[Ads-l] anti-genericization campaign: Velcro

[Barretts Mail]

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
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