Procter And Gamble To Trademark ‘LOL,’ ‘NBD,’ And Other Acronyms
Procter & Gamble, yes the cleaning products company, has filed a trademark application for using popular social media acronyms in some products.
By nowproducerdave on August 24, 2018
The acronym “lol” has been around since the late ’90s at best, and it’s probably older than that. NBD is another one that’s probably been around since the ’70s. P&G is also trying to trademark “WTF” and “FML” as well. The company owns a lot of brand you probably use daily. Bounty, Charmin, Crest toothpaste, Downy laundry detergent, etc.
Why is a cleaning chemical company trying to trademark commonly used acronyms? Marketing, of course, according to the patent that was filed. Procter & Gamble want to use the acronyms on dishwashing soap and a couple other cleaners. I know, it’s sort of a wild idea, but it’s an exercise to try and get some more customers for their products. See, millennials don’t seem to be buying their stuff – they’re going after the smaller or local brands. P&G hopes that by appealing to a younger demographic, they’ll pick up a significant amount of sales.
I’m not going to lie though, having “FML” branded dish soap would be a great conversation piece. Or “WTF” air-freshener in the bathroom would always be a great “lol.” P&G has also trademarked, at least they’re trying to, the phrase “Home Made Simple,” which makes me think they’re releasing a special sub-brand for these products. Reports say that the trademark office asked P&G for some “clarification” on those phrases and acronyms, so we’ll see if they’re even allowed to. See some more information about the filing over here.
