Hilarious Knockoff Products That Were Shameless About Their Branding
Knockoff brands can be hit or miss, offering either a steal price for a similar product or a total ripoff for a worse version. What knockoffs brands do have in common, though, are some hilarious names. Some variations sound similar but use trick spelling, like "Souperman" or "McDnoalds". Others just paste the same popular name on a completely different product, like iPhone sneakers. Our favorite is when they combine both tactics to come up with something like Starbangs salon. Read on to see how far knockoff brands will go to catch your eye.
Grab A Snack With Friends At Facefood!
This foodery wasn't shy about copying Facebook. They used the same font in their sign and even have icons that you'd see on the social media platform.
The business owner at least put an original twist on the "facefood" spot by writing "Juice Bar" in the message symbol. Anyone walking by who hasn't heard of Facebook would probably confuse the eatery for being a spa since the name "facefood" sounds like a place you'd get a mask.
Have You Seen The Latest Michaelsoft Binbows Update?
It's hard to believe that this billboard actually exists on the side of a building. It sounds like a joke a kid would write in their computer class. We do have to appreciate the stellar wordplay.
It takes a special kind of class clown to turn Microsoft Windows into Michaelsoft Binbows. Based on the fact there's a bunch of computers clearly visibly through the windows, we're pretty sure this is an actual business. Good on them for recycling old devices no one wants anymore.
If Only The Starbucks Mermaid Had Bangs
This salon definitely was trying to enhance their advertising by including the Starbucks logo on their sign. We wonder how many people have wandered up to the door looking for coffee.
To give the name a hair-related twist, they changed it to Starbangs. Being that "bangs" can mean a lot of different things, we would have suggested going with "Starfringe," but that wouldn't be nearly as eyecatching. We're sure this business owner loves the publicity.
Checkout My New Pair Of iPhones!
This shoe company wasn't even trying to be discrete about their branding. They literally put the Apple icon on their shoes along with the word "iPhone." It's as though they were trying to trick consumers into thinking that these shoes are the world-famous iPhones everyone's raving about.
Maybe the shoes are really a marketing scheme put forth by Apple. It is a pretty ingenious way to advertise while also making money. We're just waiting for the "android" shoes.
Online Shopping Just Got Real
Being that the world practically lives on their smartphones anyways, these store owners figured why not bring the phone to life! Either they made a pact or there's one wealthy owner of all three stores, because their names are "Play Store, Google, and WhatsApp."
That would make sense if they were electronic stores, but they're all clothing stores! Even more hilarious is the number of motorcycles out front, as though bikers are really into the fashionable men's wear these stores are selling.
I'll Take A Number 1 From Burger Madam & Sir
This billboard features the Burger King logo, but it doesn't say Burger King. Instead, it reads "Burger Madam & Sir". Being that this name has twice as many syllables, it doesn't quite roll off the tongue.
We do appreciate the inclusivity, but perhaps they could have gone with something shorter like "Burger Royalty." This longwinded title has us wondering what the menu looks like. We could imagine the business owner renaming the Whopper a "Burger for the Noblest of Knights."
There's Nothing Like Souperman On A Chilly Day
Typically, the unusual spelling in the English language is nothing but a nuisance. In this case, it helped a business owner copycat one of the best-known superheroes in the world.
This game is clearly based around the hero Superman, but they named it "Souperman" to protect themselves against trademark laws. The best part is that even though "souper" isn't a real word, it's pronounced the exact same way as "super." We just hope they somehow integrated a bowl of soup into the game's rules.
Two Knockoff Brands In One!
The shoemaker behind this knockoff pair of shoes must have a deep love for both Nike and Adidas, because they couldn't decide which one to elude to. Instead of combining both words to come up with a brand name like "Nikidas," they just threw on jumbled versions of both names.
The heal reads "Nkie," while the sole says, "adiabs" next to a tiny basketball icon. Perhaps they thought that including both brand names would make the shoes twice as enticing.
Checkout My Star-Wars Superman Power Ranger Backpack!
Rather than having kids pick between their favorite superhero backpacks, this knockoff brand went ahead and combined several of them! The cover reads "The Amazing Star-Wars," which plays on the more recent Spider-Man movies.
The hero himself looks more like a Power Ranger, despite the fact he's swinging through buildings like Spider-Man. Then there's the zipper fob, which features a Captain America shield. It's a pretty brilliant design since it appeals to multiple fans at once.
You Got Any Skerples To Write On These Signs With?
