Term when a brand name become synonymous of the product it produces

Question

For example most of the people hearing "I really like my BMW" will understand than he is referring to a car whereas someone saying "I do enjoy my Lacoste" will leave doubts about what kind of product(a shirt, a fragrance, etc) he is talking about.

The term where saying

I really like my [brand name].

has the same meaning as

I really like my [product name].

For example

I really like my BMW.

means the same as (because BMW is so famous that is implicit that it is a car)

I really like my car.

The term would be fit in: BMW is an example of _____, the manufacturer of cars is so well-know that we all know pretty sure that we are talking about a luxury car when we hear "I really like my BMW"

Please would you clarify by including a sentence in which the word you seek would be used, leaving a blank space where it is to be inserted. — WS2, Jun 29 '15 at 22:35
I'm pretty sure someone wouldn't say "I really love my BMW" if they have a Honda... Perhaps an example like "Can I have a kleenex?" When they just mean "Can I have a tissue?" — Catija, Jun 30 '15 at 00:08
Possible duplicate of What is a word/phrase for using a term for a popular special case instead of a generic term? Also see What do you call the practice of using generic terms in favour of genericized trademarks? — choster, Jun 30 '15 at 00:13
I’m not sure what distinction you’re trying to draw here. If someone talked about their new BMW, I would assume they were talking about a car, but they might well be talking about a motorcycle or a bicycle, which BMW also produce. Similarly, if they talked about their new Lacoste, I would assume it was a shirt, though it might also be a fragrance or any other product Lacoste makes. Brand names are usually used synecdochically about their biggest, most common (range of) product(s), that’s all. — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Jun 30 '15 at 00:32
As children, we used to refer to all carbonated soft-drinks as "Cokes," is that an example of what OP is asking? The name for that transposition? — , Jun 30 '15 at 00:57
@LittleEva I don't believe so. We don't refer to all cars as 'BMWs'. — dwjohnston, Jun 30 '15 at 01:03
OP could you provide some an example usage where you would use this term? — dwjohnston, Jun 30 '15 at 01:04

score 3 · Answer 1 · 2015-06-29T22:46:04.727

3

I think the expression you are looking for is proprietary eponym:

An eponym:

is someone or something whose name is or is thought to be the source of something's name (such as a city, country, era, or product); alternately it can be used to refer to the name of something that is based on or derived from someone or something else's name. Albert Einstein is the eponym of the element einsteinium; conversely, einsteinium is an eponym of Albert Einstein.

Proprietary eponyms

are general words that are, or were at one time, proprietary brand names or service marks. Kleenex, for example, is a brand of facial tissues, yet the word is used today to refer to facial tissues of any brand. Xerox is a brand of photocopy machine, that word, too, has been since adopted to refer to any brand of photocopy machine and, moreover, also employed as a verb to describe the act of photocopying.

(www.rinkworks.com)

Active Trademarks Often Used Generically.

edited Jun 29 '15 at 22:46

answered Jun 29 '15 at 22:40

3

I'm not sure the OP is suggesting that in his example "BMW" is used as an eponym for any automobile. That would be different that any tissue being referred to as a "Kleenex" or photocopy, a "Xerox", right? – Kristina Lopez Jun 29 '15 at 22:48
@KristinaLopez, agreed. – David Garner Jun 29 '15 at 22:49
What do you think OP is asking? – Jun 29 '15 at 22:50
It sounds like he's looking for the word for the replacement of a noun (such as automobile) with a brand (such as BMW). I'm waiting for him to provide an example sentence as WS2 has requested. – Kristina Lopez Jun 29 '15 at 22:52

Term when a brand name become synonymous of the product it produces

1 Answers1

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