20 Innocent-Sounding Brands With Surprisingly Dark Pasts
Behind the polished logos and family-friendly branding of major companies lie shocking histories of war crimes, exploitation, and secret scandals that most consumers never hear about.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
Numerous iconic and seemingly wholesome brands have dark and sinister histories lurking behind their bright advertising and home-kitchen recognition. From supporting war crimes to exploiting laborers and sustaining repressive regimes, these businesses have skeletons in their closets that contradict their popular image. This list reveals the appalling realities behind 20 iconic brands, detailing how profit, power, and complicity have defined the histories of even the most trusted brands.
1. Nestlé
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Nestlé promotes itself on wholesome images of cocoa and baby food, yet it’s repeatedly been accused of questionable practices. During the 1970s, the firm pushed infant formula in developing nations, causing malnutrition and deaths among infants. Nestlé has recently come under fire for child labor within its cocoa supply chains and bottling water from drought-stricken areas.
2. Bayer
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Recognized today for aspirin and health care items, Bayer had a sinister past. Bayer was one of the members of IG Farben, a conglomerate that collaborated with the Nazis and produced Zyklon B — the gas employed in concentration camps. Bayer also performed medical experiments on prisoners in concentration camps.
3. IBM
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A name synonymous with computing, IBM was an accomplice to Nazi Germany’s genocidal efforts. The company’s punch card technology assisted the Nazis in cataloging and monitoring Jewish populations during the Holocaust. Although IBM has denied any direct participation, historical research indicates its machines were a key part of the Nazi bureaucracy.
4. Coca-Cola
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Coca-Cola has long advertised happiness and togetherness, but its past contains a Nazi-era chapter. The firm’s German affiliate remained open during WWII, even producing the now-iconic Fanta as a substitute when Coke ingredients were scarce. Coca-Cola has also faced criticism for its environmental record and suspected complicity in union-related violence in Colombia.
5. Disney
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Walt Disney Studios is as much a part of childhood as cartoons and fairy tales, yet its creator had a complex history. Walt Disney was accused of being antisemitic and had ties to far-right political organizations in the 1940s. The corporation has also been accused of violating labor laws, such as treating animators and theme park employees poorly.
6. Chiquita (United Fruit Company)
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The banana company Chiquita traces its origins to a firm that contributed to coining the term “banana republic.” United Fruit Company supported coups in Central America, including one in 1954 involving the CIA to overthrow Guatemala’s democratically elected government. The company has also been accused of bankrolling paramilitary organizations in Colombia.
7. Victoria’s Secret
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Under the glitter of lingerie runway shows is a dark history. The previous owner of the brand, Leslie Wexner, had intimate relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and has come under fire for facilitating his business. Victoria’s Secret has also been accused of perpetuating unrepresentative beauty standards and allowing a bad work environment.
8. Lego
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Famous for its colorful bricks and imagination, Lego benefited from World War II. The Danish company’s founder originally produced wooden toys, and though no record exists of Nazis being involved with its production, Lego expanded during the German occupation. More recently, the company came under fire for cooperating with Shell during climate demonstrations.
9. Ford
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Ford is heralded for changing the automobile, but Henry Ford also wrote antisemitic articles. His paper, The Dearborn Independent, propagated conspiracy theories that influenced Nazi thought. Adolf Hitler even complimented Ford in Mein Kampf and decorated him with a Nazi medal in 1938.
10. Halliburton
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Halliburton can sound like any generic energy services firm, yet its name is associated with war profiteering. It was closely tied to Vice President Dick Cheney and issued gigantic no-bid contracts during the war in Iraq. Halliburton has been accused of fraud, overcharging the military, and environmental infractions.
11. Firestone
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Firestone is known for tires, but it has a bloody colonial past. In the 1920s, the company acquired vast rubber plantations in Liberia, where it operated under exploitative conditions. Reports have accused Firestone of using child labor and creating quasi-feudal living environments for workers.
12. Hershey’s
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Many generations love the chocolate colossus, yet a lot of its cocoa is sourced from child-labor farms. Hershey and other manufacturers of chocolate have been slow to tackle slavery and trafficking in the supply chain, even after promising reform. Investigations also persist into the ethical sourcing conduct of the firm.
13. Guinness
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The Irish stout has a reputation for tradition and craftsmanship, but its early history includes racism and classism. Founder Arthur Guinness supported Protestant ascendancy and opposed Irish Catholic emancipation. Later, the brand was slow to desegregate its operations in African markets.
14. DuPont
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DuPont is known for developing products such as Teflon and Kevlar, but it’s also notorious for chemical pollution. For decades, the firm intentionally dumped poisonous chemicals such as PFOA into rivers, which resulted in severe health issues. The scandal was portrayed in the 2019 film Dark Waters.
15. Avon
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The cosmetics company has been an emblem of independence for door-to-door saleswomen, but its business hasn’t always been spotless. Avon has been implicated in bribery scandals, most notably in China, where it was accused of bribing officials to secure market entry. It has also fought lawsuits regarding the safety of its products.
16. Barclays
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This well-established British bank has a sinister colonial and apartheid-entangled history. In the 1970s and 1980s, it provided finance to South Africa’s apartheid government despite worldwide calls to divest. It took activists years to persuade Barclays before it finally retreated in 1986.
17. Sony
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Famous for PlayStations and stylish electronics, Sony briefly ventured into military manufacturing in WWII. Its antecedent companies supported Japan’s war industry, and the company has since been involved in numerous labor and privacy scandals. In 2014, a colossal cyberattack revealed unethical internal emails and racist humor.
18. BP (British Petroleum)
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BP promotes itself as green but has had some huge ecological catastrophes. The worst was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the largest ever, which wiped out marine life and coastal economies. The firm was held grossly negligent and paid billions in penalties.
19. Toshiba
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Toshiba used to represent Japanese ingenuity but was embroiled in a Cold War scandal. In the 1980s, it illicitly sold submarine propeller technology to the Soviet Union, breaching U.S. naval secrets. The scandal resulted in sanctions and a public apology.
20. Siemens
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Siemens is an international engineering giant, but its past involves extensive Nazi cooperation. Siemens employed concentration camp forced labor during WWII and constructed equipment for Nazi infrastructure. Siemens has paid reparations decades later, but the legacy remains.