40+ Funny Imitation Brands That Will Have You Rolling On The Floor

Branding is critical to businesses as it has the power to make or break the products they are trying to sell. There is much more to a company’s name and image, and they don’t mind going to any length to protect it. Unconsciously, we come across several brands in a day, and without taking a second glance, you can recognize most of them.

This is why smaller businesses try to piggyback on the success of bigger and more well known established brands. These businesses often make slight alterations to the name, image, or slogan of a bigger brand, and an unsuspecting customer may not see the difference – except when they take a much closer look.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of companies that tried to imitate major brands but failed at it terribly.

Wait, What is that?

Have you heard the saying about putting the cart before the horse? Well, this brand decided to implement it in the literal sense, but this time, the horse was on the man. You don’t even have to look closely to know something is wrong.

Even though they were trying to imitate the Polo brand, this image is as funny as it gets. Not only is the man carrying the horse on his back, the horse is also holding a polo stick ready to hit the field.

Flattering Imitation

You know your brand is a force to be reckoned with when there are several businesses worldwide trying to do the same thing you do. In this case, not only are they trying to use the name, but they are also trying to match the product quality of the company.

Rather than getting annoyed about the sheer number of businesses trying to mimic them – fast food restaurant chain, KFC is quite flattered. They know they are doing a great job, and this is more reason why they won’t rest on their oars.

Make Up Your Mind

It is obvious that the company that made this toy was influenced by two movies, I.e., the Lion King and Star Wars. Rather than choose one, they decided to merge the two into one product. Hence they decided to produce this toy. 

They even chose the appropriate title for it and named it that Lion Thing. To be honest, Chewbacca from Star Wars will definitely beg to differ as he doesn’t identify as a Lion. Although, the kid that got it may not mind as long it looks like the real thing.

Baking Bread

At one point or the other, you must have come across funny names like Calvim Klain. Louis Button, Ray-Ben and Adadis. Although these names sound very funny, you are sure to find more of them as you travel worldwide.

Even popular places are not immune to this as the above store was found in a high brow area where you’d least expect such. As the saying goes, imitation is the best form of flattery, but this time the case may be different.

Which is it?

There are times when we feel these companies are just trying to explore their creative side, or that they are just trying to be funny. This picture right here is bound to elicit some sort of laughter after you decipher what the creature is.

If you are familiar with Homer Simpson’s temperament, we are sure he’ll fly into a fit when he sees this. It looks like something his son, Bart, would come up with – a mix of Pikachu and Homer in one body- a “Hokachu” hybrid of sorts.

Counterfeit but Beautiful

Without a doubt, counterfeiting doesn’t just adversely affect a business, but it also has damaging effects on the economy. There are several risks it poses, and the general populace is not immune to it either. Ideally, most products are subject to regulations, but these producers know how to navigate these loopholes.

No matter how good or cheap they look, try as much as possible to avoid products like this. There’s every chance they did not go through the proper channels. Take this beautiful shirt; for instance, upon further inspection, it was found to be fake.

Funny Slogan

Just like the imagery, colors, and the name of a company is important, they also protect their slogan with all their might. This person was about to fall prey to this product, but something caught his attention, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

It is obvious the makers of this product don’t speak English as their first language as they got the tagline for Adidas wrong. The funny part is that the slogan they chose is sending a completely different message than what was intended.

Air Jordans

Michael Jordan is not just a legend on the basketball court, but he also carved a niche for himself in the business world. Just as you must have imagined, several other small businesses wanted to ride on the wave of his success.

Air Jordans was a hit worldwide, and every sports person that knew the worth of this product and wanted to have a pair. However, it is a little pricey and way beyond the reach of many. This led to the creation of several fakes, just like these funny Air Jordans above.

Perfect Brand

There are several reasons we patronize a brand. Apart from product quality and price, another reason some people choose to support a specific brand are the values the company represents. For this person, she’s found her brand, and it’s nothing short of perfect.

This person not only likes the shoes she is wearing, but she is also happy that the brand shares the same views on life with her. The name they chose is not only funny, but it perfectly resonates with her.  

Very Phoney

Sony’s Playstation was a massive hit across the world, and it has continued to dominate the gaming console market. From the look of things, the company does not look to relinquish it’s position anytime soon as they are about to release their latest offering.

Several gamers around the world cannot wait for the launch of PS5 as it promises to pack great features. For this reason, it won’t come as a surprise to find several knockoffs like this Fony (perfect name), game controller.

