Fictional brand

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Aspen beer, a fictional brand from the 1979 film Alien ExpoSYFY - Alien (aspen beer).jpg
Aspen beer, a fictional brand from the 1979 film Alien

A fictional brand is a nonexistent brand depicted in movies, television shows, books, comics, or music. The fictional brand may be designed to imitate, satirize, or differentiate itself from a real corporate brand. [1] Using branded products in fictional media requires permission from the trademark owner. Fictional brands can overcome situations where the creators do not want pay for permission, where a trademark owner is unwilling to license their brand, or where the product is shown in a negative light. [2]

Contents

More recently, fictional brands have been used for commercial purposes through the process of reverse product placement. Consumer attachment to those brands in the fictional world may be leveraged through “defictionalisation” or “productisation” in the real world. [3] It has been suggested that the fictional brands represent brand potential rather than brand reality; they are in effect, “protobrands” that can be leveraged and transformed into registered trademarks which can derive revenue for their owners through reverse product placement or, more accurately, reverse brand placement. [4] Examples include Harry Potter’s Bertie Botts’ Every Flavour Beans, now available as real candy manufactured by the Jelly Belly Company; Duff Beer, a beer brand now available for consumption in Europe which initially appeared in The Simpsons ; and Staples' Dunder Mifflin paper, from TV show, The Office .

Purposes

For fictional media to use a trademarked product, it needs an agreement with the trademark's owner. Many movies and television shows opt to use prominent but nonexistent brands. Some are tied to specific fictional universes, like the Big Kahuna Burger fast food restaurants in Quentin Tarantino's films, but many appear in unrelated properties. [5] For example, the fictional cigarette Morleys were created to avoid paying royalties to Marlboro when actors are filmed smoking. They first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and have since been used in many films and shows including The Twilight Zone , Naked City, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Friends , Perry Mason, Curb Your EnthusiasmThe X-Files, and Mission: Impossible. [5]

Fictional brands offer more realism than unbranded objects because they have packaging, logos, and aesthetic designs similar to real-world products. [6] The most well-known fictional brands, like Wonka Bars, have brand recognition comparable to actual products. [7] The demand for Duff Beer was so high that multiple breweries sold "Duff" beers until legally blocked by Fox Broadcasting Company. [8] Fox partnered with Breweries to sell Duff beer in markets that did not have strong protection for fictional products, starting in Chile and later expanding into other parts of South America and Europe. [9]

Trademarks have been granted to prominent fictional brands. Trademark protection has its origin in establishing signifiers that link products to their manufacturers. The mark allows a consumer to distinguish high-quality products from reputable manufacturers. In the United States, court rulings in the 1980s extended trademark protection of fiction to cover characters, settings, and objects from the fictional universe. This allowed a trademark to cover products and services that are not available to real customers. For example, a restaurateur filed for a trademark on and attempted to open "THE KRUSTY KRAB" seafood restaurants in California in 2014. Viacom sued, and in 2017, the Southern District of Texas ruled that the restaurant would violate Viacom's trademarks for SpongeBob SquarePants , even though Viacom only ever planned to depict a fictional Krusty Krab and had no plans to open a physical restaurant. [10]

Some films and shows incorporate brands as "characters" in the story. The quirky brands of Tanrantino's films are juxtaposed with scenes of extreme violence. Set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco says that an object like Tarantino's Red Apple Cigarettes, with its prominent grinning worm emerging from an apple, can "soften the characters, even among the incredibly bloody scenes". [11] In the HBO series Succession , the fictional family business "Waystar" is used to characterize the Roy family who run it. The science fiction series Severance introduces the fictional "Lumon" brand and intentionally presents it in a negative light, as cold and dystopian. [11]

Well-known fictional brands

Acme

Acme logo Acme-corp.png
Acme logo

The Acme Corporation is a fictional manufacturer of a vast range of products. [12] The Acme products first appeared in silent films, but are most associated with cartoons, especially those of Warner Bros. [13] There are many backronyms to explain the word, but Acme is Greek for "zenith" or "peak". During the Second Industrial Revolution, "Acme" was used as a brand name for many mass-produced consumer goods, in part for the benefit of appearing at the front of alphabetical listings like a telephone directorys or mail order catalogs. Acme products are known to fail in outlandish ways that result in cartoon violence. [12]

