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Claim A says A Hormel janitor won $50 for naming Spam. Claim B says An actor with a Hormel VP brother named Spam for $100. Claim B is true, and Claim A is completely made up.
Hormel introduced Spam on July 5, 1937. Instead of hiring an ad agency to name its new canned product, the company invited employees, customers and everyday citizens to submit ideas. The contest doubled as publicity.
The winner was Kenneth Daigneau, a New York actor, who took home $100 for coming up with "Spam." He also happened to be the brother of a Hormel vice president, so a little nepotism may have been in the mix.
What the name actually stands for is murkier. The popular belief is that it is a blend of "spiced ham," and some sources say that was Daigneau's idea. Daigneau reportedly said he came up with the name before there was even a product to attach it to, simply because he thought it was memorable.
Hormel itself says the meaning is known only by a small circle of former executives. Whatever it meant, the name stuck, and Hormel has since sold more than 9 billion cans.
As for Claim A, no janitor won the contest. The winner was an actor who was related to a company vice president, and the prize was $100.
Think you'd have spotted it? Send this to a friend who swears they know what Spam stands for and see if they second-guess themselves.