Food Spinoff

George R. R Martin’s book A Song of Ice and Fire was so good that it developed a cult following by ardent readers. That’s not all, the book had a lot of influence in the creation of a small little British Series, which was titled Game of Thrones.

This Chinese restaurant owner must have loved the book so much that he decided to name his restaurant something similar to his favorite book. The only difference here is that he swapped the Song for Rice, which sounds fitting.

Burritos

No matter how the authorities try, several businesses still find a way to counterfeit products. In countries where there are stringent laws in place, the primary question is if the authorities follow up with the enforcement of these laws.

Another problem is that it’s challenging to pass strict laws as the authorities fear it will suppress creativity in all forms. These problems and more are the reasons this company in Costa Rica can get away with this Burrito Hub.

Chocolate Haven

The government has several reservations about enforcing strict laws to combat counterfeiting. One of these reasons is that more prominent companies may take advantage of such laws to bankrupt and sue smaller designers and companies with various copyright infringement claims.

This loophole is not lost on companies that want to counterfeit, so they make the most of it to the detriment of unsuspecting customers. If you are not careful, you may mistake this product for Nestle’s Kit Kat and may end up being disappointed when you see it’s not the original.

The Huge Mountain

Think about it, before a company can make a copyright infringement claim, they have to prove that the design of the counterfeit product bears striking similarities to theirs. Take Adidas for example; their design comes with 3 distinct stripes.

The grey areas are so much that it looks like an impossible task to battle people who engage in such practices. This “ Huge Mountain” jacket above is an excellent example of this and is not exactly the “North Face” that consumers expect. As a customer, you must know how to tell the difference.

Funny Toys

Are you a lover of cartoons? If yes, you must have come across the box office hit “Despicable Me.” This movie was so good that fans – especially children – had to request a sequel, which was also a massive hit. 

However, you can imagine the surprise of this social media poster when he came across a toy set with a similar name to the cartoon. Although they had the same minions in their set, what made him burst into uncontrollable laughter is the name they chose.

Superhero Laundry

Marvel has been giving their fans incredible movies from the get-go. Even though they have several superheroes that fans adore, one of their best franchises so far has been the Avengers franchise, and this laundromat decided to borrow a little bit of their fame.

One of the standout movies from the Avengers franchise was the Avengers Infinity War. However, with clever wordplay, they were able to create a similar name in the hopes that their customers would love it in thesame way that the loved the movie.

What a Window

Microsoft Corporation has been one of the standout companies for the last decade. Not only did they revolutionize the IT industry, they have also been producing top of the line products for their customers regardless of location around the world.

Now, they have a problem on their hands, although they probably didn’t see it coming. One company in China is planning to rival them not only in products but also for their name. Michaelsoft Binbows has concluded plans to take over from where they left off.

Hokey Dokey

How do you like to eat your Oreos? Do you eat them as is, or do you dip them in milk? Oreos are loved to the point that children are not the only ones who adore them; many adults will admit to treating themselves with a few Oreos as well.

The irony here is that we know Oreos are not expensive, so it is affordable for most people. However, that did not stop other companies from creating lookalike products, but the name is as funny as it comes. 

Peppa?

We are trying to find the rationale behind the design of this hat. For starters, Peppa Pig has always been known for her simple lifestyle, and she doesn’t look like someone that will rock designer wear especially high-end brands like Gucci.

In a bid to be unique, this Chinese designer decided to add her image to their product with a Cucci Inscription on it. With as much sarcasm as he could muster, this poster considers it another great find from China.

Online Shopping

Thanks to the advent of the internet, it is now effortless to shop stores around the world from the comfort of your home. However, you have to be very careful, so you don’t fall victim to the crazy amount of counterfeit products out there.

The case was quite different for this person as he intentionally ordered this product from a company in China just for the fun of it. Although companies like Amazon try their best to stop sellers that do this, apparently, they need to work harder.

Scary Pikachu

Ideally, kiddies’ toys are supposed to look happy and friendly, right? Even though Pikachu is one of the most popular pokemons to ever come out from the franchise, this designer still got his face all wrong. On the other hand, maybe not.

It may be intentional, after all, as they try to avoid copyright infringements. What they failed to consider is that this little alteration may be a huge bummer as their pokemon now looks like a scary little demon. Kids will definitely avoid it.

