Entertainment
15 Famous Food Brands That Have Shockingly Different Names Around The World
Many well-known brand names that we see every day are international companies. Because of this, a lot of products that we know and love actually have different names around the world. There are many reasons for this; some are for rational-legal reasons but others are just bizarre. See how many brand names you can guess as we look through 15 Famous Brand Names That Are Different Abroad.
15. Dr. Oetker – Cameo (Italy)
We all remember that famous scene in Pulp Fiction in which John Travolta’s character goes into detail about McDonald’s Quarter pounder with cheese. Because of the metric system in France, they call the Quarter Pounder a Royale with Cheese. A classic movie moment that is still quoted to this day and a similar reason to why Dr. Oetker’s frozen pizzas are known by Cameo in Italy. Once Dr. Oetker had established itself as a big frozen pizza company, they wanted to expand their brand around the world and where better to go to than Italy. It is the home of pizza after all. Wanting to fit in with the local culture and language, Dr. Oetker changed its name to Cameo in order to sound more Italian. An advertising tool that a lot of companies have used to conquer the international market.
14. Hellmann’s – Best Foods (Asia, Australia, And New Zealand)
When it comes to condiments, especially mayo, many people’s go-to brand is Hellman’s. The rich and creamy mayonnaise goes with all our favorite meats and treats. For a big chunk of the world, including the US, UK, and Europe, this famous mayo brand is known as Hellmann’s. However, if you were to venture to Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand, then you wouldn’t find Helmann’s on the shelf as the company is called Best Foods in that part of the world. You’ll be forgiving if you don’t notice that right away as both mayos are packaged exactly the same way with the same colors and designs. Interestingly enough, Best Foods Mayo can be bought in the US. West of the Rocky Mountains, in places such as Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, Best Foods is the ‘real mayonnaise ‘in grocery stores.
13. Burger King – Hungry Jack’s (Australia)
We all love a Whopper from time to time. Walking into our local Burger King joint and ordering a Whopper is one of life’s little joys. However, if you happen to find yourself in Australia, then you won’t be able to order the famous burger in a Burger King fast-food restaurant. In fact, you won’t even be able to find a Burger King. When Burger King was looking to expand its franchise into the southern hemisphere, it ran into a bit of a problem as the name Burger King was already trademarked in Australia. Burger King was actually the name of a small take out place in Adelaide. Because of this, the fast-food Burger King couldn’t use their name and had to come up with something else. The name Hungry Jack’s was settled upon; Hungry Jacks was the name of a pancake mix in Australia that was owned by Pillsbury, who also owned the Burker King chain at the time. Over the years Burger King managed to get the rights to their name and started to introduce Burger King restaurants in Australia. However, because of the success that Hungry Jack’s had already enjoyed, Burger King decided to stick with that name and re-named all their Burger King restaurants to Hungry Jack’s. That famous Burgert King logo and great tasting burgers are the same, it’s just the name that’s different.
12. Dove – Galaxy (U.K)
A common theme you will see from our list of famous brand names that are different abroad is either copyright law or existing brand recognition. For this entry, we are focusing on the later. During the 1960s the U.K released a velvety smooth chocolate bar called Galaxy. The chocolate proved to be a huge success, so much so that it soon caught the eye of the Mars Corporation. Mars bought the rights to the chocolate in the 1980s but rather than rebrand it Dove, they chose to keep the name Galaxy to please the chocolate die-hard fans. Galaxy is still a bar of popular chocolate in the U.K and is often voted in their top 1o most love candies. Galaxy is also sold in Ireland, the Middle East, India, Egypt, and Malta.
11. Smarties – Rockets (U.K/Australia/Canada)
There are certain candies that instantly remind us of our youth and Smarties are one of them. A holiday classic, this multicolored candy always puts a smile on those that eat them. However, it may be interesting to know that a large part of the world doesn’t call them Smarties and they are known as Rockets instead. The reason for this is quite a simple one as the U.K, Canda and Australia already have a candy called Smarties, so to avoid confusion these little treats are called Rockets. A little fun fact for all candy lovers out there; the ‘Smarties’ that these countries have are little candy covered chocolates and were actually the inspiration for the original M&M’s.
