In 1996, two Stanford PhD students built a search engine and named it after a back massage. Three years later, that name was gone, replaced by a misspelling that would outlive both of them in everyday speech. The story…
The Name That Was Built to Sell: Pepsi’s Branding Strategy Behind the Rebrand
Every legendary brand name has an origin story, but few reveal as much about branding strategy as Pepsi’s. In 1893, pharmacist Caleb Bradham began mixing soft drink recipes at his drugstore soda fountain in New Bern, North Carolina. One…
Return of the Green: How Xbox Rebuilt Its Identity in 2026
Few brands had a year like Xbox did in 2026. In a matter of months, Microsoft’s gaming division went from a struggling corporate umbrella to a company that publicly owned its mistakes, reversed course, and leaned back into an…
Vaseline’s Baseline Rebrand: A Viral Marketing Stunt Explained
What happens when a 150-year-old brand lets a single viral video dictate its identity, even temporarily? A Korean creator named Min Day Lee posted a video showing her Vaseline products. Because the Korean language has no “v” sound, her pronunciation…
Do Not Be Afraid of Changing Your Brand Name
Redesigning a logo is common practice — and for good reason. When a well-known brand updates its visual identity, it knows the resulting press coverage will do more to build awareness than almost any paid campaign could. This is why…