Every film production puts certain brand names on screen. On the one hand, the production gets money for the brand to promote its product. On the other hand, the brand hopes to sell more products with this form of advertising and therefore make money.

In an animated feature this kind of practice is unusual. Pixar has nevertheless come up with brand names you can sometimes see in several of its features, as well as company names.





Buy N Large (or BNL) is a corporation at the forefront of technology and robot development. It comes across in WALL-E as a company that has a very strong foothold in the inhabitants’ everyday life. It has built dozens of robots of all kinds to help humans. The commercials which are aired all over the Axiom remind the viewer that it is BNL that enables them to lead a splendidly comfortable existence.



At first, the company which was then called "Buy Yogurt" made frozen yoghurt. In 2057 it merged with the company "Large Industries", and the new name was then taken.

BNL owns two million subsidiaries, government agencies, hospitals…to the extent that it became the leader in all fields by 2105. It was so powerful it started running the government and had one sole leader : Shelby Forthright. In the face of prevailing pollution on Earth, BNL launched "Operation Cleanup".







A huge spaceship, the Axiom, was built in order to evacuate mankind while the robots clean up the planet. Millions of WALL-E robots got busy and the program was scheduled over five years. However, Shelby Forthright declared the Earth uninhabitable and initiated directive A-113. In 2110 BNL left the Earth for good. When its leader died, BNL ceased to exist but the robots took over from him.

BNL has its own Worldwide Office at Buckingham Palace in London (a building they purchased), and its Headquarters are located in New Jersey in the United States.






Pixar went one step further and designed a website for the company on July 25th, 2007, which is now shut down. Three other websites are still in existence :
- http://www.zazzle.com/buynlarge ;
- http://www.buynlarge.com/disclaimer/disclaimer.html ;
- http://www.buynlarge.com/NewsCenter.html.

This last website refers to the "Hostile Takeover Bank" that sponsors Chick Hicks in Cars. It also mentions "The Big One", which is the name for Sid’s rocket in Toy Story but also a reference to Michael Moore’s film. A film advert (Annual Report 2) makes a reference to Woody Gusteau, a combination of the character from Toy Story and of the late Ratatouille restaurateur. The screenplay writer for this film is called Mike Sulley and Sulli from Monsters, Inc.



BNL obviously has a foothold in WALL-E, but also in Toy Story 3. Buzz’s batteries are of the BNL brand. In Tokyo Mater, an advert in the background has the BNL logo on it.







Pizza Planet is a company which can be seen in the Toy Story trilogy. It is a place Andy loves and where he regularly goes with his family. This restaurant, where you can eat Super Nova Burgers, houses an arcade for the customer to enjoy himself. Among other things you can find a :
- Whack-a-Alien Game : with a hammer, you have to hit worms that are bursting out of an astronaut’s body ;
- Planet Killer Game : with the help of a great big shotgun your goal is to destroy asteroids ;
- Alien Slime Dispensers : an original drinks dispenser ;
- The Claw Machine : with the help of a joystick, you have to steer a claw to win a plastic alien.

This is where Woody and Buzz will meet the aliens and get taken by Sid.



This Pizza Planet franchise can be seen in all Pixar films – apart from Les Indestructibles – in the form of a yellow truck that sports a rocket on its roof.



The viewer can also see Mega Gulps (a drink) in Sid’s bedroom or even on top of the bug bar in A Bug’s Life.



Pizza Planet was originally meant to be a miniature golf course called "Pizza Putt". The screenwriters had the idea of turning it into a space-themed restaurant so that Buzz could get the feeling he was able to go home.





Al’s Toy Barn is a toy store which is referred to in Toy Story in a Buzz Lightyear commercial; it is a major location in Toy Story 2. In addition to having designed this store, Pixar takes the opportunity to explain where several toys have come from.jouets.





Buzz and his friends go to rescue Woody whom they think is in the store. We are shown a huge shop which includes a Barbie doll aisle, a large aisle given over to Buzz Lightyears, the Bucket O Soldiers… This store also has the brand-new Utility Belt Buzz and the infamous Evil Emperor Zurg. The famous ball you see in many Pixar films is also on sale at the entrance of the store. And toys from A Bug’s Life are on display, making up a fun detail.







Dinoco is an oil company.

The company has two logos. In Toy Story we see an Apatosaurus, whilst the team in Cars has a logo with a Tyrannosaurus.



The brand was most likely created by the "Sinclair Oil Corporation", which uses an Apatosaurus as its logo.



In Toy Story, Dinoco Gas Station is where Woody and Buzz argue and the Space Ranger reveals the purpose of his mission. They will find the Pizza Planet van to get back to Andy. In Toy Story 2, Al was originally meant to stop at the filling station following mechanical problems when he leaves for the airport.