10. Kraft Mac & Cheese – Kraft Dinner (Canada)
We all have those days when we come home from a long day and we just want something comforting. We open the cupboard and there looking back at us is that infamous blue and yellow box full of cheesy goodness. Mac and Cheese has been delighting so many people for so many years, and a lot of people’s favorite brand is Kraft Mac & Cheese. Once upon a time, Kraft Mac & Cheese was known as Kraft Dinner pretty much everywhere in the world. However, in the U.S Kraft rebranded it as Kraft Mac & Cheese but not in Canada. In Canada, this dish is still called Kraft Dinner, or KD for short, and they actually love this comfort food much more than the US. In fact, they buy over 50% more per year than Americans.
9. Doritos Cool Ranch – Cool American (Europe)
What goes together better than Ranch dressing and Doritos? The popular chip and dressing are a match made in heaven for many Americans. However, if you were to cross the pond and ask for Cool Ranch Doritos, you will be met with a bemused stare rather than a tasty bag of chips. There are a few reasons for this but the main one is probably because Ranch dressing isn’t really that popular in Europe. It’s hard to imagine that Europeans don’t really enjoy the taste of a cool Ranch dressing. So, instead, these tasty corn chips are known as Cool American Doritos. In the U.K they go even further as these Doritos are known as Cool Original Doritos.
8. Good Humor – Wall’s (U.K)
We can all recognize the heart shape logo on this famous tasty line of treats. Good Humor is a brand that has become synonymous with great comfort food, however, if you’re looking for an ice cream fix in the U.K then Good Humor won’t do as this brand is known as Wall’s. In fact, most of the world actually knows this brand as something completely different. In Asia, it’s known as Kwality Walls, in Bolivia it’s Breslers, in Mexico it’s Holanda, and in the Phillippines it is called Selecta. It seems that no matter where you go, Good humor has a very different name but at least the packaging and logo are the same.
7. Dannon – Danone (Europe)
This famous yogurt brand is known across the country as Dannon but for most of the world, it’s Danone. Danone was created at the beginning of the 20th century by doctor Isaac Carasso began producing yogurt. Once his yogurt became popular, Carasso named his new company Danone, which translates to ‘Little Daniel,’ which was his son. Once the company became more popular, Danone looked to sell its products in the U.S but was worried about the pronunciation problems that Danone might cause so they decided to change the company name to Dannon to avoid any possible confusion.
6. Rice Krispies – Rice Bubbles (Australia/New Zealand)
Snap, Crackle, and Pop! Rice Krispies have been many children’s staple breakest for decades. Not only is Rice Krispies a popular cereal but it has become the foundation for many treats and snacks. Rice Krispie treats are a personal favorite of ours. However, if you find yourself in the land down under then be sure to ask for Rice Bubbles as that is what they call them, and Rice Krispie treats are known as Rice Bubble slices. Incidentally, it’s not just Australia and New Zealand that have variations on Rice Krispies. In the U.K, as well as Australia. New Zealand, Greece, and Italy, Cocco Krispies are known as Coco Pops, even with a different mascot. Coco the Monkey! Also in the U.K Frosted Rice Krispies are known as Ricicles. It seems that most countries have their own name for this classic cereal and its many variations.
5. Diet Coke – Coco-Cola Light (Some Parts Of The World)
On our list of 15 famous brand names that are different around the world, you may think that a huge brand name such as Coca-Cola would be on this list. Well, even the kings of the soda world are subject to differences between countries and cultures. Diet coke is possibly one of the more famous items that Coca-Cola has ever produced, even more so than the original Coke flavor. Americans went crazy for this low sugar version of their favorite drink. However, in most parts of the world, you can’t order a Diet Coke anywhere. That’s because it is known as Cocoa-Cola Light. The reason that Coca-Cola gives for the name change is that a lot of countries around the world don’t associate the word ‘diet’ with low sugar or low calory drinks. So, they switch the name to Coca-Cola Light to avoid confusion.
