As I was applying a band-aid to my thumb last night I stopped and thought how it wasn't actually a band-aid I was applying, it was just a no-named brand of adhesive bandage. It got me thinking about how powerful that brand name must be if it becomes a generic term rather than simply a product name. How often would you honestly say “I need an adhesive bandage to cover up the cut on my thumb”, or “I need to pick up some adhesive bandages at the drug store”? If you're like most people you say “I need a band-aid to cover up the cut on my thumb” or “I need to pick up some band-aids at the drug store”. All it took from then was a quick look around my house to notice that there are so many products out there that we refer to as the one popular brand name we have come to know (this term is often referred to as genericized trademarks). I have put together a short list of such products.
Band-Aid
Band-Aid was invented back in 1920 by a Johnson & Johnson employee (who later became Vice President of the company) to help his wife cover up scrapes and burns she encountered from cooking. It didn't take long before the term became a generic term to describe a way to heal a small wound. A major competitor today is 3M's Nexcare. Kleenex
When we are in need of facial tissue most of us often say “I need some Kleenex”, not realizing that Kleenex is just a brand of facial tissue. Kleenex was invented in 1924 by the Kimberly-Clark company and was originally designed for removing cold cream from one's skin. It later became a popular way to help with colds and fevers. It was also used during World War II in gas mask filters as a cotton replacement. Windex
Windex, as most of us know, is a brand of glass/window cleaner. Even if you don't have the brand name label at home (i.e. Windex) you probably still refer to the brand you have as Windex. It was developed in 1933 as a flammable solvent and had to be sold in metal cans. It was acquired in 1993 by S.C. Johnson, a popular household cleaning supplies manufacturer and has been reformulated several times. Saran Wrap
Saran Wrap, which is often also referred to as cling wrap, is simply a plastic film wrap used for sealing food items to keep them fresh. Saran is simply the name we have come to know. Saran is another S.C. Johnson product. It was developed out of a lab error by a scientist who was trying to invent a hard plastic cover for his car. He realized the potential uses of the material he ended up erroneously creating. Chapstick
When our lips are dry and cracked, we probably all yell out for chapstick. Chapstick is simply a popular brand-name for lip balm. There are many brands of lip balm but most of us will refer to any lip balm as chapstick. Originally developed in the 1870's, it is used to treat chapped, chafed, dry, cracked, and sunburned lips (it is available with SPF's as high as 30). Interestingly, Chapstick played a role in the 1970's Watergate scandal. Hidden microphones were placed inside the small tubes. Q-Tips
Q-Tips is a generic brand name to describe cotton swabs. Most people will reach for their Q-tips, even if they aren't actually the Q-Tips brand. Q-Tips, i.e. cotton swabs, have many uses, including first aid, cosmetic application, and scraping or removing of substances, such as earwax from ear canals (even though the manufacturers now warn against such practice).Scotch Tape
I think it's safe to say that most of us just did our fair share of wrapping gifts over the holiday season. I also think it's fair to say that many of us reached out or asked to be handed the scotch tape. Scotch tape is simply a brand name used by 3M for their transparent adhesive. There are many brands of this adhesive but many of us will always call it the scotch tape. The Scotch name stuck after an auto detailer complained that the stingy scotch bosses at 3M were not putting enough adhesive on the tape (at that time 3M was only putting it on the edges of the tape). Tylenol
One thing you probably never say is “I need an acetaminophen”. You are probably more inclined to say “I need a Tylenol”. Tylenol is a simply name brand for a pain reliever used to treat headaches, joint pain, body aches, colds, fevers, the flu, etc. Tylenol comes from the chemical name for the compound, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol.
