If you watch a lot of anime, you must have noticed several fake brand names of famous products and companies all the time. This is a clever way that animation studios have found to maintain realism and avoid court situations or other legal issues for using brand names. Most of the time they change just one letter like Zega (Sega), Zamazon (Amazon), Mindows 95 (Windows 95) and thousands of others. In this article, we are going to talk a little about these wrong names of companies and parodied brands present in anime.
Honestly, I think it's somewhat absurd, since even changing the name, these brands appearing serve as publicity. Sometimes the publicity is even stronger with the wrong name because it catches our attention. Sometimes these parodied brands end up appearing aggressively, making me question whether they really do this to avoid copyright issues; I wouldn't be surprised if some studios receive funding from these companies.
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Understanding the use of parodied brands in anime
Some anime series like Code Geass blatantly use the Pizza Hut brand for advertising. It's not hard to imagine that when a brand stands out even when spelled incorrectly, it isn’t indirect advertising. Why don’t they create their own brands? Some say it’s precisely to make the anime as realistic as possible, to make viewers feel close to the characters, perhaps by patronizing or using the same brand as them.
Anime has this power to captivate people. I myself felt amazed to be present in a park that appeared in Oreimo. Ever see what happened to Washinomiya Shrine after Luck Star aired? Many don't want to visit Japan for anime? So we can imagine that both studios and brands take advantage of this method of creating parodied brands.
Using existing and parodied brands is easier and more practical than creating a brand from scratch. Drawing something takes time and requires imagination, so much so that some charge exorbitant fees to create a logo. Or maybe the animator or someone from the production team is a fan of a brand and placed it discreetly in the anime.
It's not just anime, but any kind of video or image entertainment needs to have permission to use trademarks. Several American studios have their own departments to search and request authorization for these companies, some anime studios have small staff and prefer to parody than spend time asking for authorization.
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List of brands and companies parodied in anime
To end the article, let's leave a long list of trademarks and their parodies within anime:
7-Eleven
- 1- Uno en Himouto! Umaru-chan.
- 6/10 - The World God Only Knows;
- 8/11 - Haikyuu!;
- 7-Electabuzz - Pokemon;
Amazon
- Amazonas - Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
- Zamazon
Asahi
- Asabi - New Game!;
- Asaki - Servant X Service;
- Anohi - Himouto! Umaru-chan;
- Asohi - Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku Hen;
- Osushi - Nisekoi;
- Usahi - NHK ni Youkoso!
Book Off
- Book On - Toaru Kagaku no Railgun;
Burger King
- Burger Knight - Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai;
- Burger Sing - Blood+;
- Burger Queen - Freezing;
Canon
- Camon - Jinki:Extend OVA;
- Canan - Photokano;
- Canom - Sengoku Collection;
- Cat on - Tamako Love Story;
- ComeOn - Kiniro Mosaic;
- Conan - Nourin;
- Conon - Flag;
- Lanon - New Game!;
Coca-Cola
- Caca-Gola - Rozen Maiden;
- Cica-Cola - Robot Carnival;
- Coca-La - Angel Densetsu;
- Cochicala - Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next;
- Cock-Cola - Witch Hunter Robin;
- Coco-Cola - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure;
- Coka-Cola - Yuyushiki;
- Coko-Cola - Sengoku Collection;
- Cola-Cola - Kokoro Connect;
- Cola-Cola - Watamote;
- Cole - Yowamushi Pedal;
- Cool Cola - Nisekoi;
- Core-Doda - Girls und Panzer;
- Cure Cool - Shirobako;
- Great-Cola - Ikkitousen;
- Koca-Cola - Hamatora The Animation;
- Kuma-Cola - Steins;Gate Movie: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu;
- Loca-Cola - Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko;
Cup Noodles
- Chop Rumen - Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo;
- D-Cup Noodle - D.C.: Da Capo;
- Kitchen Noodle - Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin;
- Rocket Noodles - Cowboy Bebop;
Dell
- Dfll - Saki;
- Doll - Himouto! Umaru-chan;
Denny's
- Benny's - Strike the Blood;
- Benny's - To-Love Ru;
- Danny's - Date A Live / Fuuka;
- Doney's - Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen;
- Banny's - Kuzu no Honkai
DoCoMo
- DoCoNo - Steel Angel Kurumi;
Domino's
- Dogimo's - Kekkai Sensen;
Dr Pepper
- Dk Pepper e Doktor Pepper - Steins;Gate;
- Dr Ginger - Guilty Crown;
- Dr Poppor - Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?;
- Mr Pepper - Gin no Saji;
- Mr Popper - Photokano;
- Mr Peter - Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!;
- Dokupe - Kamisama no Memochou;
FamilyMart
- SisterMart - Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai;
Fanta
- Fante - Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin;
- Panta - No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!;
- Ponta - The Prince of Tennis;
Ferrari
- Forreri - Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino;
- Glegoo - Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki;
- Qeeqle - New Game!;
- Goggle - Hyperdimension Neptunia
Heineken
- Heireken - Black Lagoon;
- Haine-Kun - Grisasia no Rakuen;
IBM
- IBN - Steins;Gate. IBN (IBM) 5100;
Intel
- Intol - Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu;
- Outel - Toaru Kagaku no Railgun;
Kit Kat
- Kit Kut - Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu;
- Kit Mot - Non Non Biyori;
Kodak
- Dodak - Steel Angel Kurumi;
Lawson
- Dawson - Kaiji
- Hawson - To Love-Ru;
- Lawsan - RahXephon;
- Lowson - The iDOLM@STER;
- Anushole - KissxSis
McDonald's
- DomDonald's - Shirobako;
- EcDonald's - Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!;
- MacRonall Hamburger - Toaru Majutsu no Index and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun;
- Macross Nald's - Super Dimension Fortress Macross;
- Magnetron Burger - Azumanga Daioh;
- Mcdymaid's - Chaos;Head;
- MgRonald's - Hataraku Maō-sama!
