The myth says that at a bicycle tire exhibition, all the models were stacked on top of each other. The resulting stack was shaped very much like a fat man. Over more than 100 years, Bibendum has undergone major changes, but 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 said by English-speaking boys playing with cars. And Mazda thus creates the image of a brand with a sporty character, capable of introducing the buyer into truly childish delight with its drive. By the way, when talking about Ferrari they use the expression “Vroom-vroooom”, and Mini Cooper does “Beep-beep”.

Heinz

Red Bull

The Red Bull energy drink was born in 1982, when Dietrich Mateschitz, during a business trip to East Asia, became interested in the already widespread energy drinks there. He acquired the licensing rights to the famous Thai brand Krating Daeng (translated from Thai as “red bull”) and to use the recipe from Taisho Pharmaceuticals (Japan. When the drink was introduced to the wider market (Europe, USA), the main competitors were Coca-Cola , and Pepsi, and Molson, and Labatt, and Anheuser-Busch, they all had a similar concept - they toned and stimulated, and the Jolt Cola energy drink also contained, among other things, a double dose of caffeine compared to Red Bull.

Then Dietrich Mateschitz took a risky step: he artificially increased the price by half compared to competitors, reduced the volume of containers shaped like a battery, and began placing cans in stores not in the beverage departments, but in any other (note when the next Once you go to the store, you can find cans of Red Bull along with other energy drinks almost in the sausage department, including the alcoholic one).

In addition, cases of Red Bull were distributed free of charge to students on university campuses. At student parties, Red Bull went out with a bang, because by a random and happy coincidence it was quickly discovered that it went perfectly with vodka. Thus, a new cocktail, Vodka Red Bull, was born, which has become very popular.

Hewlett-Packard

HP founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would come first. As you can imagine, Bill won.

Adidas and Puma

It is known that the Adidas company received 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 as a baker all his life. Adolf and Rudolf Dasler together opened a workshop for tailoring sports shoes to order. Adolf had the qualities of a designer, Rudolf - a marketer.

After the Second World War and the death of their father, the brothers seriously quarreled and divided the no longer small Dassler company (about 60 people) in half. This happened in the German town of Herzogenaurach, which a quarrel between brothers also divided into two parts. The workers of these factories only went to their own taverns, drank different types of beer, and their children attended different schools. Companies maintained their own football teams.

And to this day, an employee of one company will face immediate dismissal if he is seen wearing shoes or clothing produced by a competitor.

Each famous brand has its own emblem by which it is recognized. Usually this logo is small and simple, but some are elaborate and mysterious. The history of the appearance of such specific logos of several of the world's most influential fashion houses is in this article.

Lacoste

Old and respected brand. Their logo, a tiny green alligator, is familiar to anyone who loves fashion. In 1927, during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste "the alligator" because of a dispute in which the winner of the tournament would receive a suitcase made of alligator skin. In France, Lacoste's nickname was changed to "crocodile" and stuck with him due to his persistent and tenacious behavior on the court, where Lacoste never forgave the mistakes of his opponents.
Robert George, a friend of Lacoste, drew a crocodile for him, which was subsequently embroidered on the blazer in which the athlete competed, and then became established as the logo for all things produced by the company.

Fendi

In 1925, the brand appeared 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, the German Karl Lagerfeld, who laid the foundation for the brand, making it what we see it now. The designer also developed a memorable logo, which is still used today. The double “F” apparently symbolizes the Fendi couple.

Chanel

The famous Chanel logo was first shown to the fashion world in 1925 on the Chanel No. 5 bottle. There are several versions about the origin of the drawing. One story says that two crossed horseshoes are a symbol of success and good luck. 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 production of men's outerwear, Klein gradually moved on to designing 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 not only became a hit of the season, but also determined the fashion of women's outerwear for almost a whole decade. The company logo – CK is easy to remember and gives a connection to the brand. Dark color emblem used on clothing High fashion The gray logo is for regular clothing items, while the white logo is for sportswear.

Hermes

Hermé 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 carriage, which is very symbolic for the brand - the history of the company began in 1837, when Thierry Hermes founded a private company producing harness for horses. Hermes is the surname of the founder.

