Jeremy Sheftel lists 10 Brand Names that are so ubiquitous that they have been adopted to the English language.

1. 10 BRAND NAMES THAT HAVE
ENTERED THE AMERICAN
LEXICON
By Jeremy Sheftel

2. It is a marketer’s dream that their product becomes so hugely
dominant and ubiquitous that the trademark product becomes
commonplace in a society’s lexicon. This phenomenon often goes
unnoticed by many, and the economic impact of adopting such words is
quite difficult to quantify. Regardless, it is quite the feat for any company.
Here are 12 examples of brand names that have grasped a firm hold in
the American vernacular.

3. Vaseline -What is it? petroleum jelly - First introduced in 1872, this
petroleum jelly is referred to almost exclusively as Vaseline. Experts
estimate that Vaseline owns about 90% of the market.

4. Kleenex - What is it? tissue paper - Kleenex was brought to the market
in 1924. Kleenex is dominant in the industry controlling almost 50% of
the market.

5. Bandaid - What is it? Adhesive Bandage - This Johnson & Johnson
product which was introduced almost a century ago currently controls
almost 60% of the market.

6. Q tips - What is it? - Cotton Swab- Introduced in 1923, Q-tips are a
fixture in many’s hygienic purchases. Q tips is the market leader,
accounting for more than 75% of cotton swab sales in the U.S.

7. Tupperware - What is it? Plastic Storage Container - Tupperware, which
became popular after World War II, has become wholly incorporated
by the English language and commonly used by mother’s across
America for storing leftovers. Despite its dominance in our vernacular,
Tupperware has lost sales to discount competitors in recent years.

8. Rollerblades - What is it? Inline Skates - Rollerblades first came to
market at the beginning of the 1980’s and were immensely popular
during that decade. Although Roces was the first company to
commercially sell inline skates, Rollerblades’ aggressive advertising
campaigns allowed them to dominate the market, and grab a spot in
the American vernacular.

9. Scotch Tape - What is it? Adhesive Tape - Scotch Tape became available
for sale in 1930, and was soon used commonly while referring to
adhesive tape. Scotchtape, which is a product of 3M, dominates the
market accounting for more than 80% of sales.

10. Chap Stick- What is it? Lip Balm. Chapstick, which was created in the
late 19th century is used interchangeably with the term, lip balm.
Despite the recent popularity of Burt’s Bees and EOS, Chapstick is still
the industry leader.

11. Thermos - What is it? Vacuum Flask. Thermos which was brought to
consumers more than a century ago in 1904. Thermos was so
commonly used that the company Thermos lost the trademark several
decades ago.

12. Google- What is it? search engine. The youngest addition to this list,
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded this company in 1997. “To google”
is now synonymous with searching keywords on the internet. The
internet behemoth commands more than 67% of the market.

13. Some others include: Popsicle, Jacuzzi, Astroturf, Post-It, Xerox, White-out,
Velcro, and Listerine.