[QUOTE=acsenray]
On the other hand, I don’t think I ever heard “KFC” of “HoJo” prior to the marketing.
[/QUOTE]
We called 'em HoJo thirty-plus years ago, well before I was aware of any marketing, other than their simple existence spanning the highways.
Anyone else go out the wrong end and get worried because they couldn’t find the car? :smack:
[QUOTE=Tikki]
Anyone remember when anime was just starting to become known here and the media tried to label it Japanimation? Am I ever glad that that didn’t stick!
[/QUOTE]
Oooh, “Japanimation” really burns me. It just seems so condescending. “Anime” is a perfectly handy and unambiguous word; why is this lame-ass pun necessary?
The worst ever was an episode of America’s Next Top Model (first season I think) in which the contestants were flown to Japan to be photographed in a style that the hosts repeatedly referred to as “Harajuku Jap-anime.” The hell? 
I can accept that as far as the average American Top Model viewer is concerned, “Harajuku” and “anime” might as well be the same thing, but to invent the even lamer-ass pun “Jap-anime” out of whole cloth was baffling.
[QUOTE=Trunk]
I was reading in the Times this weekend about a website Wal*Mart has started called “The Hub”, a kind of myspace thing.
They invite kids to write what they like about Wal*Mart.
Here’s a link to the article which contains a link to the site.
[/QUOTE]
That reminds me of this cartoon.
[QUOTE=Mikemike2]
How about attempts to manufacture fads from TV shows? The aborted attempt that came to mind when reading the OP was Chachi’s bandana worn just above the knee on Happy Days. I read the producer did this just to see if kids would copy it.
[/QUOTE]
I do that sometimes, too (no, not the bandana thing). See post #69 above.