[Ads-l] anti-genericization campaign: Velcro

[Barretts Mail]

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