The next five generations of this family constantly expanded production, creating a real Hermes empire. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Hermes production expanded to include leather goods and luggage bags. At the same time, a unique technology for processing leather products with a special “saddle” seam was used. This is how the Hermès 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 horseman 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 desire for progressive innovation, and the spear is a symbol of the defense of tradition.

Versace

The Versace logo is symbolically associated with Greek mythology. The head of the Gorgon Medusa, according to the couturier’s idea, symbolizes the fact that he turns viewers into stone with his collections. The designer's logo was invented in 1978 by Gianni Versace himself, who was obsessed with classic themes. Yes, there was a jellyfish the best option for him, since she was the one he considered “the embodiment of fatal attraction.”

Everything 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, Adi for short. His first company was called even more simply - Dassler, but by agreement with the co-founder of Dassler, brother Rudolf, with whom they had a strong quarrel 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 started a software company. They named it Adobe, after the creek that ran behind Warnock's house.

Apple

Apple is the favorite fruit of company founder Steve Jobs. After three months of futile attempts to find a name for the new business, he gave his partners an ultimatum: “I will name the company Apple if you don’t come up with a better one by 5 o’clock.” Apple Macintosh is the name of a variety of apples sold in the United States.

Audi

Audi translates from Latin as “listen!” This is the Latin version of the surname of the company's founder - August Jorja

BMW

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke. English version - Bavarian Motor Works.

Canon

In 1930 in Japan, Goro Yoshida and his step-brother Saburo Uchida created a company with the name, which means nothing to us, Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in Japan. Four years later, developments led to the creation of their first camera, which they named Kwanon, after the thousand-armed Buddhist deity of mercy.
To protect its trademark, the company registered a lot of words that sounded similar to Kwanon. One of them - already known to us Canon - eventually replaced original name due to disagreements with religious leaders. In English, Canon is translated as “Canon”, and in French as “Cannon”.

Casio

In honor of the company's founder, Kashio Tadao.

Cisco

Short for San Francisco.

Coca-Cola

The main ingredients of Coca-Cola, when the drink was opened, were as follows: three parts coca leaves (the drug cocaine was obtained from the same leaves) to one part nuts tropical tree cola.

Compaq

From Comp and paq (small integrated part).

Corel

In honor of company founder Dr. Michael Cowpland. Stands for COwpland REsearch Laboratory.

Daewoo

The company's founder, Kim Woo Chong, named the company modestly, “Big Universe,” which is exactly how it is translated from Korean.

FIAT

The company was founded in 1899. Fiat is an abbreviation for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Turin Italian Automobile Plant). In addition, this abbreviation can be translated from Latin as an independent word, 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.

Google

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 modified word “googol”, denoting the last number that has at least some meaning - a one followed by a hundred zeros.

Hallmark

One of the world's most famous companies in the greetings industry (cards, etc.). The word Hallmark refers to the mark that the masters of the English guilds put on their products, starting in the 14th century, as evidence that the guild vouches for quality.

Honda

The founder's name is Soichiro Honda.

Hotmail

Founder Jack Smith came up with the idea of ​​accessing email via the web from anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with a business plan for this service, he tried all the words ending in “mail” and finally settled on hotmail, since the letters HTML (web page markup language) were present in the name.

HP (Hewlett-Packard)

Founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would come first. As you can imagine, Bill won.

Hyundai

In Korean, “present” (time).

IBM

IBM was founded in 1924 and its name stands for International Business Machines.

IKEA

Ingvar Kamprad (founding father) lmtaryd (home farm) A gunnaryd (home village in Småland in 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 go with the acronym INTegrated ELectronics.

Kodak

K is the favorite letter of George Eastman, the company's founder. He looked for words that began and ended with this wonderful letter. Moreover, in all alphabets “K” is written the same way. In the end, Kodak was chosen, supposedly this is the sound the camera produces when shooting.

Lego

Derived from two Danish words: leg (“play”) and got (“good”). And translated 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 radio-electronic plant GoldStar (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. Originally written as Micro-Soft. Then the line was removed.

