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Procter & Gamble tries to trademark millennial catchphrases. LOL

Finally, a mega conglomerate just gets me.

Procter & Gamble tries to trademark millennial catchphrases. LOL

[Photo: Daria Shevtsova/Pexels]

BY Mark Wilson0 minute read

WTF.

According to AdAge, the language of texting is being bought up by big business. Procter & Gamble, the largest consumer goods company in the world, has filed an application to trademark the acronyms NBD, FML, LOL, and WTF to use on personal and household-use goods. But the deal isn’t done yet. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has reached out to P&G for clarification on the request.

The strategy comes at a time when P&G’s profits have stalled, while raw materials and shipping costs have gone up. It’s not hard to reverse engineer the play. Millennials and Gen Z aren’t excited about their Charmin toilet paper? Okay, just Buzzfeed-ify the brand, slap a big emoji wink and LOL on the package, and reap the profits.

For everyone 36 and under who is facing the trials of adulting when walking through the dishwasher detergent aisle, or, let’s be real, Subscribe & Saving these products on Amazon, it’s a very exciting time indeed. As far as I’m concerned, P&G can just stick a FML on every pack of paper towels, toothpaste, and soap I buy, and I’ll finally feel like a big brand just gets me.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Wilson is the Global Design Editor at Fast Company. He has written about design, technology, and culture for almost 15 years More


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