Procter and Gamble wants to trademark three-letter acronyms including ‘LOL’ and ‘WTF’ to use in an unlikely category: dishwashing detergents and soap.
P&G, owner of brands such as Febreze, Tide and Mr Clean, has applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to use ‘LOL’ (which stands for Laughing Out Loud), ‘WTF’ (What The F—), ‘NBD’ (No Big Deal) and ‘FML’ (F— My Life).
P&G has applied to use the four acronyms in liquid soap, dishwashing detergent, hard surface cleaners and air fresheners.
Acronyms like these are used across social media and messaging apps and are popular among the hard-to-reach millennial group, one that might be more interested in P&G’s other products such as Old Spice deodorant [really?! I thought that was for old men?] or Aussie shampoo.
Millennials are an important potential customer for consumer packaged goods companies. Activist investor Nelson Peltz, who joined P&G’s board in March,told CNBC last September that younger consumers do not want “one-size fits all” brands. “Millennials want these little brands, these local brands that they have an emotional attachment to,” he said.
Along with the three-letter acronyms, P&G has also applied to trademark “Home Made Simple” in the same cleaning categories.
P&G had not responded to CNBC’s request for comment at the time of publication, but a report on industry website Ad Age said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has sought clarifications from P&G, which has until January to respond.
