From CVS to GEICO: The REAL names of popular brands that use acronyms

‘My life is a lie!’ TikTok users are left stunned after learning the REAL meaning behind names of brands that use acronyms and abbreviations – so, how many do YOU know?

• The viral TikTok video shares the actual names of brands like CVS and GEICO
• People were shocked by the revelations in the video that has 5.4 million views
• CVS stood for ‘Consumer Value Store’ and H&M is short for Hennes and Mauritz

People have been left shocked after a viral video revealed the real names of popular brands that use acronyms, such as CVS, MAC and GEICO.

Zaya M. Taiwo, who uses they/she/hir/zir pronouns, took to TikTok with a stitch of another creator referring to CVS by its original name: ‘Consumer Value Store.’

After the clip, Zaya continues: ‘This is why I love TikTok because it’s always teaching me something new. I had no idea that CVS had a government name. I didn’t even think about it.

‘I was like, “Oh it’s CVS because it’s CVS.” I didn’t think that it stood for anything but that got me thinking of the other stores that go by abbreviations and acronyms, what do they stand for?

TikTok creator Zaya M. Taiwo has revealed the real meaning behind popular brand names that use acronyms or abbreviations 

‘So I did some digging and here’s what I found.’

The creator, whose video has been viewed more than 5.4 million times, then goes on to share that ASOS stands for ‘As Seen On Screen,’ MAC is short for ‘Makeup Art Cosmetics,’ and H&R Block gets its name from founders Henry and Richard Bloch.

It’s previously been reported that when ASOS was started back in 1999, it was intended to be a place that TV and movie fans could turn to to find replicas of the ensembles they’d seen on their screens.

From there, people began referring to the company as As Seen On Screen, and in 2000, that was what it officially became known as. 

As for H&M, the letters stand for Hennes and Mauritz.

The fast-fashion house was founded in 1947 by Erling Persson who opened the first store, selling only women’s clothing, named Hennes in Västerås, Sweden.

About two decades later, in 1968, the name changed to Hennes & Mauritz after Persson acquired hunting and fishing store Mauritz Widforss in Stockholm, along with its men’s clothing stock.

It was then listed as H&M on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1974. 

Zaya M. Taiwo, who uses they/she/hir/zir pronouns, took to TikTok with a stitch of another creator referring to CVS by its original name: ‘Consumer Value Store’

Another full name of a brand that shocked people was GEICO, which stands for Government Employee Insurance Company

#stitch with @nisa #themoreyouknow #abbreviations #acronyms #governmentname #fullgovermentname #fy #foryou #fyp #cvs #handm #maccosmetics #dsw #asos

Zaya added DSW stood for Designer Shoe Warehouse and GEICO was shortened from Government Employee Insurance Company.

Initially GEICO founder Leo Goodwin wanted to cater to U.S. government and military personnel with his company, but eventually expanded its customer base. 

And the revelations had TikTok users reeling. 

‘It didn’t even click to me when she said it out loud that she was talking about CVS,’ one person wrote.

‘The GEICO one surprised me for sure,’ another said, with Zaya responding: ‘Same!!’

‘I thought Geico was named after the [gecko]… my life is a lie,’ a third comment read.

Someone else added: ‘This was an interesting bit of trivia that I wasn’t expecting to learn.’

Popular brands with acronyms and what they REALLY stand for

CVS: Consumer Value Store

ASOS: As Seen On Screen

MAC: Makeup Art Cosmetics 

H&R Block: Named for founders Henry and Richard Bloch

H&M: Hennes and Mauritz

 DSW: Designer Shoe Warehouse

GEICO: Government Employee Insurance Company

E.L.F.: Eyes, lips, face 

AT&T: American Telephone and Telegraph Company

And the revelations had TikTok users reeling, with some shocked upon learning the new information

‘Thank you for doing this work! I’ve also learned something new today,’ one comment said. 

‘Not all heroes wear caps. Thank you for your dedication,’ a viewer wrote.

Others even took to sharing their own discoveries about brand acronyms.

One social media user said cosmetics brand ELF was short for eyes, lips and face.

And AT&T stands for American Telephone and Telegraph Company, another person revealed.

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