The names of Web 2.0 companies are just as well conceived as the businesses. From today’s London Times.
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But there is a “u” in stupid. And you know who you are. Starwood Hotels has announced that “Element” is the name of their new upscale extended-stay brand, and that the letter “t” has become too hot to handle. From USA Today:
There’s a long list of naming don’ts, says Starwood spokeswoman KC Kavanagh. You can’t use one that doesn’t play well overseas (the “T” in ELEMENT has to be curved, or else it could be perceived as a cross, which wouldn’t go over in Muslim countries).
You don’t want a name that’s
“too flaky, too feminine.”
Will the branding nimrod who thinks we now have to change the alphabet because people can’t distinguish between a letter of the alphabet and a Christian symbol please step forward? Does this affect all temporary lodging literature, or just signage? How will hotels, motels and resorts address the notions of atriums, room rates, banquets, baths, buffets, check out times, reservations, continental breakfasts, guest relations, hospitality, valet services, late arrival policies, package tours, porters, room rates, pillow top mattresses, suites, twin beds, and vacant rooms?
Stupidity is viral, and especially potent when backed by research and a PowerPoint, so it will be interesting to see if Marriot, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental and Madarin Oriental follow suit.
But just in case, we were up all night curving all the “t”s on this blog.
Don’t laugh, “x”s, you’re little more than leaning crosses. Or as we like to say, a dead letter walking.
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Upon first can-cracking, it smells like cherries, and when poured, resembles clown piss. While it has been described as tasting "like a Jolly Rancher", we had a different take. Our reactions evolved from "Oh God, it burns" to "(hysterical coughing)" to "I can’t… I can’t feel my chest… it’s on fire!"The buzz was all about a new drink, Cocaine, introduced at runway parties and clubs in the United States last week. The New York Post ran with the story about this new Cocaine drink, which is advertised as "the legal alternative."
Who's got her panties in a bunch over the name? Tabloid Whore.The drink's maker maintains that "doing Cocaine" - the beverage, that is - gives you a bigger and better high without the crash that other energy drinks cause.
They say a high hits you within five minutes, followed by a caffeine boost 15 minutes later. But hold on - the ride lasts five hours and the concoction is "350 percent stronger than Red Bull," they claim.
They argue that the effect is part chemical - this drink uses "simple" sugars that don't need to be broken down by the body to create a sugar buzz, and a much larger dose of vitamin B12 - and part psychological.
"When a person sees the name of the drink, some psychological effect happens and the person is already experiencing the energy buzz before they even open the can," speculates Cocaine inventor Jamey Kirby, whose company, Redux Beverages, is based in Las Vegas.
All my life i've been the good girl. No smoking, drugging or getting too loose with the boys. I now have a shameful addiction. I am a tabloid whore.Energy Fiend has the straight dope. According to a chart on the Energy Fiend blog, an 8.4 ounce can of Cocaine Energy Drink contains 280 milligrams of caffeine. This compares with 160 mg in a can of Rockstar Juiced, 80 mg in a can of Red Bull, and 40 mg in a can of Coca-Cola Classic.
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I must admit, I actually didn't even know a forum of this nature existed until I overheard a colleague of mine raving about this site and these forums. Needless to say, I was intrigued.It's interesting to see the names that are suggested for new products and concepts when creative people from around the world freely brainstorm about naming and branding. Take a look, and see for yourself why over 5,000 smart people have registered to give and get free advice.
Like the Battle of Shiloh, there are no winners here. Sony’s new “must-have-what’s-the-point?-pricey” device is called mylo.
ilo is and has been Walmart’s consumer electronics brand name for the last couple of years. So what was Sony thinking?
They weren’t. They couldn’t have been.
This can be the work of only one man…
 |
Says Blandor the Imponderable: “The strategy of using the name mylo to hitch a ride on Walmart’s stratospheric corporate brand equity and ilo’s reputation for low-end electronics was a no-brainer. The name mylo is a nachos grande way for Sony to establish brand obfuscation in the glands, ducts, thyroids and manky bits of consumers.” |
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For 17 years thousands have gathered every fall in Forsyth Park to be served corned beef and plenty of other Jewish delicacies at the Hard Lox Cafe.Something about the likelihood of confusion with the trademark of Hard Rock Cafe.
But this year it's the organizers that are being served with a cease and desist order for their fundraiser. Why?
No, it’s not about Song.
It’s the television commercial from South African airline 1time.
An email we received yesterday, published here with the author’s permission:
aloha,
just a quick question from a small independent game-dev house competing against the ones like EA, Ubisoft or MS.
what’s your first impression of ‘Stoked Rider’ as the franchise name for a series of video-games in outdoor-sports.
like Stoked Rider: Big Mountain Snowboarding
and then followed by like Stoked Rider: Downhill MTB, SR: Extreme Freeriding etc..2002 Stoked Rider - freeware game ( more than 1.5mill units downloaded worldwide)
2006 Stoked Rider ft. Tommy Brunner ( first commercial game in this franchise, released in march but the name giving pro-boarder Tommy Brunner died in an avalanche 2 weeks after the game’s release)2006 Stoked Rider: Big Mountain Snowboarding (to be released this winter season while still thinking of either keeping the name or dropping it)
thanks for the help in getting the best name for our venture
greetings from austria,Michael Putz
mike@bongfish.com
Bongfish Interactive Entertainment
http://www.bongfish.com
Jump in and give Mr. Putz your thoughts on his name.
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An anonymous tipster suggested that the Hook investigate Lethal's upcoming name change-- from Lethal Wrecker, the caller said, to the kinder, gentler "After Five Towing." When a reporter called Lethal Wrecker and asked for "After Five Towing," a female voice at Lethal replied, "That's us-- we're changing our name in a couple of weeks."This cover story wrote its own headline for the Hook.
