There are those brands that rise above, morphing into a name that stands for an entire category of products. Kleenex, Chapstick, and Jacuzzi – all stand the test.  Whether it’s an innovative product or merely a great marketing scheme, when a brand name becomes a hit, the name sticks. 

Had it not been for the pacifist leanings of Giovanni Jacuzzi (1825 – 1929), you and I might never have had the enjoyment of a bubbly soak under a starry sky. Giovanni, a farmer, and his bride Teresa, both from the Northern Italian village of Casara della Delizia, married in 1886 and quickly began fashioning their large family of 13 children.