Mitsubishi

Invented by company founder Yataro Iwasaki in 1870. translated from Japanese, mitsu means three, and hishi means diamond. The letter “b” turned out to be the sixth not because of an error, but because the Japanese usually pronounce “h” in the middle of a word as “b”. As for the logo, contrary to popular belief, it is the logo that is primary, and not the name. And it looks like this because the trefoil was the family coat of arms of the company's founder.

Motorola

Founder Paul Galvin came up with the name when his company began producing radios for cars. The names of many audio component manufacturers at that time ended in “ola”, it was such a strange fashion.

NEC

Abbreviation for Nippon Electric Company, Ltd, which was abolished 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 Nike.

Nikon

Originally Nippon Kogaku, means "Japanese optics".

Nintendo

A composite of three Japanese characters "Nin-ten-do", which can be translated as "heaven bless hard work". Playing is so hard.

Nissan

Previously known as Nippon Sangio, which means "Japanese Industry".

Nokia

In 1865, Knut Fredrik Idestam founded a paper and pulp 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, actually, Nokia. The word "Nokia" itself in Finnish means a dark, very furry animal, something like an ermine.

Pepsi

First manufactured in the 1890s in New Bern, North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham. On August 28, 1898, Brad's drink was renamed Pepsi-Cola. Trademark Pepsi-Cola was registered on June 16, 1903. According to one version, Caleb Bradham derived the name “Pepsi” from the word pepsin (a digestive enzyme that helps break down protein). According to another version, Caleb Bradham borrowed the name “Pep Kola” from one of the local competitors, adjusted it a little and called 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 imparted some vivacity and energy (pep - pep, energy, liveliness).

Philips

The company was named after its founder, Friedrich Philips and his son Gerard, who founded it in 1891 in Eindhoven to produce light bulbs. They have not given up bringing light to the people to this day, but they have expanded their assortment with a couple of hundred more items.

Puma

This company belonged to the brother of the founder of Adidas, Rudolf Dassler. After the historic scandal at Dassler, the brothers went their separate ways. different sides rivers and each founded their own enterprise. Initially, Puma was called Ruda, in honor, as you understand, of Rudolph himself, but the name had to be changed in favor of euphony and memorability, leaving the basis - four letters, identical 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 Tokyo resident Tokuji Hayakawa began producing a signature product - an ever-sharp mechanical pencil that does not require sharpening. Sharp means "sharp" in English.

Siemens

Founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens.

Sony

Original company name on Japanese sounded like “Tokyo Tsushin Koge Kabushiki Kaisa” and was translated into English as “Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company.” The company's founders, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuki, spent a long time looking for a suitable word for a short name and came across the Latin word sonus (sound). In the 1950s, the American word sonny was popular in Japan, consonant with the word sonus and the word sunny (sunny). What could be better? But the word sonny, written in hieroglyphs, meant “unprofitable.” Then Akio Morita came up with the idea of ​​crossing out one letter “n” and calling the company “Sony.”

Subaru

After the name of the Pleiades constellation, which in Greek was also called “Seven Sisters”. And that’s just “Seven Sisters” in Japanese “Subaru”. Literally, brned-name is translated into Russian as “to unite into one.” The Pleiades constellation is displayed on the company logo.

Swatch

Abbreviation for Swiss Watch

Toshiba

It got its name as a result of the abbreviation in 1978 of the former name Tokyo Shibaura Elektric Co., Ltd, resulting from the merger of Tokyo Denki, which dealt with household electrical appliances, and Shibaura Seisaku-sho, which produced heavy electrical equipment.

Toyota

Named after the founder Sakichi Toyoda. Subsequently changed to the more harmonious Toyota. In Japanese it consisted of 8 letters (lucky number in Eastern culture).

Viagra

The first part of the word, “vi-”, is taken from the words virility (potency), vitality (life force), vigor (vigor). And the ending “-agra” means “catch”, “grasp”.

Xerox

Comes from the Greek “Xer”, which, contrary to the guesses of particularly witty comrades, is translated as “dry”. The fact is that at the time of writing the name for the future copying giant (late 40s), only wet copying existed, and the author wanted to emphasize the use of dry dye powder in the technology. In English-speaking countries, the brand name is not “copier”, but “zirox”.

