History Main / BrandNamesAreBetter

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''The Night We Never Met'', Sam Lester is a chef who runs a high-class delicatessen. He's constantly trying to convince his customers that the only difference between the less-expensive but still-high-quality domestic products he sells and the expensive, brand-name imports is the fact that a) they are imported and b) they are brand names. Most of his customers couldn't care less and buy the imports for the "prestige" factor.
* There's the true story, dramatized in the movie ''Film/BottleShock'', of how a new American wine defeated well-known French wines in a taste test... in ''France''. They call it the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris_(wine) Judgment of Paris]], and all the (French) judges were absolutely horrified at what they'd done.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Cordelia Chase once said that, when she goes shopping, she always buys the priciest thing she can find. "Not because it's expensive, but because it costs more."

* On ''Series/{{Monk}}'', Monk will only drink Sierra Springs water. This is due to SuperOCD. Until season 6 when he suddenly changes to the fictitious Summit Creek water. In ''Mr. Monk Gets Cleaned Out'', he goes to Fiji water.

** Differences in the inert ingredients (such as the binding of the pill) may affect the rate at which the active ingredients are absorbed into the body, causing the exact same type and amount of medication to have a somewhat different effect.

* Inverted in ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'' where Shinra's artificial materia is garbage compared to natural materia as they can't grow stronger. A natural Ice materia can learn the stronger versions of Blizzard but an artificial Blizzard materia can't.

* ''Fanfic/BetweenTheLines'': {{Averted}}. [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10979729/1/ In Chapter 1:]]"She may have been a high-class rich girl but even Shokuhou knew that there was no point going to buy the most expensive pencils and pens when there were cheaper options that lasted longer and were half the price."
* Inverted in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4813784/48/Once-More-With-Feeling Once More With Feeling]]'' where Shinra's artificial materia is garbage compared to natural materia as they can't grow stronger. A natural Ice materia can learn the stronger versions of Blizzard but an artificial Blizzard materia can't.

** Eminem got so geeky about drug brand names that he even used regional brand names in freestyles recorded in those countries - one of his Tim Westwood freestyles during this period contains a reference to the British paracetamol/codeine drug Nurofen Plus, once a favourite of abusers due to the drug being made in such a way that the codeine was contained only in one half of the tablet - some extremely obscure drug lore for an American to know.

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s ''Relapse'' has been noted by critics as containing an entire pharmacopeia of branded drugs, many of which will have listeners running to Google. This was because Em, a word geek, [[AuthorVocabularyCalendar fell in love with the different brand names for medication]] during his stay in rehab, liking how they used unusual and catchy combinations of vowel sounds that made them fun to rhyme things with. It also helps emphasise the fact that, [[ConceptAlbum in the story]], Slim isn't addicted to the scary illegal drugs that normally show up in rap music (although there's a couple of mentions of weed and ecstasy), but to the apparently [[GRatedDrugs mundane]] drugs prescribed by doctors in a health system based on ManufacturingVictims.
** Eminem got so geeky about drug brand names that he even used regional brand names in freestyles recorded in those countries - one of his Tim Westwood freestyles during this period contains a reference to the British paracetamol/codeine drug Nurofen, once a favourite of abusers due to the drug being made in such a way that the codeine was contained only in one half of the drug. This is some extremely obscure drug lore for an American to know.

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s ''Relapse'' has been noted by critics as containing an entire pharmacopeia of branded drugs, many of which will have listeners running to Google. This was because Em, a word geek, [[AuthorVocabularyCalendar fell in love with the different brand names for medication]] during his stay in rehab, liking how they used unusual and catchy combinations of vowel sounds that made them fun to rhyme things with. It also helps emphasise the fact that Slim isn't addicted to the scary illegal drugs that normally show up in rap music (although there's a couple of songs about smoking weed and one about doing ecstasy), but to the apparently mundane drugs prescribed by doctors in a health system based on ManufacturingVictims and profiting off addicts rather than actually helping people.

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s ''Relapse'' has been noted by critics as containing an entire pharmacopeia of branded drugs, many of which will have listeners running to Google. This was because Em, a word geek, [[AuthorVocabularyCalendar fell in love with the different brand names for medication]] during his stay in rehab, liking how they used unusual and catchy combinations of vowel sounds that made them fun to rhyme things with. It also helps emphasise the fact that Slim isn't addicted to the fun illegal drugs that normally show up in rap music (although there's a couple of songs about smoking weed and one about doing ecstacy), but to the apparently mundane drugs prescribed by doctors in a health system based on ManufacturingVictims and profiting off addicts rather than actually helping people.

