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From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Famous Brand Names
Ever wondered what the Ms in M&Ms stand for?
If Scotch tape was invented in Scotland?
Why a cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts is called Grape Nuts?
Who thought Gap was a good name for a clothing store?
From the Adidas we wear to the Volkswagens we drive, the daily lives of Americans are dominated by the manufacturers' trademarks that adorn nearly everything we own. Food, clothes, cars, household furnishings, even cell phones are all chosen by brand name. Yet many of these trademarks and product names pose mysteries.
But not when Evan Morris, creator of the award-winning The Word Detective website, is on the case! In From Altoids to Zima he reveals the fascinating, often wacky stories behind 125 brand names. Organized by product categories -- food and drink; clothing; technology, toys, and assorted bright ideas; cars; and drugs and cosmetics -- the story of each product is told with Morris's trademark wit and humor, complete with sidebars that highlight brand names that have become "genericized" (aspirin); a "What Were They Thinking?" honor roll of strange and often disastrous product names (Edsel); what happens when good brand names go bad (Kool-Aid after the Jonestown mass suicide); and debunked urban legends (the combination of Pop Rocks and soda that was rumored to be lethal).
If Scotch tape was invented in Scotland?
Why a cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts is called Grape Nuts?
Who thought Gap was a good name for a clothing store?
From the Adidas we wear to the Volkswagens we drive, the daily lives of Americans are dominated by the manufacturers' trademarks that adorn nearly everything we own. Food, clothes, cars, household furnishings, even cell phones are all chosen by brand name. Yet many of these trademarks and product names pose mysteries.
But not when Evan Morris, creator of the award-winning The Word Detective website, is on the case! In From Altoids to Zima he reveals the fascinating, often wacky stories behind 125 brand names. Organized by product categories -- food and drink; clothing; technology, toys, and assorted bright ideas; cars; and drugs and cosmetics -- the story of each product is told with Morris's trademark wit and humor, complete with sidebars that highlight brand names that have become "genericized" (aspirin); a "What Were They Thinking?" honor roll of strange and often disastrous product names (Edsel); what happens when good brand names go bad (Kool-Aid after the Jonestown mass suicide); and debunked urban legends (the combination of Pop Rocks and soda that was rumored to be lethal).
- GenresNonfiction
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 16, 2022
Soooo I bought this book towards the end of 2021 for work. Just in case it isn't clear, yes I work as a Naming Consultant—which is, honestly, just one of the job description of my position as a Copywriter at a creative agency. This book should have become one of those handy walkthroughs and inspiration from my successful predecessors. While I did learn a lot from this book—and dispelled a lot of myths I'd learnt from other sources—this book is far from perfect.
And here's why.
This book was written in 2004—18 years ago! A long time has since passed in which a lot of new brands have popped up and a lot of the brands listed in this book have undergone some significant changes—some of them in terms of their names, even. All these happenings have rendered a majority of this book either inaccurate or irrelevant—which is not at all what I'm looking for when I bought this book. I wish this book had gotten an update somehow—either written by the same person or by someone else entirely.
On top of that, the author of this book is focused solely on brands that are available and/or well-known in the U.S. Understandable, I suppose, since he himself lives in the States. However, I wish there was more diversity as the book dives more into brands who make it big in Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and even Africa.
Also, I cannot help but to feel the obvious bias of the book as it includes very few fashion and beauty brands—beauty is only covered under 'cosmestics' which doesn't really touch skincare and self-care at all. I'm not sure if this is because the author just isn't interested in brands that he cannot use—brands who target women, for instance—or if they just slip his mind somehow.
Lastly, a lot of the brand names listed in this book aren't even explained at all. The author goes through the timeline of some of the brands, recounting their successes and nominal facts—but even after the brand's section ends, he still never goes into why the brand is named as such. I don't expect him to know the reason behind all brand names. That would be ridiculous. But, if he didn't know, why bother including the brands inside the book at all? It defeats the purpose of the book entirely, don't you think?