This knockoff company created Sharpies under the name Skerple. While that may seem like a completely random name, it's actually quite brilliant if you think about it.
Though "Skerple" and "Sharple" don't sound anything alike, they do look very similar. Especially since the fonts are the same, the "k" looks like the "h," the "e" looks like the "a," and the "i" looks like the "l." Someone rushing to grab supplies might not even realize they bought a pack of Skerples.
I Could Really Go For A Mountain W
This Redditer must have been collecting Mountain Dew knockoffs for some time because they now have eight hilariously named variations. We would say the most clever one is "Mountain W" because it at least sounds similar.
The other ones are just outrageous: Moutain Shoutin', Super Chill (Mt. Chill flavor), Mountain Rapids, Mountain Frost, Mountain Explosion, Moutain Lion, and last but not least, Wild Mountain. Apparently, all you need to do to indicate something tastes like Mountain Dew is have the word "Mountain" in the name and put it in a green can.
Arts And Crafts Aren't Complete Without Google Eyes
One of the more familiar items at an arts and crafts store is Googly Eyes. They're so common that the only way to refer to them is by the name brand. That must be why this knockoff brand wanted to stick to the name but changed the spelling so it reads "Google Eyes."
If Google wasn't already one of the most successful search engines out there, consumers might not know the difference. Since that isn't the case, it seems like Google decided to expand into the world of arts and crafts.
Game Child Is More Inclusive Anyway
Gameboy was a revolutionary device when it came out because it allowed kids to play games on the go. If it had come out nowadays, more parents would probably be concerned about the gender-specific name.
This knockoff hopped on the politically correct bandwagon by calling their version "Game Child." This way, people can enjoy the nostalgia of an old-school gaming device while appreciating the new, inclusive name. In actuality, Gamegirl was probably already taken.
Anyone Else Feel Like McDnoald's?
This fast food joint utilized one of the most famous signs in the world in a way that isn't quite copying but definitely isn't original. They went with the name McDnoald's, which is exactly the same name as McDonald's only with the "o" and the "n" swapped.
They also did three of the famous golden arches instead of two, which is confusing considering that isn't how an "M" is supposed to look. At first glance, though, the colors and style could easily fool someone.
Sick Deats Bro
Dr. Dre has been a highly successful rapper and producer for decades, so when his Beats by Dre headphones came out, they were all the rage. It's no wonder this company wanted to knockoff the brand, and they did so in a pretty sneaky way.
The headphones have a similar design, only they're called "Deats" instead of "Beats." While "deats" has nothing to do with music, it does allow for a strikingly similar logo since "d" is just a backward "b."
Who Needs Ninja Turtles When You Have Power Turtles?
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a highly successful franchise, so of course someone wanted to play on the brand to gain some attention. The funny thing is that this isn't a toy or a game. It's a pack of gum. The owner literally reimagined TMNT just to sell bubblegum.
The result is the Might Mutant Power Turtles' Secretive Goo, aka chewing gum. The top righthand corner even reads "Video Gum," as though that's going to trick someone into thinking it's a video game.
Dr. Pepper Is Dr. Perfect!
If you thought that Mountain Dew knockoff collection was impressive, check out all these Dr. Pepper knockoffs! This person collected 24 different cans, which has us wondering what the Coca-Cola knockoff collections must look like.
You may recognize the Chill brand, which had Mt. Chill, and this time around has Dr. Chill. Some of our other favorites are Dr. Perky, Dr. Thunder, Dr. A+, and The Dr. In this case, all you need is the word "Dr." and a red can to indicate what flavor it is.
That's One Funny Potato, I Mean Person
Mr. Potato Head is such a quintessential part of childhood that it was even one of the main characters in the Toy Story franchise. Since the toy is about as unique as it gets, this knockoff brand could have been called anything and the item would still be recognizable.
Rather than coming up with something clever, they named the toy "Funny Person." Amazingly, the owner managed to turn something brilliant into one of the most boring toys a kid could ask for.
Got A New Pair Of Ball Star Sneakers
Like Vans or Keds, Converse is among the most popular sneaker brands to hit the market. That's why this shoemaker knock only created an identical-looking shoe but even copied the star logo.
Instead of calling the line "All Star" like Converse did, they just added a "B" to make it "Ball Star." It's such a minor detail that someone could easily miss it. If they looked a little closer, though, they'd notice the company is "Monica Sun," which doesn't sound anything like Converse.
