Back to School Brands

As you fight your way down the aisles this year looking for two pocket folders and backpacks, take some time to appreciate some of the most enduring and iconic brands in back-to-school shopping.

Mead
Mead has the back to school market covered with binders, folders and everything in between. The powerhouse Five Star brand remains as strong as its resilient notebooks, and the ever-popular Trapper Keeper has been refreshed and updated, adorning the new tagline: “Customize It. Organize It. Trap It!”

Dixon Ticonderoga
Dating back two centuries, Dixon Ticonderoga is most famous for its wooden, yellow, number two pencils. Still a staple for standardized test-takers everywhere, the world’s best-selling pencils were named after Fort Ticonderoga, a military post in New York whose name evokes national pride.

Texas Instruments
Any student who has the pleasure of moving beyond pre-algebra most likely has a Texas Instruments graphing calculator in his/her backpack. The brand has moved beyond its alphanumeric naming strategy recently, including new arrivals such as the TI Nspire, TI Explorer, and TI Titanium.

Thermos
How else were you planning on keeping that leftover chili warm until lunch? Thermos has long been making food storage options and has recently introduced FUNtainers for the back-to-school crowd.

Fiskars
At over 350 years old, Fiskars is the second oldest incorporated entity in the world, and odds are that you have owned a Fiskars protractor, compass, or scissors in your lifetime. Most recently Fiskars made headlines when its orange scissor handle was granted a trademark registration by the USPTO.

Elmer’s
Generations of kids have grown up using Elmer’s school glue in the classroom and at home. But where did the Elmer’s name and logo come from? According to their website: “Elsie the Cow became Borden’s very popular “Spokescow” in the late 1930’s. and the character of Elmer the Bull was created as Elsie’s husband. In the late 1940’s, Borden’s new Chemical Division asked to use Elsie for its new white glue product. The thought of Elsie representing a non-food product didn’t seem appropriate, so as a compromise, Elmer was loaned to Chemical as their very own “spokesbull”. To this day, Elmer the Bull still represents the most recognized adhesive company.”

What are your favorite back to school brands?

Contributed by: Maghan Cook