Pizza Street

If you love pizza, then there is every chance you have a particular store you frequent every time you want your pizza fix. Some people are so loyal that they consider it a massive betrayal to patronize a rival brand.

This pizza company has decided to start a war of their own even though they are treading murky waters of the law. However, their customers may be in a fix as they may find it hard to choose which store to patronize.

Movie Night

The fans of horror flicks will forever love the box office hit “IT.” In the movie, the clown Pennywise was so scary that he’s found his way into several campfire stories. Just as you might have guessed it, a knock off was made.  

In order not to stray far away from the original title, this Japanese knock-off version named theirs “That,” We wonder what the storyline will be like and what they will call their clown – probably something as corny as “Pound foolish.”

Scared Ponies

We wonder what this designer was aiming for exactly. These imitation little ponies look like they are about to burst into tears. Even though we are not sure why, the creators probably chose to make their ponies look sad, so kids will be forced to buy them. But they forget one major fact.

Kids love to be happy, and they will always go for things that will make them happier, including their toys. Even the caption written on top of the top of the box elicits nothing but pity. Whether this gimmick worked on not, we can never tell.

Pita Hut

Protecting your intellectual property should be one of the first steps of any business. The reason for this is that there’s every chance other companies will spring up offering the same product. In a worst-case scenario, they’ll pretend they’re you.

You can imagine the shock of this poster when he went to a major shopping mall only to discover this Pizza Hut knock off. Don’t mistake this as a franchisee but another company that’s out there to deceive customers.

Gender Equality

If you are a 90s baby, then there’s every chance you’ve played a Nintendo Game Boy, or you probably even owned one. This device was the rave of the moment, and every kid wanted one. It was a thing of prestige to own one.

In order to compete with the gaming giants, this lesser known company had to go another route. They named their device the Game Child in the spirit of gender equality. We wonder about the kind of cartridges this device will use.

Not the Buzz

Toy Story was one cartoon that most 90s kids grew up watching. It will come as a surprise to you that the cartoon was made as far back as 1995, and the last installment was released last year – that’s how much kids loved it. 

Since it’s a story about toys, the company should release the toys for its teeming fans. And just like every successful product, there will be knock offs, and this wasn’t an exception. The difference, however, is quite clear.

Shape Controller

The gaming industry is a billion-dollar industry with Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox as the two major companies that dominate the market. With the sum they invest in protecting their intellectual property, you’ll think that intruders would steer clear.

However, you cannot be more wrong. If you are familiar with a PlayStation controller, you know how the buttons are supposed to look. To play it safe, the knockoff controller’s design had subtle differences with the names of the shapes spelled out on the buttons.

Fruit Store?

One thing you’ll continuously associate with the tech company Apple is class. Every product they’ve released from inception has always been on the pricier end and is considered a status symbol. This is a standard they’ve maintained and improved upon over the years.

That is the reason why this store will make Apple’s faithful fans laugh. Not only does it not match the standards set by Apple, but it is also apparent they don’t even share the same vision. However, if you patronize them, you’ll get a pizza.

The Big Bang Theory

If you’ve ever watched the Big Bang Theory, you’ll understand why Sheldon will be mad at this. Even his three socially awkward friends, Raj, Howard, and Leonard, couldn’t have come up with this in their wildest dreams, neither would the free-spirited Penny.

One thing about companies like this is that they know how to tweak brand names carefully, so you won’t notice at first glance. Well, according to their own account of creation, the universe was created by a giant bong.

Sinister Much

Winnie the Pooh has always been a gentle and jolly character that loves eating honey and going on adventures with his friends. This may be the reason why this company felt he’ll be great on a blanket even though the image was used without permission. 

However, not only does this Winnie the Pooh look sinister; whatever he’s about to eat does not look like honey. Maybe his expression says everything we need to know about why we should avoid the blanket in its entirety.

Rings or Stars

One common thread we’ve noticed with businesses that make knock offs is that they either make slight alterations to a brands name. If that doesn’t work, they combine elements of two major brands into one and voila, they have a unique name.

That’s precisely what this company did when they decided to name their product “The Kings of The Magic Ring.” A perfect combination of Lord of the Rings and Disney’s franchise Star Wars. Now, Frodo can take his epic journey to space.  

Pizza Hat

It seems most Pizza companies are at the brunt of impersonations like this. On the other hand, it looks like its most food companies. As long as you are doing something right, there’s every chance someone else will try to jump on your bandwagon and copy your secret for success.