- MobDonald's - Mob Psycho 100;
- MocRonall's - Toaru Majutsu no Index;
- Moe Burger - Master of Martial Hearts;
- Ng Donand - Joshi Kousei: Girl's High;
- Wacnordo - Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru;
- WcDonald's - Vários animes como Accel World
- WkDonaid's - Shingetsutan Tsukihime;
Microsoft
- Macrosoft e Winding XO - Angel Beats!;
- Shaftsoft
- Largehard - Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai;
Mitsubishi
- Witsubishi - Hidamari Sketch;
MOS Burger
- Was Barger - School Rumble Ichi Gakki Hoshuu;
Nescafé
- Hescafé - Ouran High School Host Club;
Nikon
- Mikon - Popotan;
- Nibon - Shirobako;
- Nikun - Senran Kagura Specials;
Nintendo
- Ninbendo - Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
Nissan
- Missan - Yomigaeru Sora: Rescue Wings;
Panasonic
- Nanasonic - Girls und Panzer;
- Papasonic - Busou Renkin;
- Fanasonic - Death Note;
Pepsi
- Bepsi in various anime such as Yowamushi Pedal and Gin no Saji.
- Papsi - Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun;
- Pippu - Cowboy Bebop;
- Popsi - Koe de Oshigoto!;
Pioneer
- Bioneer - Haiyore! Nyaruko-san;
Pizza Hut
- Pizza But - Full Metal Panic!
Pocky
- Bochy - Haganai Next;
- Bocky - Hataraku Maou-sama!;
- Packy - Shirobako;
- Pokee - Himouto! Umaru-chan / Hidamari Sketch / Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin;
- Rocky - Aishiteruze Baby / Madoka Magica;
- Rocky - Charlotte;
Pretz
- Etz - Himouto! Umaru-chan;
Pringles
- Bringles in Charlotte.
- Bringles - Himouto! Umaru-chan;
Red Bull
- Red Blue - Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
- Red Gull - New Game!;
Samsung
- Samyung - Blood+;
SEGA
- SCCA - Boku, Otaryman;
Seiko
- Saika - Zankyou no Terror;
- Seike - Kokoro Connect;
Snickers
- Sonickers - Kokoro Connect;
- Smickers - Eureka Seven;
- Snackies - Btooom!;
- Znickers - Zetsuen no Tempest;
Softbank
- Hardbank - Mirai Nikki;
- Siftbank - Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!
Sony
- Cony - Paranoia Agent;
- Mony - Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
- Onys - Charlotte;
- Pony - Hidamari Sketch;
- Popy - YuruYuri;
- Tony - Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun;
- Sany - Akira;
- Somy - Haikyuu!!;
- Sopy - Paranoia Agent;
Square Enix
- Quire Ericks - N.H.K. ni Youkoso
Starbucks
- Atzrbucks - Persona 4: The Animation;
- Moonbucks - Code:Breaker;
- Moonbucks - Hataraku Maou-sama!;
- Stanbattel - Kyou no Asuka Show;
- Starbacchus in Nisekoi.
- Starbook(s) Coffee - Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima!
- Starbuck - Gigantic Formula;
- Starducks - Melody of Oblivion;
- Starfox - Love Get Chu;
- Starjackass - Onegai Twins;
- Ster Tully's Coffee - Watamote
- Sudoh-Bucks - Toradora!;
- Tudrabucks - Sakura Trick;
- Sutabaa - Osomatsu-san;
Suica
- Melon - Haganai Next;