That being said, it wasn't a really hard book to read. It's pretty simple and easy to understand, albeit being rather bland and uninteresting—due to the lack of diversity. It delivered its main goal, for the most part—it does explain the reasons behind a lot of brand names, doesn't it?
As far as I'm concerned, the book got the job done, but we are in dire need of a major update.
And here's why.
This book was written in 2004—18 years ago! A long time has since passed in which a lot of new brands have popped up and a lot of the brands listed in this book have undergone some significant changes—some of them in terms of their names, even. All these happenings have rendered a majority of this book either inaccurate or irrelevant—which is not at all what I'm looking for when I bought this book. I wish this book had gotten an update somehow—either written by the same person or by someone else entirely.
On top of that, the author of this book is focused solely on brands that are available and/or well-known in the U.S. Understandable, I suppose, since he himself lives in the States. However, I wish there was more diversity as the book dives more into brands who make it big in Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and even Africa.
Also, I cannot help but to feel the obvious bias of the book as it includes very few fashion and beauty brands—beauty is only covered under 'cosmestics' which doesn't really touch skincare and self-care at all. I'm not sure if this is because the author just isn't interested in brands that he cannot use—brands who target women, for instance—or if they just slip his mind somehow.
Lastly, a lot of the brand names listed in this book aren't even explained at all. The author goes through the timeline of some of the brands, recounting their successes and nominal facts—but even after the brand's section ends, he still never goes into why the brand is named as such. I don't expect him to know the reason behind all brand names. That would be ridiculous. But, if he didn't know, why bother including the brands inside the book at all? It defeats the purpose of the book entirely, don't you think?
That being said, it wasn't a really hard book to read. It's pretty simple and easy to understand, albeit being rather bland and uninteresting—due to the lack of diversity. It delivered its main goal, for the most part—it does explain the reasons behind a lot of brand names, doesn't it?
As far as I'm concerned, the book got the job done, but we are in dire need of a major update.
May 4, 2008
Moderately interesting, but the word 'surprising' in the title seems misplaced. Evan Morris is creator of the 'award-winning' website The Word Detective and author of a syndicated newspaper column, and a book, of the same name. As the name suggests, it deals primarily with word origins and etymology. This book is very much in the same vein as 'The Word Detective' - workmanlike, reliable, with a certain understated humor.
While I respect and enjoy his work, I find myself wishing that he were a tad less buttoned-down, that he would let his enthusiasm get the better of him a little more often. There's not the flair, the irrational exuberance about words and language, that one finds, say, in the work of someone like Paul McFedries. As a result, Morris's work, though dependably interesting, never quite takes flight in the way that one feels it should.
To be fair, given that etymology is an area particularly susceptible to urban legends, many readers may consider Morris's matter-of-fact approach to be a virtue.
While I respect and enjoy his work, I find myself wishing that he were a tad less buttoned-down, that he would let his enthusiasm get the better of him a little more often. There's not the flair, the irrational exuberance about words and language, that one finds, say, in the work of someone like Paul McFedries. As a result, Morris's work, though dependably interesting, never quite takes flight in the way that one feels it should.
To be fair, given that etymology is an area particularly susceptible to urban legends, many readers may consider Morris's matter-of-fact approach to be a virtue.
May 8, 2025
This a good book and the fact that I forgot I read it years ago should not take away from my first review. 😄
——
What a fun book! Written in a dictionary-entry format, it's a great book to keep by the bedside and read a little before bed. The information is well-presented and the writing is excellent.
I'll be adding some of Morris' other books to my to-read list!
——
What a fun book! Written in a dictionary-entry format, it's a great book to keep by the bedside and read a little before bed. The information is well-presented and the writing is excellent.
I'll be adding some of Morris' other books to my to-read list!
June 9, 2011
Borrowed this from my mother. Quirky read that tells the story behind the naming of 125 familiar brands. While I was familiar with a few of them, most were new to me and very interesting to read. Good for people who like words and wonder where common everyday product names originated.
September 24, 2012
book full of "ahh" moments hehe
July 29, 2013
Good....
October 21, 2021
Exactly the sort of fun stories I like to read about business history. A light, entertaining read, and I enjoyed the author's style.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews