For plot reasons in a story I'm working on, I'd like to use the names of several very well-known companies as character names. Would this be at all possible? It's set a fair amount of time (maybe fifty years) into a post-apocalyptic future, and the characters in question have chosen names for themselves off of "old" (read: present day) product labels, like Pepsi, Nutella, Hershey('s), Nathan('s Hot Dogs), Tide (Laundry Soap) etc.
I'm thinking that Tide and Nathan should be fine for sure, since they're legitimate words/names on their own. And I could shorten the names to Pep, Tella, or something, if I have to or if it would make things easier. But I'm kind of guessing I'd have to contact the Pepsi company, Nutella, etc., if I wanted to use their full product name? And what might their stipulations be if they even allow it?
I'm thinking that Tide and Nathan should be fine for sure, since they're legitimate words/names on their own. And I could shorten the names to Pep, Tella, or something, if I have to or if it would make things easier. But I'm kind of guessing I'd have to contact the Pepsi company, Nutella, etc., if I wanted to use their full product name? And what might their stipulations be if they even allow it?
