Five brands that have become popular names

Association

Our daily lives are full of things that we call their brands without even realizing it… and there’s a lot more than you might think. We teach you five and I promise you won’t see Peak or Kleenex on this list!

1. Jacuzzi

Originally, this object was created by the two Italian Jacuzzi brothers for a family member with rheumatoid arthritis. So they created a portable, mini hydrotherapy pump that could be used in a classic bathtub: it would have saved his life. Since then, the jacuzzi has entered the language of everyday life and has become a symbol of luxury.

real name : whirlpool.

2. Shopping cart

The case comes from Les Ateliers Réunis Caddy Alsatian, a company that produces wire products. Some models later spawned supermarkets. The term was introduced in 1957 and the company does not hesitate to assert its rights when misused. A word of advice: Always write Caddy in a capital letter!

real name : supermarket trolley.

3. Kiwi

This one, we’re sure you didn’t see coming! Yes, this hairy little fruit from New Zealand isn’t really called a kiwi… Basically, this fruit comes from China and was still called Yang Tao when I arrived in New Zealand. The Zespri brand registered the term kiwi in 1959 as a tribute to the New Zealand bird of the same name.

real name : Chinese gooseberry.

4. Elevator

The escalators we use so often these days are actually pretty old: the first concept was patented in 1892 and the first prototype was installed in 1896 as an attraction in a Coney Island park in the United States. The first models are actually made of wood! Little fun fact: The world’s smallest escalator is located in a shopping mall in Japan with a drop of only 83.4 cm.

real name : escalator or escalator.

5. Zipper

Zippers are a closed term…the first models arrived in 1893 but they don’t really take off: the company that made them produced them by hand so that only two zippers could be made per day. The term zipper came to the fore in 1924: Eclair Prestil then registered the mark.

real name : Zipper or rack (or zip in Belgium).