In Cars and Cars 2, the Dinoco oil company is both a racing team and sponsor of the Piston Cup. The brand can be seen at every race through hoardings positioned at the side of the track. Tex runs the company and wishes to promote values (good sportsmanship, honesty…) through his driver. Blue is the prevailing colour, and you can see that Dinoco has a lot of money : several haulers, a helicopter, cheerleaders… which make it a competitive team in the race.



You can also come across the Dinoco brand in Tokyo Mater, WALL-E, and Heavy Metal Mater (in a completely different style).







Grape Soda is a drink which can be seen in Toy Story and Toy Story 2. It comes in purple cans but also in bottles, as Ellie’s badge in Up, which is a bottle top, testifies.



Dr. Catmull’s Root Beer is another beverage (in a yellow can) that you see less in Pixar films, but which can be found in Toy Story and A Bug’s Life.







Re-Volting is one of the teams of the Piston Cup championship, the team Davey Apex proudly races for. From what we know, this brand manufactures batteries which can be seen in Toy Story 3.







The Racing Sports Network, or RSN, is the motor-racing channel. Its broadcasts the Piston Cup to spectators and has extensive logistical resources.

Its star announcers are Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip, two cars that are Piston Cup enthusiasts and whose lively commentaries give the broadcasts a certain appeal.







Rust-Eze Medicated Bumper Ointment is designed to restore your bumper’s cleanliness and shine. The Rust-Eze company was founded by two brothers : Dusty and Rusty.



Lightning McQueen is sponsored by Rust-Eze. Those who worship this brand are often rusty “jalopies” that praise their driver to the skies. Once the Piston Cup is over, Lightning decides to set the company up in Radiator Springs.







Tri-County is referred to several times in the Toy Story franchise, and it can be inferred that it is the name of Andy’s hometown.

In Toy Story 2 this name can be seen on cardboard boxes ; likewise when Jessie is abandoned (Tri-County Charities) and when Al goes to Tri-County International Airport.



In Toy Story 3, Tri-County Landfill is the town’s rubbish tip. It is also in charge of collecting the rubbish with the help of the Tri-County Sanitation bin men.







Eggman Movers is a removal company which comes into play when the Davis family move house in Toy Story. Woody and Buzz make an attempt to climb onto the lorry so as to get back to their owner.



This lorry can also be found in Toy Story 2.





The "Eggman" company is named after Pixarian Ralph Eggleston, whose user name at Pixar is Eggman.





Lightyear is a tyre brand used in Cars. Al Oft advertises them as he flies over the Piston Cup race.



The name obviously refers to Buzz Lightyear and the existing "Goodyear" brand.







Dinoco is not the only brand of petrol to be found in Pixar films. Allinol, a clean and renewable form of energy invented by Miles Axlerod can be seen in Cars 2. He came up with the World Grand Prix so as to promote his product. The logo depicts a globe shaped like a car.



The name is probably derived from "All in one" and "ethanol". When you say it quickly it sounds like "All in all".





The Hostile Takeover Bank sponsors Chick Hicks in Cars and finances the team.







Woody’s Roundup is a TV series featured in Toy Story 2. The programme is sponsored by the breakfast cereal "Cowboy Crunchies".



The characters are puppets, and the viewer follows the adventures of Sheriff Woody Pride along with Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete. The show begins in 1949 and ends in 1957 due to the conquest of space which began with the Sputnik satellite. The last episode that was broadcast ends on a cliffhanger, and the rest of the story remains unknown.



In view of the series being such a hit, many consumer products were designed: posters, record players, yo-yos…and toys. These toys have become collector’s items that Al wishes to sell to the Konishi Toy Museum.







Chef Gusteau’s Frozen Foods (or "Gusteau’s Microwaves") is a brand Skinner came up with by making use of Gusteau’s world-famous name. They are frozen foods among which you may find :
-Burritos ;
-BBQ Dips N’Ribs ;
-Tooth Pick N’Chicken ;
-Chopsocky Pockets ;
-Haggis Bites ;
-Corn Puppies.







Virtual Realty is the estate agent’s that sells Andy’s house in Toy Story. The estate agent’s office can be seen twice during the film. First of all near the Dinoco filling station, but also during the removal van chase. It can be inferred the filling station is right opposite.







This list is not exhaustive, and favours recurring or highly conspicuous brand names. When it comes to the film Cars, each team has a sponsor and therefore a coined brand name (as for instance "No Stall", which can be seen on the billboards in Tokyo Mater). As always, Pixar has fun designing elements it will feature again in other films. Even though some of the brands remain unobtrusive, they make up little details that enable the viewer to watch a film differently, by precisely looking out for previous references.



Editor : Ravnek - Translator : Camilla Jones.

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