Classic examples of this are McDonnies, Jill In The Box, Taco Chime, and Burger Queen. What is funny about this company is that the man in their logo looks like an undercover detective trying to test how good their pizza is.

Which Is It?

If you look at this sweater for the first time, it seems like a pair of eyes frowning at you. Upon further inspection, you’ll realize it is a pair of birds with a befitting name – the Angry birds.

What makes the sweater weird is the fact that the makers didn’t stop at using the angry birds alone – they still went ahead to use the name of the talented cat that loves lasagne, Garfield. Still didn’t help to make the sweater beautiful, though.

Great Hat

The Big Apple is famous for many reasons, from beautiful high rises to cultural restaurants to great music and people with amazing fashion sense. The inhabitants of the city are always proud of their city, and they are proud to represent it wherever they go.

For this reason, you will notice several items bearing the emblem of the city, but this one stood out for odd reasons. This New York Yankees hat looks like something that was made with a hot glue gun and applied by hand.

The Perfect Game

Are you looking for the best game that has ever been made? You don’t have to look any further as this poster has been able to find it . On another note, you shouldn’t mistake it for the Disney classic we grew up with.

This game right here is titled “Snow White and the 7 Clever Boys,” and we wonder the kind of adventures they’ll embark on. From the look of things, these boys clearly helped Snow White get the better of the witch.

Explorer

Smelling nice is very important. That’s why some people invest a sizeable portion of their income on body sprays, cologne, and perfumes. However, what happens when a techie want’s to smell nice? He simply buys the Internet perfume.

The famous Internet Explorer made this perfume and it comes with its most notable feature. All geeks know how slow the explorer is, so you can be assured that the smell will last longer – if possible all day.

Singing Hero

We all know our favorite superheroes are regular people when they aren’t wearing their capes. For this reason, there’s every chance they have ordinary talents or hold a day job just like the rest of us – especially when they aren’t saving the world.

This was most likely the inspiration behind creating this apparel. The designer must have had some hidden info about Spiderman that we didn’t know about. Hence, he merged his superhero abilities with the popular singing competition, The Voice.

Confused?

Piracy is something most companies battle with regularly, and they hire the best lawyers to help them in this regard. This comes to a head when their logo or imagery is used for products that don’t align with the companies vision or goal.

From the onset, the South Korean automobile company, Kia is synonymous with making affordable cars. However, another company felt they’ll do better if they delve into another field, which is to make cheap air pod knockoffs.

Dolce & Banana

Sometimes, imitation isn’t always the sincerest form of flattery. This is something the luxury fashion house from Italy – Dolce and Gabbana – will not find funny in any way. Having been in existence for many years the company must have battled issues like this on many occasions  

The significant difference between brands like this and the real thing is quality control. There is every chance that buying from stores like this is a waste of time and money. Besides, it is akin to throwing money down the drain.

Mike

There is nothing as sweet as a good coincidence. Imagine if your name is Michael, and you were lucky enough to stumble across these shoes. At least, there’s every chance you will be the only one wearing them in the entire gym.

The best part is that the shoe still encourages you to just do it. The only difference is that you’re told to do it for yourself as it’s personally addressed to you. The Mike looks like a logo or you might be mistaken to think it’s a personalized Nike.

iPhone

Do you love Apple products, but you feel they are a little pricey? Have you always dreamed of having your own iPhone? Your dream can now come true as you can buy these Apple products which shouldn’t be beyond your reach.

The only problem here is that you might be getting funny stares from the people around you. You don’t have to worry, your clothes are perfectly fine; the problem is they are wondering when Apple delved into the fashion industry.

Caped Crusader

What is that high up in the sky? Is it a bird or a plane? No, it is Specialman. This man is not from the fabled planet Krypton. Instead, he is from a special place, and he has special powers.

The best part is that the toy is for special people and it is sold only in special stores. This is the primary reason you can’t find it everywhere, and if you are lucky to see it, you can consider yourself special too.

Online Store

Have you ever been spoilt for choice by your favourite apps before? Or do you feel these apps on your phone aren’t doing enough? Well, those days are over as you can now shop with WhatsApp, Google, and Playstore.

When we say shop, we don’t mean electronically but walk-in stores where you can buy men’s wear and clothes. However, the difference with this Google is that it doesn’t know it all like it’s digital counterpart as it misspelled “Gallery.”