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This months legal dustup between NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. over trademark rights to the number 8 may have amounted to little more than a tempest in a teapot, but it has drawn attention to a rarely considered topic in branding and marketing: the use of numbers in brand names and logos. Why might a seemingly arbitrary number like 8or 27 or 63, for that matterbe worth fighting over? And are some numbers worth more than others? Obviously, numbers are at an important disadvantage compared to letters when it comes to their use as trademarks. While an initial letter can stand for any word that it begins with, numbers are much more constrained in their ability to represent a range of meanings. This helps explain why an examination of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records shows that, over time, there have been a total of 7,183 trademark applications for logos consisting solely of a stylized letter Awhether traditional or crossbar-lesswhile the most popular number (1, naturally) has garnered just 466 such logo applications. So its rare for numbers to stand alone as trademarks. They often serve as supporting elements in brand names, (Heinz 57, Phillips 66), or worse (Nikes would-be moniker, Dimension 6). USPTO data reveals, surprisingly, that in trademarks that are simply names, with no graphic elements, the most commonly used number between 0 and 100 is 2, which edges ahead of 1 perhaps in part due to its ability to represent the word to in a name. Next come 4, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 100, with poor number 8so hotly contested by Jackson and Earnhardtrelegated to 11th place. The bottom of the list is populated by the apparently uninspiring 87, 67, 82, 89, and, last of all, 83. Some numbers are able to function as trademarks by playing off meanings that have already been baked into them. Both the NBAs Philadelphia 76ers and 76 gas stations (shortened from the more descriptive Union 76) strike patriotic chords by referring to the U.S.s 1776 founding (although the latter also nods to the fuels original 76 octane rating). When no such meaning is obvious, numbers used as trademarks are like empty vessels that can be laden with significance only through some combination of time and heavy brand lifting. Take 84 Lumber: Its name is essentially arbitrary, stemming from the companys location in the village of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, which itself is named after . . . well, no one is quite sure. But after 69 years in business, 84 Lumber more or less owns the number 84. Part of the appeal of such seemingly random numbers is their mystery, and the accompanying tease that they might hold some secret meaning. This explains the popularity of the use of area codes as trademarks, and hints at why Rolling Rock continues to emblazon a 33 on each of its beer bottles. But for brands more interested in distinctiveness than riddles, perhaps the best way to employ a number as a trademark is to express it in the form of a unique logo design, making it not a mere number, but a stylized numeral. The result can be a powerful symbol, particularly for types of businesses where identifying numbers have an outsize importance, like television stations (see WABC New Yorks 63-year-old Circle 7 mark), banks (Cincinnatis Fifth Third Bank has a delightful improper fraction for a logo), and, yes, racing concerns like NASCAR (where Dale Jr. emerged from his recent kerfuffle with the rights to the iconic Budweiser 8). Adopting an unusual design motif can help a brand lay claim to even the most common of numerals, as Builders FirstSource has done with its oddly tilted 1. As noted above, 1 is the most prevalent stylized logo number in the USPTOs files. After that, though, come 7 and the coveted 8, suggesting a particular visual appeal in the form of these numerals. Following along are 3, 5, 2, 4, 9, and 6, before the first double-digit number, the aforementioned 76. Repeating digits seem popular in logos; 33 comes in at 14th, and 99 at 19th, for instance. Meanwhile, the most unpopular numbers are 71, 87, and 94, with only one logo trademark application apiece. But perhaps in these unloved numbers there are opportunities for brands to acquire an ownable set of digits that they wont have to tussle over.
