Can I use brand names in my story?

The short answer is yes, but be careful about how you use those brands.

The problem with using brand names

Using brand names carries two risks. First, defamation: you could face legal trouble if you depict the brand or its product in an unflattering way. Second, product placement: readers could think you’re trying to sell them something.

Problem 1: defamation

Companies are protective of their brands, so if you bring a brand into disrepute or mention it in an unflattering way, you could leave yourself open to accusations of defamation from the brand’s company.

Writing about how glad you were to have your Leki poles is fine, but writing about how you got food poisoning after eating a Great Backcountry Feeds dinner is not so fine. (Yes, I did make up that brand!)

In many cases, you don’t need to use the brand name at all. With the Leki pole example, “walking poles” could be better as more readers will know what you mean.

And if you do get sick from a freeze-dried meal, best not to mention the brand name. (If necessary, do that in an email to the company.)

How likely is it that a company will send lawyers your way? It doesn’t happen often, but why take the risk? Making simple changes to your manuscript will reduce the chance of unpleasant legal letters coming your way.

Problem 2: product placement

If you’ve ever watched a TV show and noticed a conspicuously placed can of Coke or Starbucks cup, then chances are, that can or cup has been placed deliberately. While obvious product placement doesn’t happen as frequently in the literary world, it can still creep in, and it creates an odd effect.

See how strange this sentence is:

My thick Icebreaker socks kept my toes toasty warm all night.

The use of “Icebreaker” sounds odd and almost forced. A reader may ask why the writer is drawing attention to the brand.

If your adventure has received sponsorship and mentioning brands is part of your agreement, then you can name them. But try to work the names in naturally. If possible, let your photos do the talking. Let your readers see you wearing your Patagonia jacket or your Grisport boots. Or thank the sponsors in your acknowledgements.

Some argue that including an occasional brand name lends an air of realism to a story. The key is to work in any brand names naturally. Make sure they fit the context, so the reader doesn’t feel like they’re having the brand shoved in their face.

How to use brand names as verbs and nouns

Some brand names have become so common that they have become generic, like Hoover and Google. When these words are used as verbs, they are often lower case:

I googled how to light a fire with nothing but two twigs.
He hoovered the lounge.
She sellotaped her glasses back together.

Companies don’t like their brands being used in this way because when a brand name enters everyday language and becomes generic, the company risks losing their trademarks. For example, Adobe encourages people to say “the image was enhanced using Adobe Photoshop software” rather than “I photoshopped my images.” Though this seems to be a losing battle.

When you use a brand name as a noun, make sure you spell it the way the company spells it. Maybe you are tracking your route via your inReach, or you can’t wait to download your photos onto your iPad.

Checking the company’s website is an easy way to confirm the spelling. There is no need to add ™ after the brand name, either.

Where to from here

If you mention a brand in your story, make sure you’re doing so in a positive or neutral way. Review any brand names you use to see whether they are relevant to the story. A generic word or phrase could work better.

If you have questions or you need help wrangling your adventure into a compelling narrative, contact me and we can start a conversation.

References

Can I Mention Brand Name Products in My Fiction?, by Mark Fowler. Rights of Writers. 27 December, 2010.

How photoshop became a verb, by Jacob Kastrenakes. The Verge. 20 February, 2020.

Hoover, Dictionary.com.

General trademark guidelines, Adobe.

Google, Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.