Playstation Or X-Boy?
This knockoff gaming system is clever because they came up with a name that could be easily confused for multiple reasons. For one, the colors and logo are just about identical to that of the X-Box gaming systems.
For two, the name X-Boy looks very similar to X-Boy since a capital "y" is essentially a capital "x" with one less stem. To top it off, "X-Boy" sounds a lot like "Gameboy," which could be confusing for parents.
Transform Your Frams Torners
This toy creator took the name "Transformers" and jumbled up all the words so it reads "Frams Torners." We doubt anyone would miss that, even at first glance.
Rather than trying to trick consumers, it seems like the name is just for laughs. It would make a great gag gift to an adult that loves the franchise, or to a kid that doesn't know how to read yet. Even the font and the design on the packaging look like the original.
Open 1 Day A Week, Eleven Months Out Of The Year
7 Eleven is a hugely recognizable convenience store. That's why this owner when with the exact same font and style for their store, only they named it 1 Eleven. The name is especially hilarious considering where 7 Eleven comes from.
It initially referred to the store's hours of operation, which were from 7 AM until 11 PM, 7 days a week. By that logic, this store would only be open from 1 AM to 11 PM, 1 day a week. Fortunately, the sign clearly says 24 hours on it to prevent confusion.
We Love Playing Ill-Tempered Birds
These days there are a ton of fun app games to play on smart devices. But one of the first majorly popular ones was Angry Birds. This advertisement isn't even for an Angry Bird knockoff game.
It's for pencil toppers that mimic characters from the game. Still, the company had to name it "Ill-Tempered Birds Pencil Toppers" to avoid copyright issues. So the next time you're feeling angry, just tell the person you're with that you're "ill-tempered" right now.
The Best Shoes Are Srpueme
Supreme is a brand that epitomizes high-end casual wear. Whoever created these sneakers was probably trying to sell them for more than they're worth, so they used the Supreme logo.
To play it safe, though, they changed the spelling so it reads "Srpueme." They must have been hoping that someone would either not notice, or would think it was just a typo. Putting the "u" in the wrong place is a pretty lazy way to pass a knockoff if you ask us.
Don't Forget To Call Out Ung!
Uno is a simple yet exciting card game for the whole family, so no wonder this knockoff brand wanted a slice of the pie. They did a brilliant job with the name because the design makes it hard to tell if that's an "o" or a "g."
To further confuse the consumer, they called it the "deluxe edition" and added the line "A popular global gathering game." It sounds like Uno and it looks like Uno, but it's Ung.
Try Not To Fall Playing Twist... And Turn
Twister is one of those games that at least one person you know probably owns. What you won't likely find in people's houses is the knockoff version, Twist and Turn.
It literally has the exact same rules and parts to the game, but the name is slightly different. Kudos to the minds behind this knockoff because the title at least makes sense while still obviously eluding to the original. This name may even be more accurate!
It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's Specialman!
While "Souperman" is probably the closest name to "Superman" that a knockoff could possibly achieve, this one isn't bad, either. "Specialman" may not sound quite as mighty, but it's still accurate.
Plus, this knockoff is the actual superhero action figure, not just a board game based on him. We could see parents buying this version for their kids because it's cheaper and, unless the kids can read, they'll likely have no idea what the difference is.
The Best Jackets Are By The Forth Nace
This knockoff jacket may have The North Face's logo on it, but it clearly reads "The Forth Nace." If you're wondering whether or not "nace" is a word, the answer is no, no it is not.
If it were, then the brand would at least make some sense, and might even throw some consumers for a loop. Since it's not, anyone brave enough to wear this jacket would probably have to deal with a lot of people pointing out that it's a knockoff.
Don't Connect 4, Just Line Them Up!
Connect 4 is a blast because it only requires players to be able to count to four. At the same time, it takes a fair share of strategy to be able to get four in a row before your opponent.
This knockoff version looks exactly the same, but it's called "Line Up 4." While that may seem like a less impressive title, it actually is more accurate than the original name! Technically, the pieces don't connect. They just line up next to one another.
The Best Hero Is Spiders, Man
Any of the grammar people out there will appreciate this knockoff brand. It's a testament to the power of punctuation. To pass this knockoff, the toymaker just changed the dash in Spider-Man to a comma.
They have the exact same action figure, but he's "covered in spiders, man," rather than actually being called Spider-Man. Give a kid the action figure and save the spiders for Halloween and they won't even be able to tell the difference.
