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AP style. Brand names, food names. Brand names. When a product’s official, registered trademark name is used, capitalize it. Brand names are normally avoided unless they are essential to a story. Also, you should confirm that the specific brand product is being used. Trademark, defined.
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AP style Brand names, food names
Brand names • When a product’s official, registered trademark name is used, capitalize it. • Brand names are normally avoided unless they are essential to a story. • Also, you should confirm that the specific brand product is being used.
Trademark, defined • A brand, symbol, word, etc. used by a manufacturer or dealer and protected by law to prevent a competitor from using it. • Example – AstroTurf, for a type of artificial grass. • When a trademark is used, capitalize it. • Many listed in stylebook. Also, the International Trademark Association may be a helpful resource.
Sometimes … • Sometimes, the specific brand or trademark may be used because it adds a crucial detail to a story. A detail that adds an air of reality to a story:- He fished a Camel from his shirt pocket. • Depending on the context, that may be preferable to use rather than the more generic reference to a cigarette.
Sports events • When a company sponsors a sports event or a stadium, etc., use the name on first reference.- GMAC Bowl.- Comerica Park, Ford Field. • When an event is clearly identifiable without the company’s name, drop the name on first reference and include elsewhere: Ex, FedEx Orange Bowl would be Orange Bowl. ID FedEx in an editor’s note later.
Some brand names • Dumpster – use trash bin • Kleenex – facial tissue • Styrofoam – plastic foam • Frisbee – flying disc • Bubble Wrap – packaging material • Muzak – background music • Realtor – real estate agent • Kitty Litter – cat box filler
Sometimes, they are so used … • Some words are used so commonly, they pass from trademark into generic terms. • Example: thermos • Formerly a trademark, now a generic term for any vacuum bottle. There is a manufacturer who still uses it as a brand name. • So, if it’s a Thermos brand vacuum bottle, capitalize. If not, lowercase.
Food names • In general, if a geographic region or proper name is part of a food name, that part of the name is capitalized. • But the rules are odd. It’s best to look up any that you have any questions about.
A and B at a glance • Asian Pear, Asiago cheese, Arborio rice • Bearnaise, baklava, bananas Foster, basmati rice, Bartlett pear, bibb lettuce, Black Angus beef, black-eyed pea, Bosc pear, Boston lettuce, bow-tie pasta, Bundt cake • Some capitalized due to brand names, region names, but again, it’s best to look them up.