4. DiGiorno – Delissios (Canada)
‘It’s not delivery, It’s DiGiorno.’ Another famous frozen pizza brand enters our list of brand names that are different around the world. Since the 1990s DiGiorno frozen pizzas have been a favorite in grocery stores across the country. Known for its rising crust, DiGiorno is so proud of their pizzas that they say it’s just as good as any take-out pizza. Hence their famous tagline. However, when Degiorno wanted to sell their product across the border in Canada, Degiorno wasn’t the name they used. Instead, they were sold in Canada under the name Delissio. They still have the same pizzas, boxes, and even their advertising slogan, it was just the name that changed. The name Delissio wasn’t actually new to Canada as Kraft, the owners of the pizza at the time, had trademarked the name Delissio in the 1980s. Recently Kraft sold the brand to Nestle; and while there may be a new owner for this frozen pizza, it doesn’t look like Canada will be getting a new pizza name as they are staying with Delissio.
3. Three Musketeers – Milky Way (Europe)
Brace yourselves as this entry on our list of famous brand names that are different abroad, is about to get a little complicated. If you’ve ever had a 3 Musketeers chocolate bar then you know how good it is. The bar of milk chocolate, covering whipped nougat comes right out of chocolate heaven. However, if you take a trip to the U.K and have a hankering for a 3 Musketeers bar, you will have to look for a Milky Way instead. Both chocolate bars are identical, the only difference is the wrapper. The U.K’s Milky Way is blues with white stars, but other than that it’s the same. Here is, however, where things get a little complicated. If you are still in the U.K and want more chocolate treats, maybe seeing the British Miky Way makes you want a U.S Milky Way, so you start looking over the candy shelves for it. But you won’t find it. In Britain, a Milky Way is called a Mars Bar. That’s right, Milky Way is a Mars Bar and 3 Musketeers is a Milky Way but even more than that, all these chocolate bars are owned and manufactured by Mars Incorporated. We are sure this is just some big prank designed to mess with us.
2. Lays – Walkers (U.K)
Who doesn’t love a packet of Lays chips? Whether it’s as a quick snack or part of lunch, Lays chips have been a winner for both adults and children alike for years. Each year the list of flavors seems to grow and we learn to love Lays more and more. Everyone has their favorite flavor of chips, but if you pop across the pond to the U.K, then you may be in for a bit of a shock if you try to grab a packet of Lays. In the U.K, Lays chips are known as Walkers, and chips are known as crisps and French fries are chips. Doubly confusing! The reason that Lays are Walkers in the U.K is quite simple; PepsiCo, which owns Lays or Frito- Lay if we want to get technical, bought out the U.K company Walkers and added them to their brand. While Pepsico did try and re-brand these snacks as Lays, the Walkers’ name was already a popular brand in the U.K so Pepsico decided to leave the name alone and stick with Walkers. Everything else about these chips is the same; the packaging, logo and the same great taste.
1. KFC – PFK (Quebec)
Kentucky Fried Chicken is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The famous Colonel and his three-lettered KFC sign are sprinkled all over the world and everyone enjoys tucking into this finger-licking good chicken. However, if you live in Quebec, Canada then you will find it all a bit different. Because of the language laws and restrictions in the French-speaking Canadian province, all businesses have to advertise their companies in French first. So, KFC had to change their name to PFK, Poulet Frit Kentucky, in order to meet the Quebec laws about language. Incidentally, KFC changed its name in Quebec to please the French-speaking Canadians and the language police, but, it may be interesting to know that in France KFC is called….. KFC. It seems like the French speakers from France don’t mind using the English name for this famous fried chicken company.