Businesses and organizations are everywhere. So, they need to create creative brand names to distinguish themselves from their competitors. These names must be memorable, but coming up with them isn’t always easy. Some names feel random, while other popular brand names have such interesting origins that make them unforgettable.
IKEA
While IKEA has been around for 80 years, it wasn’t always the company it is today. It was originally a store that sold simple items at reduced prices, items such as:
- Picture frames
- Pens
- Table runners
- Wallets
- Watches
- Jewelry
- Stockings
Later, the business expanded to sell ready-to-assemble furniture and other home accessories and goods. It’s the face of many features in the home, but where did the name come from? Founder Ingvar Kamprad took the first letters from his initials, I and K, while the letters E and A came from Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village he grew up in. What’s more interesting is that Kamprad has dyslexia, so he also gave his products proper names instead of product numbers, making them much easier for him to identify.
The Toyota Tundra
While the brand name doesn’t have too much of an interesting origin, being the founder’s family name, many of Toyota’s vehicles have interesting names. The Tundra, for example, has one of the more unique names in the Toyota lineup. One of the most interesting facts about this Toyota pickup truck is that the name came from a lawsuit. Before Toyota manufactured the Tundra, one of the most popular trucks was the Ford F-150. To capitalize on this popularity, Toyota wanted to name the Tundra the T-150, an upgraded version of their Toyota T-100. Ford fought against this by suing Toyota, and as a result, the Tundra name was born.
Pepsi-Cola
While it’s not as popular as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola is still a major competitor in the soft drink market around the world. Coca-Cola got its name from its two main ingredients, the coca leaf and the kola nut, and it’s stuck ever since. On the other hand, Pepsi-Cola had a name change during its history. When Caleb Davis Bradham first brewed the drink in 1893, he called it “Brad’s Drink,” naming it after himself.
Unlike Coke, Brad’s drink contained sugar, nutmeg, lemon oil, water, caramel, and other natural ingredients. Bradham viewed his drink as more of a medicine than a refreshing drink, so he later changed the name to reflect this. He thought his drink aided dyspepsia, or indigestion, so he took the name “Pepsi” from it.
These popular brand names with interesting origins will be much more memorable now. Through clever marketing and market saturation, many of these brand names have become household staples that almost everyone can remember and identify.
