15+ Brands that have become synonymous with products in Brazil

There are brands that are so traditional in the market that they become a generic term for a type of product. This can be positive, because it strengthens the brand in the consumer’s imagination, but on the other hand, products of inferior quality can also be associated with the same brand or, still, restrict the company’s production to a single product category.

To prove that this association is quite common, the awesome.club separated 15 popular brands in Brazil that have become synonymous with products. And in the end we have a bonus special for you. Check out!

The Styrofoam is the registered trademark of Knauf Isopor, a company that is one of the manufacturers of expanded polystyrene (also known as EPS)🇧🇷 material that was discovered by German chemists in 1949. The product arrived in Brazil around the 60’s and became popular in civil construction and in the manufacture of different pieces due to its lightness, thermal insulation capacity and low cost.

Xerox is an American company internationally known in the technology sector and also for having been the creator of the photocopier registered with the Xerox brand in 1948. With the success of this creation, the United States and other parts of the world, such as Brazil, began to adopt the word “xerox” as a synonym for photocopying.

Here in Brazil, zipper or zipper are common names when referring to the zipper so used in the clothing industry.

The expression “zip” comes from French, Eclair ferment, in reference to Éclair Prestil SN, famous European zipper factory. And the name zipper, originated from “zipper”, in English, which was inspired by the noise the clasp made when being moved on the new line of rubber boots (Zipper Boots) developed by B.F. Goodrich in 1923.

More than 100 years ago, the first cream cheese in Brazil appeared, created by a couple of Italian immigrants. Thus, from a family recipe, Laticínios Catupiry was born, in Minas Gerais. For many years, the Catupiry curd cheese reigned alone in the market, which increased its popularity, making it synonymous with this type of product.

It is very common to identify watercraft as Jet Ski, however, this term will only be used correctly when referring to vehicles from the manufacturer Kawasaki who owns the rights to use the name🇧🇷

Synthetic spandex yarn, registered under the brand name Lycra, was invented by scientists at the American company DuPont. The creation was launched in 1959 and revolutionized textile production by demonstrating superior quality to rubber, its main competitor. Over the years, several fashion sectors have incorporated the yarn Lycra to fabrics and so the brand’s popularity spread across the world.

The name “mascara” comes from the surname of Eugene Rimmel, the French perfumer who invented the first non-toxic mascara. The new product was named “Rimmel” and became popular around the world, incorporating the term into dictionaries. The legacy left by Eugene grew into the highly regarded cosmetics brand known as Rimmel London.

Founded by Mosaburo Makita, the Makita company was responsible for creating the first electric hand tool. The advancement of this technology made it possible for the company to be a pioneer in circular saws in 1962. For many years, Makita reigned in the tool market, since there were no competitors that could match the quality and technological advancement of their products.

Velcro companies produce a wide range of products, being the main manufacturer of fasteners with hook and loop system. This type of fastener was invented in the 1940s and patented under the Velcro brand. With the popularity of the product, “velcro” has become, for many, a generic term. To minimize this, the company invests in advertising campaigns that inform consumers that not all hook and loop fasteners are brand originals.

The word gum was “born” from an American trademark, the gum, from Adams. Operating in Brazil since the 1940s, Adams was the pioneer in the manufacture of chewing gum, launching here in the country, the gum which became popular to the point of gaining an “Portuguese” version and being included in dictionaries.

Blindex branded glass began to be produced in 1951, in a small industry in São Paulo called Santa Lúcia Cristais. Over time, increasing demand required the company to increase production capacity.

It was then that in 1979, the Pilkington group, a global leader in glass manufacturing, bought the company Santa Lúcia Cristais and thanks to constant investments, the already known Blindex brand became synonymous with tempered and safety glass.

Contrary to what many think, Botox is not an abbreviation for botulinum toxin, but one of the brands that exist on the market for this type of substance. Botox was the first brand of botulinum toxin, initially approved for therapeutic purposes here in Brazil, in 1992 and, because of that, the term became popular.

Invented in Japan, instant noodles began to be produced and sold in Brazil by Miojo Alimentos in 1965, while seasoning sachets were supplied by Ajinomoto. Years later, Ajinomoto acquired part of Miojo Alimentos and invited Nissin Foods to buy the rest of the company. Thus, joining efforts, Nissin Ajinomoto Alimentos consolidated the Nissin Miojo brand in the instant noodles sector in Brazil.

In Brazil, the American company Johnson & Johnson started its activities in 1933 and has always stood out for the innovation in its products, making its brands become references in the health and wellness segments. One of the examples of the company’s successful brands is Cotonetes, which has become synonymous with flexible rods. Launched worldwide in 1947, Cotonetes became even more popular in Brazil, after memorable advertising campaigns in the 70s, which introduced the public to a charismatic character, the “little blue man”, the same one that is stamped on the product packaging.

Like Lycra, mentioned earlier, Nylon was also developed and patented by the DuPont company🇧🇷 O Nylon was discovered in 1935, as a new synthetic fiber (polyamide) that could be used in the textile industry.

Over the years, it was discovered that Nylon fiber for being resistant and elastic; would make it capable of having other applications such as, for example, in the manufacture of screws and gears. The versatility of this material made the Nylon brand quickly popular and gained here in Brazil an “Portuguese version” known as “nylon”.

1. Durex (adhesive tape);

2. Super Bonder (instant glue);

3. Bombril (steel sponge);

4. Band-Aid (adhesive dressing);

5. Royal powder (chemical yeast);

6. Danone (yogurt);

7. Cornflakes (breakfast cereal);

8. Pyrex (refractory glass container);

9. Leite Moça (condensed milk);

10. Q-BOA / Candida (bleach);

11. Maizena (corn starch);

12. Gillette (razor blade);

13. Suggar (air purifier);

14. Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene);

15. Yakult (fermented milk);

Do you know any other product that is called by the brand name? Among the brands mentioned in the post, which one do you think is the most common to be associated with the name of the product? Tell us!