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s ''Relapse'' has been noted by critics as containing an entire pharmacopeia of branded drugs, many of which will have listeners running to Google. This was because Em, a word geek, [[AuthorVocabularyCalendar fell in love with the different brand names for medication]] during his stay in rehab, liking how they used unusual and catchy combinations of vowel sounds that made them fun to rhyme things with. It also helps emphasise the fact that Slim isn't addicted to the fun illegal drugs that normally show up in rap music (although there's a couple of songs about smoking weed), but to the apparently mundane drugs prescribed by doctors in a health system based on ManufacturingVictims and profiting off addicts rather than actually helping people.

Sometimes it ''is'' true that the more expensive product might have been made with higher-quality materials, thus justifying the price tag as opposed to the off-brand--but this isn't always the case, as many store-brand items have the exact same ingredients-list. Indeed, this trope is all about how people prefer the name brands, when the difference just isn't there. Also, it is very common for many big name companies to make a generic/store brand version of the product as well, which means that the only differences are the price and packaging.

* In an episode from the first season of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', it's revealed that Smarty Mart (Ron's favorite store) and Club Banana (Kim's favorite store) are owned by the same company--it also turns out that, at least when it comes to the clothes, much of the stuff sold at Club Banana is pretty much identical to what's sold at Smarty Mart (the only real differences being the logos, the prices and, for certain products, what they call the colors). Another way that Club Banana differs from Smarty Mart is that, since Club Banana is still a fairly upscale store, it carries actual designer labels.

Sometimes it ''is'' true that the more expensive product might have been made with higher-quality materials, thus justifying the price tag as opposed to the off-brand, but this isn't always the case, as many store-brand items have the exact same ingredient list. Indeed, this trope is all about how people prefer the name brands, when the difference just isn't there. Also, it is very common for many big name companies to make a generic/store brand version of the product as well, which means that the only differences are the price and packaging.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'', Dearly Farm runs out of its usual supply of Kanine Krunchies. Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot are offended and horrified when they hear that they'll get [=AnyMutt=] brand kibble instead, arguing it must be worse because it doesn't have TV adverts. After foiling an attempted robbery on the local store, the pups and chicken are rewarded with dog food. Said dog food is [=AnyMutt=], yet they didn't notice the difference. Or care since [=AnyMutt=] is apparently just as good, if not better.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', it's claimed the Smarty Mart (Ron's favorite store) and Club Banana (Kim's favorite store) are owned by the same company and the clothes sold in both stores are pretty much identical, with the only differences being the logos and the prices (and what they sometimes call the colors). Kim doesn't like buying clothes from Smarty Mart, even though the clothes from Smarty Mart are pretty much the same as they would be Club Banana (albeit much cheaper).

* A process exists to make cheap synthetic diamonds that are "synthetic" only in the fact that they were made in a lab and not dug up from the ground. These "synthetic" diamonds actually tend to be flawless, since they are pure carbon and lack the chemical impurities that occur in natural diamonds, and thus technically are "better" than natural diamonds in addition to costing far less than natural diamonds. Nevertheless, the international diamond cartels have managed to keep diamond prices high in part by portraying lab-produced "synthetic" diamonds as being somehow "lesser" than natural diamonds, and thus not suitable to their "elite" clientele who naturally would never think of buying "aritificials."

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', the clothes at Club Banana are revealed to be literally the exact same clothes as at bargain store Smarty Mart, except with a tiny banana patch (they're owned by the same corporation). Kim still refuses to buy the cheaper clothes because they aren't as "cool". She gets better, but not too much better. She'd spend more to buy shoes from Club Banana because the shoes from Smarty Mart are ''black'' and the ones from Club Banana are ''onyx''.

* Most times people think widely recognized audio equipment brands sound better, which in practice it's not always the case. Audio devices from widely recognized and expensive brands can be [[RuleOfCool more complex, incorporating more research into electronics and acoustics, finer controls, cooler designs]]. But when dealing with simpler devices, like a tabletop radio, [[BoringButPractical which are rather basic]] in their electronics, the winner is the one who used ''the best materials'' in the construction. Between a cheap brand with solid wood or MDF cases, polymer speakers, solid plastic buttons, aluminium face panels and a more renowned brand with plastic case and paper speakers, it becomes obvious that brand itself does not make the sound.

** Made more jarring by many high-profile manufacturers who often say that their best cables and connectors are gold-plated and thus allow for unparalleled performance. The problem is that when it comes to resistivity and conductivity, gold is inferior to common copper and not much better than aluminium.

'''Grim:''' Oh... no, thank you.
'''Little Girl:''' No, really. You can have it.
'''Grim:''' Aw, that's the nicest... wait! It's not that nasty generic cola, is it?
'''Little Girl:''' No, it's name brand.