Brands and companies parodied in anime

If you watch a lot of anime, you have probably noticed that brands and products often go by slightly tweaked names. It is a clever workaround that animation studios use to keep their worlds grounded without getting tangled in licensing. Most of the time a single letter does the trick: Zega for Sega, Zamazon for Amazon, Mindows 95 for Windows 95, and so on. This article goes through the most common examples.

Honestly, I find it somewhat absurd: even with a different name, recognizable brands on the screen still work as advertising. Sometimes the wrong spelling draws even more attention. Some parodied brands show up so aggressively that it makes you wonder whether it is really all about dodging copyright — I would not be surprised if some studios receive funding from the companies in question.

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Why studios parody brands

Series like Code Geass lean on Pizza Hut placements without apology. It is not hard to imagine that even a misspelled brand is still a form of indirect advertising. So why not invent brands of their own? Some argue it is precisely to make the anime feel realistic, so the audience can identify with characters who use the same products.

Anime has real power to pull people in. I felt it once when I walked into a park that appeared in Oreimo. Or have you seen what happened to the Washinomiya shrine after Lucky Star aired? Many people travel to Japan because of anime locations. So it is easy to see why both studios and brands lean on this strategy.

Reusing an existing brand with a twist is faster and cheaper than designing a new one from scratch. Drawing takes time and imagination, and the prices designers ask for a logo can be absurd. Sometimes, of course, it just happens because someone on the staff happens to like that brand.

It is not only anime. Every kind of film or video entertainment needs permission to show protected brands. Big American studios have dedicated rights-clearance departments, but smaller anime studios often lack the team or the time, so they parody instead.

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List of parodied brands and where they appear

Below is a comprehensive list of well-known brands and their parody versions across anime:

7-Eleven

• 1 — Himouto! Umaru-chan;
• 6/10 — The World God Only Knows;
• 8/11 — Haikyu!!;
• 7-Electabuzz — Pokemon.

Amazon

• Amazonas — Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
• Zamazon.

Asahi

• Asabi — New Game!;
• Asaki — Servant × 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 Deja 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 / 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.

Google

• Glegoo — Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki;
• Qeeqle — New Game!;
• Goggle — Hyperdimension Neptunia.

Heineken

• Heireken — Black Lagoon;
• Haine-Kun — Grisaia no Rakuen.

IBM

• IBN — Steins;Gate (IBM 5100).

Intel

• Intol — Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Deja 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 Maou-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 — Various animes including Accel World;
• WkDonaid's — Shingetsutan Tsukihime.

Microsoft

• Macrosoft / Winding XO — Angel Beats!;
• Shaftsoft;
• Largehard — Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai.

Mitsubishi

• Witsubishi — Hidamari Sketch.

MOS Burger

• Was Barger — School Rumble Ichi Gakki Hoshuu.

Nescafe

• Hescafe — 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 animes 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 — 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 — Haikyu!!;
• Sopy — Paranoia Agent.

Square Enix

• Quire Ericks — NHK ni Youkoso.

Starbucks

• Atzrbucks — Persona 4: The Animation;
• Moonbucks — Code:Breaker;
• Moonbucks — Hataraku Maou-sama!;
• Stanbattel — Kyou no Asuka Show;
• Starbacchus — 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.

This is just a selection — the list of parodied brands in anime is long and keeps growing. Spot one we missed? Drop it in the comments!