Category:
E-Commerce
You might have a go-to hot sauce already. But for the past year or so, Sichuan condiments brand Fly by Jing has been repositioning to capture mainstream heat seekers, and its subtle packaging update, rolling out now, is the DTC darlings latest move to optimize for its new distribution channel of choice: mass retail. To call the visual changes a rebrand would be a stretch, but the subtle updates point to how the company is pivoting its messaging for analog sales. Its packaging uses pared-down graphics and copy, with more negative space and a strict focus on must-have details that allow first-time buyers to quickly make a purchase decision just by looking at the product in hand. What is it? Whats it taste like? And what do I put it on? There’s three seconds that [consumers are] going to see you on-shelf before they make a decision, says Fly by Jing founder and CEO Jing Gao. In this context, Fly by Jing cares less about brand story. Instead, it designs packaging for the three-second rule. Pivot to retail The refresh comes at a time when retail partnerships are commonplace for brands that originated as direct-to-consumer startups. CPG olive oil brand Graza is in a slew of grocery stores, including Whole Foods. Brands like Rare Beauty, Dieux Skin, and Glossier have diversified e-comm sales with wholesale partnerships at big-box beauty retailer Sephora. IRL shopping experiences continue to be a vital avenue for product discovery and testing, even if many thought the pandemic might kill brick-and-mortar shopping for good. Gao views the broad adoption of retail among DTC companies as a result of the 2021 iOS 14 update, which prompted users to give apps tracking permission. More than 80% opted not to be tracked. This made it difficult for companies to analyze how well targeted ads worked, and therefore more costly to advertise on third-party sites like Facebook and Instagram. Gao sees that moment as the sunsetting of the golden era of DTC, when digital-first brands had to diversify to reach consumers. Fly by Jing was no exception. Fly by Jing has already been making retail inroads. Gao initially marketed the chili crisp as a premium product with a $15 price point. That included premium packaging that highlighted its specialized ingredient sourcing and rich history, in part as an effort to educate consumers and counter prevailing stereotypes around Chinese food as inherently cheap. Fly by Jing has since cut its price point by 30% to make the product more accessible and reach a broader consumer base as it seeks to expand. Gao says the company achieved this by economizing its packaging design with changes like shifting from a pricey embossed decal on glass to a paper label, and finding efficiencies in logistics and supply chain. Its products are now available in 11,000 stores nationwide, including at major national retailers like Target, Sprouts, Wegmans, Albertsons, Safeway, and Walmart. As of 2025, its in 4,000 Walmart stores. It has also expanded its product categories to include prepared noodles, which launched last year and are relaunching in stores next month with new packaging. The Asian foods category is itself becoming more crowded, with brands like Momofuku and ML (formerly Xiao Chi Jie) offering chili crisp and prepared noodles as well. Theres lots of opportunity to go around: The ethnic foods market, which includes Asian cuisine, is expected to reach $200 billion by 2032. Fly by Jing now makes the majority of its sales in retail and is profitable. Although Gao said the company’s tariffs had doubled at the time we spoke in early April, and this has tightened the company’s margins, there are no plans to change its sourcing. She says the company should be fine due to cost-savings measures previously put in place and increased velocity in stores. She describes this refresh as a key part of that. [Photo: Fly by Jing] Less-is-more labeling The brands previous packaging, launched in 2020, took a Dr. Bronners more-is-more approach that packed the label with copy and graphics related to the brand story. A Venn diagram in the center of the label included details such as its ingredients sourcing. That graphic has been replaced with a transparent window that allows shoppers to see the product inside. Previous copy described Gaos founder story, including the reclamation of her birth name, Jing, rather than the Americanized Jenny shed typically used. Now copy focuses on the products taste description and use case. The label still boasts the original line You will find yourself putting this on everythingthats the mainstream playmade more prominent by reducing other copy. One of just a few front-of-label callouts reads: Makes anything taste better. The brand also unified product names as variations of its fastet-selling store SKU, its Sichuan chili crisp, to increase in-store velocity and create a sense of familiarity across the product range. [Photo: Fly by Jing] Online, you could tell this rich brand story. We created a brand universe you can really dive deep into, says Gao. But as time went on and as retail became the dominant channel for us, now all of a sudden people are seeing us on shelves for the first time versus on their phone where they can learn more, dig in more. Thats where the aforementioned three-second rule came in. [Photo: Fly by Jing] Making mainstream moves The brand’s retail expansion also meant it was entering markets it hadnt engaged before, and consumers who were not a part of its initial customer base of well-traveled, international people [who are] plugged in, says Gao. It’s constantly thinking about how do we meet people where they are in terms of their understanding, in terms of their experience? Gao recalls a product demo at Costco. The key was to make the pitch fast to catch people as they walked by. So she simplified it by asking passerby if they wanted to try hot sauce. Then she explained the flavors. We were able to communicate very quickly what the differences were, Gao recalls. People were like, Oh, I want the sweet one, or I want the crunchy one. That was the insight of, okay, maybe we should just pare it back for people instead of calling it Chengdu Crunchthis is a cool name, but now it makes someone think it’s different from chili crisp, when really you use it the same way. It’s just a variation. [Photo: Fly by Jing] Gao describes one of her early goals as divorcing chili crisp from the idea that its a Chinese condiment that can be used only on Chinese cuisine. Product imagery includes chili crisp on pizza, eggs, avocado toast, and ice cream. That’s what really helped us to bridge the condiment into the mainstream, says Gao. But if you look at this old jar, that’s not immediately apparent because there’s such a rich story here. There’s so many layers that if someone were just to interact with it on a very basic [level], from an I just care what it tastes like standpoint, they’re not going to be able to uncover that. So we wanted to . . . present the top three things that you should know about it, and then open up the window and allow someone in. Then you’ll see [it] a bit differently now, right? The packaging design changes are indicative of the brands mainstream play, and an ambition to become a household product synonymous with a product category, like Cholula hot sauce or Huy Fong Sriracha. Can Fly by Jing become the Heinz of chili crisp? No matter the food, the brand wants new consumers to have the same inclination to reach for its jar and think Eggs, avocado toast, or dumplingsit has to be Fly by Jing.
