Did you know these cool stories about your favourite brands?

We’re surrounded by thousands of brands every day - brands that fulfil our desires to feel great and meet our basic needs for survival (Baby Tylenol anyone?).

You can be assured these brands are breaching your privacy (storing it for your own good of course!). Why? To present us with products in the future that apply to our particular avatar.

Make no mistake, your favourite brands know you!

On the other hand, brands carry their own mysteries. Are you privy to the stories and challenges that made them what they are today?

I’ve listed 10 things about brands you might find interesting.

Let’s jump right in:

1. The Reason Behind Lamborghini’s Existence

Who hasn’t dreamt of ‘joy crying’ in their luxurious Lamborghini? It’s the dream car of many and acquired by very few. But did you know they didn’t start off with such luxury? In fact, they originally manufactured tractors only?

The founder wasn’t satisfied with what he had. Despite having hundreds of Lamborghinis rolling around, Ferruccio Lamborghini still tamed a fascination towards race cars and luxury vehicles. And the best part? He was in love with one of their prime competitors that we know today - Ferrari.

One day, Ferruccio was doing a regular check-up on his Ferrari and found the clutch was broken. As he looked closely, he realized it was the same one as his tractors. So he approached Enzo Ferrari, the owner of the luxury sports car, to replace the clutch with something better (talk about free business advice).

However, Enzo was a man of pride. So much so that it got in the way, and he dismissed Lamborghini saying a tractor maker wouldn’t know what race cars require. Well, I guess Lamborghini took that to heart. Fast forward today - Lamborghinis are dominating the sports area.

2. How Did Puma And Adidas Come to be?

In the 1920s, there was a shoe manufacturing factory - “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.” It was owned by two brothers - Rudolf and Adolf (not that one!). The business was going well, but the storm finally touched base. They formed a misunderstanding towards one another during WWII (no better time, right?), which led to the death of their relationship.

American soldiers picked up Rudolf after the war culmination - accusing him of being a member of the Waffen SS - which he wasn’t. Rudolf’s believed his brother turned him in, making the crack permanent, and they never got together again.

But neither of them were disheartened or secluded in a corner. Both started their personal line of shoes. Rudolf started Ruda - which transformed into Puma, and Adolf formed Adidas. While both turned out to be leading brands, sadly, both the brothers passed away without having ever made amends.

Despite being buried in the same cemetery, their graves are on opposite poles.

3. Marlboro Man’s Original Actor Passed Away Due To Lung Cancer

Sad but true - Darrell Winfield, who originally played and served the Marlboro Man from 1968 to 1969 - had lung cancer (tragic, isn't it?). Which led to the end of his career.

The surprising part? Besides Darrell, the other four men who were playing with him for the ad, also fell victim to the crime they promoted. The irony is thick and creamy!

Later - Darrell’s wife claimed he had to smoke multiple packets of cigarettes for ads that led him to contract cancer.

4. Few Things About Amazon

Did you know Amazon has a very unique rule for employees? Once an employee completes two years in the firm, they must work at the customer service department for two days. Peculiar, right? The reason?

So they can understand the customer service process better.

The rule is the same for everyone working at the firm. Now I know what you might be wondering - “But what about Jeff Bezos himself?”

Well, he’s no exception to this rule. He does it too!

Bonus fact:

Ever wondered what the yellow arrow under the amazon logo means (most of us haven’t)?

Look carefully - the arrow points from A to Z. Signifying the wide-ranging array of products they hold. It’s simply screaming that they have everything you need.

5. BMW And WWI

Who doesn’t have a fascination for those luxurious four wheels, right? But did you know the price Germany had to pay to come up with the automobiles? The answer?

*Drum roll*

Lose WWI.

But why? Because the brand was originally an aircraft manufacturing company. After the defeat, Germany had to stop manufacturing airplanes per term of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.

Their business was on the verge of destruction. So without any delay, BMW decided to start manufacturing motorcycles, later expanding into cars in1928.

Thanks to their brilliant move, now we can drive (and show off) such beauties - be it on Instagram or real life.

6. Burj Khalifa Is Samsung’s Creation

Did you know Samsung started as a dried fish exporter? They were even known for selling groceries once upon a strange time.

That might be hard to digest, but what they used to be and what they are now are to entirely different universes.

What’s more, the tallest building, Burj Khalifa, was created by Samsung. Shocking, huh? Our feelings are mutual.

Burj Khalifa’s leading contractor and partner were the Samsung C&T Corporation. The Samsung C&T Corporation is a parent company of the Samsung Group, which works for overseas sales operations. 

You might have noticed their logo around this intense skyscraper.

7. 2 Kids Ended Up Founding UPS With $100

If you ever needed packages delivered, you must’ve heard of the UPS (United Parcel Service). Buckle up, because this service has an encouraging founding story.

It took 2 teenagers, one bicycle, and $100 to start the world’s largest package delivery company (shoestring approach).

Impressive, right?

The journey started in 1907, through 2 teenagers named James Casey and Claude Ryan. They used their borrowed $100 as the capital and started delivering parcels sometimes on foot or using the bicycle.

As they say - getting started is the half the battle won.

8. American Prohibition Gave Us The Ultimate Favorite Coca-Cola

A chilled bottle of Coca-Cola on a hot summer day is a refreshing cure (ok well maybe not a cure but more a guilty pleasure).

We’d have missed this soul-soothing drink if America didn’t pass prohibition legislation. You see, John Pemberton, an injured Confederate Colonel first created an early version of Coca-Cola. He wanted to create something that’d help him get over his morphine addiction (bummer!).

But the tonic had alcohol in it. And when Atlanta prohibited any sort of alcohol use, he had to remake it as a non-alcoholic drink (talk about innovation).

Pemberton’s recipe, did, however, contain cocaine, in the form of an extract of the coca leaf, which inspired the “Coca” part of the beverage’s name.

The “Cola” in the name comes from the kola nut, which contains caffeine, another stimulant.

At the time of Coca-Cola’s invention, cocaine was legal and a common ingredient in medicines. It was thought not to be harmful in small doses (everything in moderation guys!).

And that’s how all of our non-alcoholic addiction, Coca-Cola, was created.

9. Starbucks Story

Starbucks is the name of the game. The name alone starts eliciting aromas of the senses.

How many times have you been to Starbucks? How many times did you take the time to notice the shapes of the tables? Most of us haven’t.

But guess what? Your favorite coffeehouse cares about you too. That’s where the table shape comes in. The round shape of the table is not there just for the sake of sitting.

Starbucks believes the round shape of the table will make you feel more comfortable and at home. Even when you’re visiting alone, they don’t want you to feel lonely.

After all, love comes in all shapes and sizes.

10. Gucci Things

Guccio Gucci was the founder of our favorite Gucci brand.

He was an elevator operator in London’s Swanky Savoy Hotel. He met celebrities like Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe while working there. And their accessories inspired him to start his own line.

The Gucci logo GG stands for Guccio Gucci. Despite starting its journey in the fashion country Italy, Gucci was more into England’s fashion sense.

Well done. Guccio (you traitor!).

Conclusion

There are thousands of successful brands across the world. Each has one or more stories behind their success. Some are motivating, surprising, and heartbreaking too.

Enrich your knowledge about your favorite brands to support and love them better. They deserve their share of appreciation for serving you for years without any complaints ??

Any cool stories to add? Drop them in the comments!