Brandwave

Faber-Castell vs Pilot:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Faber-Castell had more branded searches than Pilot among pen brands in New Zealand. Faber-Castell had about 1,420 branded searches, while Pilot had 640. Faber-Castell made up 31.5% of all pen brand searches we track, and Pilot accounted for 14.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pen brands, Pilot appeared in four of the five answers and Faber-Castell in none.

Among pen brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Faber-Castell, about 2 searches for every 1 for Pilot

Faber-Castell 1.4K searchesPilot 640 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Pilot, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Faber-Castell in 0

Pilot in 4 of 5Faber-Castell in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Pilot, the only one of the two named

Pilot first in 4Faber-Castell never named

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Top pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pilot was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Faber-Castell did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. uni-ball1st
  2. Pilot2nd
  3. BIC3rd
  4. Pentel4th
  5. Zebra5th
  6. Faber-Castell–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • uni-ball4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Pilot4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Pentel4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • BIC3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Zebra3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Faber-Castell0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about pen brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Faber-Castell or Pilot more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Faber-Castell and Pilot by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six pen brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Faber-Castell and Pilot among pen brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Faber-Castell, Pilot. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFaber-CastellBICuni-ballPilotPentelZebra
Oct 202529.3%34.6%14.6%14.9%3.9%2.5%
Nov 202536.9%31.1%14%12.8%2.6%2.6%
Dec 202544.6%29.9%11.1%10.8%2.1%1.5%
Jan 202633.8%32.3%17%13.5%2.3%1.3%
Feb 202629.8%26.5%25.6%14.2%2.5%1.4%
Mar 202626.1%32.9%20%15.7%2.1%3.3%
Apr 202631.9%36.8%15.7%11.8%2.2%1.7%
May 202630.2%31.8%16.6%17.7%2%1.6%
Jun 202629.8%32.2%17.5%15.2%2.9%2.4%
Jul 202627.9%33.5%21.2%13.8%1.8%1.8%
Aug 202628%29.3%24.3%14.2%2.3%1.9%
Sep 202631.5%31%19.3%14.2%2%2%

How has the Faber-Castell and Pilot comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Faber-Castell was ahead of Pilot in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand moved from 29.3% to 31.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 1.4K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pilot’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand moved from 14.9% to 14.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 530 to 640.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand pen brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Faber-Castell overtook BIC to become the leader among pen brands in New Zealand, with 31.5% of the searches.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Pilot in New Zealand rose 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 530 to 640 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

9 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Faber-Castell’s and Pilot’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Faber-Castell

5 branded search terms

  • faber castell
  • faber castell erasers
  • faber castell pen
  • faber castell polychromos
  • fabercastell

Pilot

4 branded search terms

  • gel pilot pen
  • pilot frixion
  • pilot frixion pen
  • pilot pen

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among pen brands

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