Duff

Duff beverage GmbH beer.jpg
German
Australian Duff beer can.jpg
Australian
Unofficial cans of "Duff" beer

Duff Beer began as a fictional brand in The Simpsons . [12] Beers using the Duff branding have been brewed in a number of countries, resulting in legal battles with varying results. An official version is sold in three variations near the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios. In 2015, 20th Century Fox, the producer of The Simpsons, began selling licensed Duff beer in Chile, with a view to driving out brandjacking. [9] [14] In 2016, Time included Duff Beer in a list of the most influential fictional companies of all time. [15]

Finder-Spyder

Finder-Spyder is a fictional Web search engine that appears in numerous television shows, used in the same manner as the fictitious 555 telephone number in TV and film. [16] [17] It has been called "an unofficial, open source stand-in for Google and its competitors" (used as a legality-free alternative to a brand-name product), [16] and "the most popular search engine in the TV universe." [18] Finder-Spyder appears as a top 10 pick in "best fictional brand" lists by various online media, along with Oceanic Airlines, Morley cigarettes, Acme Corporation, and others. [19] [20]

Morley

Morley is a fictional brand of cigarettes with packaging that resembles Marlboro cigarettes. The name "Morley" is a reference to "Marleys", a once-common nickname for Marlboro cigarettes. [21] Television programs began using Morleys in an era where Tobacco companies were allowed to sponsor television shows and pay for product placement. If no company agreed on a deal for product placement, producers would use a non-branded product like the fictional Morleys. [22] Morleys are produced by The Earl Hays Press, a Hollywood prop packaging service. [23]

Pear

Sitcom shows on the TV channel Nickelodeon often parody tech company Apple and its products by using fake tech products from the fictional “Pear” company - such as the PearPhone (a parody of the iPhone) and the PearPad (a parody of the iPad). These parodies would often appear in the Nickelodeon sitcoms iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat and Henry Danger. [24]

Wonka

Wonka bars from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) on display ExpoSYFY - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (10756984573).jpg
Wonka bars from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) on display

In 1964, Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set within the fictional Wonka Chocolate Factory. The story included several fictional candy products including the Everlasting Gobstopper and the Wonka Bar. The 1971 musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was an adaptation of Dahl's work funded by Quaker Oats who also produced a variety of Wonka candy through their subsidiary Sunline. These candy products were largely unsuccessful and Quaker sold off Sunline by 1972. [25] Sunline continued to make Wonka branded candy and was later acquired by Nestle. [26] Although initially involved in the musical, Dahl left the project and disowned the 1971 film. After his death, Dahl's family became involved with a second film adaptation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). This again featured Wonka branded products. [27]

Fictional brands lists

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> 1964 childrens novel by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.

<i>Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory</i> 1971 film by Mel Stuart

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart from a screenplay by Roald Dahl, based on his 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It stars Gene Wilder as chocolatier Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of a poor child named Charlie Bucket who, upon finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, wins the chance to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory along with four other children from around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Product placement</span> Marketing technique

Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of this is done by loaning products, especially when expensive items, such as vehicles, are involved. In 2021, the agreements between brand owners and films and television programs were worth more than US$20 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlboro</span> Cigarette brand

Marlboro is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA within the United States and by Philip Morris International in most global territories outside the US. The brand was introduced in 1924, initially marketed towards women before it evolved towards men during the 1950s. Marlboro would eventually become one of the world's most valuable brands and best-selling products, and it was widely known for its advertizing featuring the Marlboro Man, a fictional cowboy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willy Wonka</span> Fictional character in Roald Dahl novels

Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, its 1972 sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator and several films based on those books. He is the eccentric founder and proprietor of the Wonka Chocolate Factory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parody advertisement</span> Short comedy scene imitative of marketing communication

A parody advertisement is a fictional advertisement for a non-existent product, either done within another advertisement for an actual product, or done simply as parody of advertisements—used either as a way of ridiculing or drawing negative attention towards a real advertisement or such an advertisement's subject, or as a comedic device, such as in a comedy skit or sketch.

