The origin of trademarks

Have you ever wondered where some of the trademarks you know originated? Did you know, for instance that:

• 3M (yes, from the Post-It memo’s you use) is an abbreviation of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.?
• Samsonite started our as The Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, founded in 1910 by Jesse Shwayder. Because the company made briefcases and suitcases that were both strong and durable, one of the first cases was named after Samson, the biblical figure that was given extraordinary strength. After using the trademarked name “Samsonite” in 1941, the company changed its company’s name in 1966 to Samsonite.
• Kodak is a fantasy name. Kodak’s founder, George Eastman, loved the letter “K”. He tested different combinations of made-up words beginning and ending with “K” until he came up with, well… Kodak.

Source and more examples here.

© photo by Silvio Tanaka