Category:
E-Commerce
Curt Covert would love for people to play his latest board gamebut with sky-high tariffs, hes not sure anyone ever will. At 54%, I had a plan, Covert tells Fast Company, referring to a tariff rate on imports from China imposed by the Trump administration in early April. That rate has nearly tripled since. His reponse: 145% brings business to a standstill. It is absolutely crushing to my business. Covert is the owner of Smirk & Dagger Games, a small Connecticut-based company that has been making quirky board games for more than 20 years. Its latest title, A Place for All My Booksa game designed for introverts with a love of literaturewas backed by 16,000-plus Kickstarter supporters, raising more than $1.1 million in pledged orders. This was our biggest campaign ever, Covert says. Around 13,000 of those backers are in the United States. Now Covert is trying to figure out how to fulfill their orders amid a trade war, since the game is manufactured in China. The tariffs make it impossible to import anything, he says. Even more pressure on creators Covert isnt alone. In recent weeks, numerous Kickstarter creators have used the platform to warn backers about shipping delays, rising costs, and other uncertainties. We have to revisit the numbers again, and again, and perhaps again, one creator wrote in an update. We’re in one helluva predicament right now, admitted another. Kickstarter has addressed the issue in multiple blog posts and is exploring new ways to support creators. While the platform hasnt seen a spike in canceled campaigns, a spokesperson acknowledged the pressure in a statement: Tariffs and rising production costs are putting even more pressure on independent creators, many of whom already operate with limited resources and tight margins. If these changes remain in place long term, theyll continue to pose real challenges around pricing, fulfillment, and backer communication. Kickstarter gained prominence for ambitious consumer electronics projects like the Pebble smartwatch, but it has long been a favorite of smaller creators, particularly in the board game community. To date, the platform has hosted nearly 1 million game campaigns, which have raised more than $2.5 billion. Much of that funding supported games manufactured in China, according to George Lam, former head of Kickstarter outreach in Asia and now a crowdfunding consultant. There just arent manufacturing sites outside of China that can do this, he says. Those creators now face steep import taxes. The board game space is very fragile, Lam adds. A majority of them are really small companies or mom-and-pop-type operations. A stopgap measure to buy time Covert recently got a taste of the tariffs impact when a delayed shipment of games was hit with a 20% tariff for leaving port two days after a grace period endedresulting in a $60,000 import tax bill. Now hes preparing to ship $500,000 worth of games to the U.S. and is scrambling to avoid paying what could amount to more than $700,000 in tariffs. Hes spent the past few weeks working on contingency plans, and believes hes found a temporary work-around. Logistics companies have long used so-called bonded warehouses in the U.S., where imported goods can be stored tariff-free and are taxed only when they leave the warehouse. Covert hopes to use one of these facilities to buy time, ideally until a new trade agreement is reached. If the trade war persists, he may need to ask Kickstarter backers to pay significantly more to receive their games on time. You can ask for a little patience, says Covert. But at some point, the backers will lose confidence. One of the Trump administrations justifications for the tariffs is to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Covert is skeptical. Most of his games cant be produced domestically, and the few that could would be far more expensive. A simple party game with cards that normally would retail for $20 . . . If I produced it here in the U.S., it would be a $50 dollar card gameand no one in the U.S. would pay [that]. Could new U.S. factories fill the gap? That takes three to five years, not three to five months, Covert says. Chinese manufacturers might actually benefit Ironically, Chinese creators might be the ones to benefit most from the current situation. Many are large manufacturers that have pivoted from producing goods for Western brands to launching their own products on platforms like Kickstarter. They’re in a much better position to cut costs, or find a different tariff code, or find a better logistics partner, says Lam. It’s what they do all day. Still, Lam believes there may be a silver lining for Western creators. If global trade slows down, so might shipping and marketing costs. The manufacturing cost of your product is often not the biggest cost on a per-unit basis, he says. If you sell something on Kickstarter, you might pay $15 to the factory to make it. But you might pay $40 [for ads on] Facebook to acquire one customer for it. Ad prices on platforms like Facebook have surged in recent years, driven by heavy spending from Chinese e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein. Now that these companies can no longer ship to the U.S. tariff-free, theyve started dialing back their ad budgets. Covert, however, remains unconvinced that any of this will help him get his new gameor any future titlesinto the U.S. without prohibitive costs. [Losing] the ability to print new games, and bring them in affordably would be the end of my company, he says. It wont [even] take a year.
Category:
E-Commerce
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