Wonka was a confectionery brand owned and licensed by the Swiss corporation Nestlé. In 2018, the branding and production rights were sold to the Ferrero Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SweeTarts</span> Sweet and sour candies

SweeTarts are sweet and sour candies invented under the direction of Menlo F. Smith, CEO of Sunline Inc., in 1962. The candy was created using the same small basic recipe as the already popular Pixy Stix and Lik-M-Aid products. Pixy Stix are currently manufactured by Ferrara Candy Company, a division of Ferrero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonka Bar</span> Fictional chocolate bar

The Wonka Bar was originally a fictional chocolate bar, introduced as a key story point in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Wonka Bars appear in each film adaptation of the novel: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005); and Wonka (2023). The bar also appeared in the musical adaptation of the novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2013).

Fictional companies are often used in film, television, video games, books and comics where copyright or the likely chance of being prosecuted exists from using the name of a real company. They may be used on television in countries where the use of real company names or trademarks is prohibited in dramatic presentations to avoid the possibility of product placement. An example of a generic fictional company is the Acme Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everlasting Gobstopper</span> Fictional candy from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The Everlasting Gobstopper is a gobstopper candy from Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. According to its creator Willy Wonka, it was intended "for children with very little pocket money". It not only changes colours and flavours when sucked on, but also never gets any smaller or disappears. In 1976, the name of the fictional candy was used for a product similar to a normal gobstopper, or jawbreaker.

Products produced from <i>The Simpsons</i> Recreations of fictional products from The Simpsons

The long-running television animation The Simpsons has featured a number of fictional products, sometimes spoofs of real-life products, that have subsequently been recreated by real world companies attempting to exploit the popularity of The Simpsons. In 2007, as part of a "reverse product placement" marketing campaign for The Simpsons Movie, real life versions of a number of Simpsons products were sold in 7-Eleven stores. Real cans of Buzz Cola, boxes of Krusty-O's cereal, Squishees, and a special edition (#711) of the Radioactive Man Comic were all sold in stores alongside other The Simpsons merchandise.

Duff Beer is a brand of beer that originated as a fictional beverage on the American animated series The Simpsons. Beers using the Duff branding have been brewed in a number of countries, resulting in legal battles with varying results. An official version is sold in three variations near the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios. In 2015, 20th Century Fox, the producer of The Simpsons, began selling licensed Duff beer in Chile, with a view to driving out brandjacking.

Wonka can refer to the following:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laramie (cigarette)</span> American cigarette brand

Laramie was a brand of cigarettes extant in the United States from the 1930s into the 1950s. Later, the name was used for a cigarette rolling kit. Laramie is currently a brand name for cigarette papers and cigarette tubes marketed by HBI International.

Product displacement is the removing of trademarked products from primarily visual media in order to avoid the payment of licensing fees, if the trademark owner objects, or if the broadcaster would prefer not to publicise a product for free, if the owners have not paid for it to be included in a programme.

Willy Wonka is a character from the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

The Earl Hays Press is a Los Angeles company providing props to cinema and television productions. The company was established by Earl Hays in 1915 but in the 1960s was sold to employee Ralph Hernandez Senior whose descendants retain ownership. The company specialises in producing generic printed matters such as food packages, documents and advertisements to avoid intellectual property issues with real brands. Earl Hays produces a number of generic newspapers, often these include standard layouts on inside pages, one of which has been featured in hundreds of films and television series. Other notable products are "Morley" cigarette packets, in imitation of the Marlboro brand, and facsimile currency.

