10 brand names that have fallen to genericization in Nigeria
By Zion Rufus
Genericization has been one of the biggest trepidations brands have ever had to face when it came to the challenge of guarding their trademarks fiercely.
Where popular brands like Escalator, Laundromat, Aspirin, and Dumpster had their trademarks revoked by law as a result of brand genericide, brands such as Google have published “rules for proper usage” of all its trademarks to help stem the use of “google” as a verb.
However, in Nigeria, some brands have become household names so much that they have also become generic terms.
Super Glue
Nigerians love “Super Glue” for every quick fix, from a detached shoe sole, to mending broken edges. Originally, Super Glue is the name of a brand of cyanoacrylate adhesive. Invented by Dr. Harry Coover in 1942, today the term “super glue” is now used to refer to any fast-acting glue. The generic name for this adhesive is Cyanoacrylate.
Sellotape
Registered as a trademark in about 100 countries, Nigerians would be shocked to know that “Sellotape” is the name of a British brand of transparent, polypropylene-based, pressure-sensitive tape. However, the term “Sellotape” has become a genericized trademark in more than twenty countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, New Zealand, Israel, India, Serbia, Japan, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Malaysia, Macedonia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Macleans
Macleans, a family toothpaste manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc enjoyed decades of reference as the trademark for toothpastes in Nigeria.
However short lived, Macleans once took the center stage when consumers went to stores to purchase “Macleans” instead of “toothpaste”.
Vaseline
The word “Vaseline” has now slipped to common usage as the term is not used to describe any and every thick ointment. Meanwhile, Vaseline is an American brand of petroleum jelly-based products owned by transnational company Unilever.
Indomie
Not only did Indomie noodles become a household name in Nigeria, it also became the generic name of every noodle brand in the country.
Pampers
Whilst most Nigerians will easily call every diaper “Pampers”, Pampers is a brand of baby and toddler products marketed by Procter & Gamble.
Gala
It’s funny how every “sausage roll” in Nigeria is now referred to as “Gala”. “Gala”, a snack made with flour and sausage, baked and wrapped in transparent nylon packages.
Maggi
Founded in 1872 by Swiss entrepreneur Julius Maggi, “Maggi” is the name of a brand of bouillon cubes. Over the years, every other bouillon cube brand have been forced to live under the generic name “Maggi”
Biro
In most parts of the world, “Biro” has become the generic name used to refer to a ballpoint pen. Hungarian journalist, Laszlo Biro invented the first ballpoint pen in 1938.
When people mean to say “Search engine” they would rather say “Google”. Today, Google has not only become the generic name for searching the Internet regardless of which search engine is used, it has also become a generic verb.
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