Yahoo

The word was coined by Jonathan Swift in his book Gulliver's Travels. This was the name of one nasty tribe that Gulliver had to encounter on his travels. The 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

Mathematical notation for three-quarters of the acronym Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.

What will happen if you translate the names of famous companies into Russian: verbatim, 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 form style one brand onto 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 house of company founder John Warnock.

Adidas- in honor of one of the founders, Adi Dasler.

Apple- the favorite fruit of company founder Steve Jobs. After three months of futile attempts to find a name for the new business, he gave his partner an ultimatum: “I will name the company Apple if you don’t come up with a better one by 5 o’clock.” Apples Macintosh is the name of a variety of apples sold in the United States.

Canon- in honor of Kwanon, the Buddhist god of mercy. Changed to Canon to avoid protests from religious organizations.

Casio- in honor of the company's founder, Kashio Tadao.

Cisco- San Francisco for short.

Compaq- from Comp and paq (small integrated part).

Corel- in honor of the company's founder, Dr. Michael Cowpland. Stands for COwpland REsearch Laboratory.

Daewoo— the founder of the company, Kim Woo Chong, named the company modestly, “Big Universe,” which is exactly what it translates from Korean.

Fuji- in honor of herself high mountain Japan, Fuji.

Google- the name comes from the word Googol, meaning one followed by 100 zeros. And Google was written on the check that the founders of this project (among whom, by the way, is a former Russian, Sergey Brin) received from the first investor. After that, they named the search engine exactly that.

HP(Hewlett-Packard) — Founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whose name would come first. As you can imagine, Bill won.

Hitachi- in Japanese, dawn.

Honda- the name of the founder of Soichiro Honda.

Honeywell— the name of the founder Mark Honeywell.

Hotmail— founder Jack Smith came up with the idea of ​​accessing email via the web from anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with a business plan for this service, he tried all the words ending in “mail” and finally settled on hotmail, since the letters HTML (web page markup language) were present in the name.

Hyundai- “present” (time) in Korean.

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 go with the acronym INTegrated ELectronics.

Kawasaki- in honor of the founder of Shozo Kawasaki.

Kodak— K is the favorite letter of George Eastman, the founder of the company. He looked for words that began and ended with this wonderful letter. Moreover, in all alphabets “K” is written 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- the first letters of two Korean brands Lucky and Goldstar.

Lotus— Mitch Kapor, the company's founder, was a meditator. Hence the name (lotus position).

Microsoft— MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally written as Micro-Soft. Then the line was removed.

Mitsubishi- was invented by the founder of the company, Yataro Iwasaki, in 1870. Means "Three Diamonds" in Japanese. The name is also displayed in the company logo.

Motorola— founder Paul Galvin came up with the name when his company began producing radios for cars. Many audio component manufacturers 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, inside the company it was called Mozilla (Mosaic-Killer, Godzilla).

Nabisco- initially " The National BISCuit COmpany" changed to Nabisco in 1971.

Nikon- originally Nippon Kogaku, means “Japanese optics”.

Nintendo- a 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 factory and grew to produce rubber products in the Finnish city of Nokia.

Novell- the name was invented by the wife of co-founder George Canova. She mistakenly thought that "Novell" meant "new" in French.

Oracle- Company founders Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the CIA, codenamed Oracle. The project was subsequently closed, but the name remained.

Sanyo- in Chinese “Three Oceans”.

SAP— “Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing”, founded by 4 former IBM employees who worked in the Systems/Applications/Projects group.

SCO- from Santa Cruz Operation.

Siemens- founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens.

Sony- from the Latin “Sonus” (sound) and “sonny” (slang for a youngster).

Subaru- named after 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 electrical company Shibaura Seisaku-sho (Shibaura Engineering Works).

Toyota- named after the founder Sakichi Toyoda. Subsequently changed to a more benign Toyota. In Japanese it consisted of 8 letters (lucky number in Japan).

Xerox— Inventor Chestor Carlson wanted to reflect the word “dry” in the name (since at that time only wet copying existed). "Xer" is 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. The founders of Yahoo! Jerry Yang and David Filo chose this name because they called themselves Yahoos. However, now the name stands for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.

3M—Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

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