References

  1. ↑ {{cite book |first1=Robin |last1=Andersen |first2=Jonathan |last2=Gray |title=Battleground: The Media |date=2008 |page=386.
  2. ↑ Lehu, Jean-Marc (2007). Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business. p. 144.
  3. ↑ Virtual-fictionalbrands paper
  4. ↑ Muzellec, Laurent; Lynn, Theodore; Lambkin, Mary (2012). "Branding in fictional and virtual environments". European Journal of Marketing. 46 (6): 811–826. doi:10.1108/03090561211214618.
  5. 1 2 Berkowitz, Joe (27 June 2016). "An Infographic Look At The Fake Brands That Connect Your Favorite Movies And TV Shows". Fast Company.
  6. ↑ May, Tom; Foley, Joe (28 June 2018). "12 of the Best Fictional Brands from Film and TV". Creative Bloq.
  7. ↑ Sherlock, Ben (22 July 2023). "10 Most Iconic Fictional Brand-Name Products In Movies & TV". ScreenRant.
  8. ↑ Angelos, Ayla (6 September 2023). "I'm a Fake Brand, in a Fake World: The Secrets Behind Designing a Great Fictional Brand for TV and Film". It's Nice That.
  9. 1 2 Hagey, Keach (July 10, 2015). "'The Simpsons' Duff Beer Tries to Tap Markets Outside Springfield". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ McFarland, Ian G.; Winemiller, John T. (2019). "Fictional Brands, Famous Mark : Recurring Characters, Places, and Elements Can Serve as Source Identifiers for Creative Works". American Bar Association.
  11. 1 2 Daniel, Alex (30 March 2024). "How to Create a Fictional Brand". Financial Times.
  12. 1 2 3 Kohlstedt, Kurt (9 April 2018). "Acme to Morley: The Real Stories Behind Famous Fictional Film & TV Brands". 99% Invisible.
  13. ↑ E.O. Costello. "Acme". The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion. Archived from the original on 2011-07-12.
  14. ↑ Lince, Tim (July 17, 2015). "Duff Beer Launches in Response to Counterfeits but Challenges in Europe Remain". World Trademark Review . Globe Business Media Group. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Alex; Vella, Matt; Eadicicco, Lisa; Peckham, Matt; Pullen, John Patrick; Begley, Sarah; D'Addario, Daniel (June 2, 2016). "The 18 Most Influential Fake Companies of All Time". Time . Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Jay Garmon (16 Mar 2009). "Geek Trivia: Search Party of the Second Part". TechRepublic (CBS Interactive). Archived from the original on 2016-02-14. Retrieved 1 Apr 2014. ()
  17. ↑ "The Search Engine Equivalent Of The 555 Telephone Numbers Seen In Television And Film Is?". How-To Geek. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 20 Jul 2015. ()
  18. ↑ Seitz, Dan (11 Dec 2009). "5 Things Hollywood Reuses More Than Plots". Cracked (Demand Media). Archived from the original on 2015-08-28. Retrieved 20 Jul 2015. ()
  19. ↑ "Best 'fake' brands in film and TV". DigiTitles.com. 2013. Retrieved 1 Apr 2014.
  20. ↑ Stacy Conradt (3 Mar 2009). "The Quick 10: 10 Fake Brands Used by the Entertainment Industry". Mental Floss. Retrieved 1 Apr 2014.
  21. ↑ Wolf, Mark J.P. (2014). Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation. Routledge. p. 218. ISBN   978-0415631204.
  22. ↑ Morley: The Cigarette Brand That Doesn't Exist… Even Though It's in Every TV Show. Radio Times. January 18, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Hollywood's Counterfeit Factory". BBC News. 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  24. ↑ Schafer, Debra Kate (24 October 2020). "Iconic Fictional Brands on 'The Simpsons,' 'The Walking Dead' & More TV Shows". TV Insider.
  25. ↑ "How a Chicago company made Gene Wilder's most beloved movie role possible". Chicago Tribune .
  26. ↑ Food Industry R&D. Wiley. 25 October 2016. pp. 238–239. ISBN   9781119089407.
  27. ↑ "Willy Wonka's everlasting film plot". 11 July 2005.
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