[Ads-l] anti-genericization campaign: Velcro

Dave Hause dwhause at CABLEMO.NET
Thu Sep 28 22:51:34 UTC 2017


No, although that was common.
Dave Hause
-----Original Message----- 
From: Barretts Mail
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 11:17 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: anti-genericization campaign: Velcro

LOL. Did you call the cheap stuff “Velcro”? BB

> On 27 Sep 2017, at 21:01, Dave Hause <dwhause at CABLEMO.NET> wrote:
>
> About 2005, the US Army came out with a new "Universal Camouflage Pattern" 
> (which actually blended with almost nothing) combat uniform with extensive 
> use of what they called "hook and loop" fasteners.  Presumably, it was 
> made by the lowest bidder, like so much military material, and those 
> fasteners were an excellent reason the Velcro company would not have 
> wanted their name used on them.  Eventually, things annoyed me enough that 
> I found actual Velcro brand tape and replaced the generic crap on several 
> uniforms and on other places (name tapes) I "reinforced" the generic hook 
> and loop fasteners with silicone rubber adhesive.
> Dave Hause
> -----Original Message----- From: Barretts Mail
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 3:26 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: anti-genericization campaign: Velcro
>
> Evidently concerned that people are referring to products using Velcro as 
> “Velcro X”, Velcro has published a video on YouTube to discourage the 
> practice.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-fZdFfOGE 
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-fZdFfOGE>
>
> In an article "Velcro Company asks 'Don't say Velcro’” by Troy Sepion 
> (http://www.mypanhandle.com/news/business/velcro-company-asks-dont-say-velcro/819486846 
> <http://www.mypanhandle.com/news/business/velcro-company-asks-dont-say-velcro/819486846>), 
> the Velcro CEO Fraser Cameron is cited as saying, "There's only one Velcro 
> brand. Everything else is just hook and loop.”
>
> Perhaps there is a difference, but I don’t see one at 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_and_loop_fastener 
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_and_loop_fastener>, other than the 
> fact that Velcro hook-and-loop is made by Velcro.
>
> It seems likely that this is simply an ad campaign dressed up as an 
> anti-genericization campaign. It’s all Velcro to me.
>
> Fun fact: Velcro is known as マジック・テープ (magikku teepu) in Japanese. Yes 
> just like it sounds.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list