Google was called BackRub back in 1996; the name Brad’s Drink lasted for 5 years before it was replaced with Pepsi-Cola.
Kim Kardashian West recently announced that her shapewear brand would be named SKIMS Solutionwear. The line was earlier called Kimono when it was announced in June but immediately faced backlash with many saying the name disrespected Japanese culture.
Here are some other brands that changed their names:
Google Old name: BackRub Now that “Googling” has become part of our daily lingo, we’re happy the company decided on the name change back on 1998. Why? Can you really imagine someone saying, “Let me just BackRub that for you.” Yes, it was called BackRub back in 1996 but the name barely lasted a year as founders Larry Page and Serge Brin shortly trademarked the name ‘Google.’
Instagram Old name: Burbn
When Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger first created their location-based iPhone app, it went by the name of Burbn. Systrom it claims was a big fan of Kentucky whiskeys. But when they realised that the most popular part of the app was the photo sharing they developed a new look for the app and of course, a name that suited it better.
Sports brand Nike was earlier called Blue Ribbon Sports when they operated as a distributor for the Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger back in the early ’60s. The company later took on the name Nike – after the Greek goddess of victory. The name may be gone but it is not forgotten as Nike Running has prepared a special capsule called ‘Blue Ribbon Sports’ as nod to their early track and field days.
Apple, Inc Old name: Apple Computers
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, even with a name change. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak, the company was called Apple Computers but once they started manufacturing a range of products, it became clear they needed an update. In 2007, Jobs announced that the company was dropping the word ‘computer’ and said, “The Mac, iPod, Apple TV and iPhone. Only one of those is a computer. So we’re changing the name.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Pepsi-Cola Old name: Brad’s Drink When North Carolina pharmacist named Caleb Bradham started experimenting with a few soft drink recipes back on 1893, he created a mix of sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, nutmeg, and other natural additives that became hugely popular. But five years later, Brad’s Drink was renamed to Pepsi-Cola and would become one of the world’s most recognized brands.
Altered Atlas: Macedonia And Other Countries That Changed Their Names
1/6
With Macedonia changing its name to the Republic of North Macedonia after a long-drawn tiff with Greece, a look at other countries who have done the same:
With Macedonia changing its name to the Republic of North Macedonia after a long-drawn tiff with Greece, a look at other countries who have done the same:
Cambodia has changed its name several times. Between 1953 and 1970, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia and then Khmer Republic till 1975. Under the communist rule from 1975 to 1979, it was referred to as Democratic Kampuchea. Under the UN transition authority from 1989 to 1993, it became the State of Cambodia. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1993, it was renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Cambodia has changed its name several times. Between 1953 and 1970, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia and then Khmer Republic till 1975. Under the communist rule from 1975 to 1979, it w..
Read More
Originally called Burma, the ruling military junta changed its name to Myanmar in 1989, a year after thousands were killed in the suppression of a popular uprising. The change was recognised by the United Nations, and by countries such as France and Japan, but not by the United States and the UK.
Originally called Burma, the ruling military junta changed its name to Myanmar in 1989, a year after thousands were killed in the suppression of a popular uprising. The change was recognised by the U..
Read More
Amid the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, Czechoslovakia divided into two different countries in 1993 — Slovakia and Czech Republic. And now, the latter country wants to be known as Czechia to make it easier for companies and sports teams to use it on products. The country will retain its full name but Czechia will become the official short geographic name, as France is to The French Republic.
Amid the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, Czechoslovakia divided into two different countries in 1993 — Slovakia and Czech Republic. And now, the latter country wants to be k..
Read More
To celebrate his 50th birthday, the king of Swaziland, a tiny country in Africa, changed the name of his country to Kingdom of eSwatini. King Mswati III had long complained that people outside of Africa confused his country with Switzerland. He also noted that the name change is intended to shed vestiges of the country’s colonial past. The new name means ‘The people of Swatini’.
To celebrate his 50th birthday, the king of Swaziland, a tiny country in Africa, changed the name of his country to Kingdom of eSwatini. King Mswati III had long complained that people outside of Afr..
Read More
The Central African country has undergone several name changes, right from the 1800s to the 1970s. Under the brutal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium, the country was knows as the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Subsequently, it became the Belgian Congo, then Congo-Leopoldville, and after its independence in 1960, the Republic of Congo. In 1971, under the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko, it became the Republic of Zaire, since Zaire was an alternative name for the Congo River. After the fall of Mobutu, it was changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997.
The Central African country has undergone several name changes, right from the 1800s to the 1970s. Under the brutal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium, the country was knows as the Congo Free State f..
