don't say velcro and don't say google. funny velcro campaign distinguishes brands, nouns and verbs

what is ‘hook and loop‘? well it’s exactly like velcro but you can’t call it velcro. the manufacturer of mechanical based fastening products explains why in their new don’t say velcro campaign, an all-singing music video with all the vital traits to go viral – a confrontational title, an annoyingly catchy song and the most important, shock factor.

the tongue-in-cheek campaign explains what velcro really is

the video features the brand’s legal team, reminding us that ‘velcro‘ and the well known adhesive technology used to fasten our first pairs of shoes are in fact two different things. one verse sings, ‘but even though we invented this stuff, our patent lapsed forty years ago. now no matter who else makes it, you still want to call it ‘velcro’. there is also a behind the scenes video of the campaign.

the lyrical genius of the don’t say velcro campaign uses humour to communicate an efficiency in language known as generification, and whilst this example dresses it up in parodic clothing, it’s actually a brands’ worst nightmare. the generic use of a brand in place of a noun or verb is thought to diminish the connection between a brand and its’ consumers. the same way that ‘hoover’ is not interchangeable with any other general vacuum device we might employ or that all tissues are not kleenex. even google is fearful that the use of its name as a verb could become a generic term for web search.