00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're taking a look at 10 jaw-dropping facts about some
00:11of the biggest companies in the world.
00:19Shopping platforms like Amazon and eBay are so ingrained in our public consciousness that
00:24the idea of them being called something else is, well, it's just weird.
00:27So it might surprise you to know that Amazon, for a short period, was called Kadabra.
00:31Jeff Bezos started the online bookstore in 1994, but after just a few months decided to change
00:36its name.
00:37The main reason for this was that a lawyer misheard the original name as Kadabra.
00:49Understandably, that urged him to make the change pronto.
00:52When choosing something else, Bezos wanted something quote, exotic and different, and settled on
00:57Amazon.
00:58Which had the added bonus of being at the start of the alphabet, the same trick used by Steve
01:02Jobs with Apple.
01:03Jack Daniels Good Friday.
01:06The idea of working at a whiskey distillery probably sounds pretty sweet, and it'll sound
01:10even sweeter when you find out that the legendary whiskey brand Jack Daniels gives its employees
01:14a free bottle of the old No. 7 whiskey on the first Friday of each month.
01:18Affectionately referred to by distillery staff as Good Friday, the first Friday coincides with
01:23payday at Jack Daniels, so employees get a bottle of the bourbon to go with their paycheck.
01:28As well as being a way to thank its employees for their hard work, it can be said this keeps
01:32staff passionate about the brand and the work they do.
01:36And its tractor heritage.
01:45Lambo is up there with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche when it comes to iconic sports car
01:49brands.
01:50But it may surprise you to know that Lamborghini earned its name selling tractors when it was
01:53founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini back in 1948.
01:57Their first karaoke models were innovative, yet affordable, exploding in popularity.
02:02It wasn't until 1963 that Ferruccio established Automobili Lamborghini, fuelled by his love
02:07for sports cars, and a general disliking for Enzo Ferrari and the cars the Italian automaker
02:12was producing.
02:13Of course, Lamborghini then went on to become a sports car giant.
02:16Notably, to this day, Lamborghini tractors are still produced, albeit as part of a separate
02:21Lamborghini Trattori brand.
02:23This red and white labelled cola beverage is so dominant and everlasting that we couldn't
02:36settle on just one surprising fact.
02:38So here's a variety of mind-blowing trivia for you.
02:40The classic bulbous glass bottle design is inspired by the shape of the cocoa bean.
02:44Coca-Cola was the first soft drink to be consumed in space, 94% of the world's population recognises
02:49the Coke logo, and it's said that around 1.9 billion servings of Coca-Cola are consumed
02:54around the world every day.
02:57Which country consumes the most of it?
02:58So glad you asked.
02:59Well, as of 2023, that would be Mexico.
03:02Regardless of what country you're in, however, it is said that the average person around the
03:05globe consumes a Coca-Cola-owned product at least once every four days.
03:10Apple and Ronald Wayne.
03:21The names Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are as synonymous with the Apple brand as the iPhone
03:25is.
03:26They are well known as the men who founded the Tech Colossus.
03:28But did you know that a man called Ronald Wayne also helped found the brand in 1976?
03:34Many people have never even heard of the name Ronald Wayne, but after meeting Jobs while they
03:38were both working at Atari, he helped form Apple in the Jobs family garage.
03:42Wayne, however, forfeited his 10% stake in the company to Jobs and Wozniak to the tune
03:47of $800, which is around $4,400 nowadays.
03:50And that was just 12 days after Apple was formed.
03:53And the rest, as they say, is history.
04:06The Swedish brand IKEA has a fascinating history, but one often overlooked aspect of the brand
04:11is how they go about naming their products.
04:13Many of us have probably made a feeble attempt at pronouncing the various different bed, wardrobe,
04:17table and chair names, but did you know that IKEA has specific naming conventions for its
04:21wide variety of products?
04:23Things like coffee tables and sofas are named after places in Sweden, and beds and wardrobes
04:27after places in Norway.
04:29But things get pretty obscure too, like products in the bookcase range being given names of professions,
04:34and boxes and wall decorations, carrying the name of Swedish slang words.
04:38So now you know.
04:39Go forth and amaze your friends.
04:45Of course, these are two giants of footwear.
04:49But did you know that the Puma and Adidas founders, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, were brothers?
04:54Yep, these two brothers were part of the shoemaking family business back in the early 1900s.
04:59But after they had various disagreements with one another, they parted ways and created
05:02their own companies, Adidas and Puma, and thus began decades of sibling rivalry, complete
05:08with lawsuits and accusations of plagiarism.
05:10There was also the legendary Pele pack, where either brother agreed to never try and sponsor
05:14the famed footballer Pele, as the bidding war would ultimately bankrupt them both.
05:19Spoiler alert, Puma broke the pact.
05:22The rivalry between the companies is fascinating, and has divided everyone from employees to football
05:26fans for years.
05:31Starbucks is the world's largest coffeehouse chain, but you probably already knew that.
05:35What you might not know, however, is just how often it adds to its portfolio of stores.
05:39The Starbucks brand reportedly adds an average of two stores to its empire every single day,
05:44and it's maintained that average since 1987.
05:51Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle, Washington in 1971, and since then it has
05:55opened around 40,000 stores across the globe.
05:57Also, fun bonus fact, Starbucks has round tables in their coffee shops to make individuals
06:02feel less alone when they sit down enjoying their beverage.
06:05Aww.
06:06McDonald's Hot Dog History
06:09Even before the McDonald brothers Richard and Maurice founded their first restaurant,
06:12the brothers had an interesting history.
06:14Maurice and his brother Richard got together and opened up their own hot dog stand, the Air
06:18Dome in 1937.
06:20This was successful, and they eventually expanded and opened up a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino
06:25in 1940, but they simplified the menu and swapped out hot dogs for hamburgers.
06:30Former McDonald's owner Ray Kroc famously prohibited the sale of hot dogs, as he believed they were
06:34unhygienic.
06:36In spite of this, the Mick Hot Dog has been an on-and-off menu item since the 90s.
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06:59The Nike swoosh is perhaps the most iconic logo when it comes to sports, however, many
07:03people still don't know exactly what it's supposed to represent.
07:14It was officially trademarked in 1971, and its design was inspired by the wings of the
07:18Greek goddess from whom the company took its name.
07:21It was designed by Carolyn Davidson, who, at the time, was paid just $35 to design it.
07:26And it was ultimately designed in a rush, as the brand had production deadlines to meet
07:30and needed the logo fast.
07:32When the swoosh design was handed over to them, one of the Nike founders, Phil Knight,
07:36famously said, quote,
07:37And that's our list.
07:46Do you know any cool facts about big companies?
07:49Let us know in the comments below.
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