Would you buy a Rolls-Royce Silver "Dung"? Or a Mazda "shitty"? Or even a Mitsubishi "Wanker"? What about an Opel "that doesn't work"? Or a Volkswagen "with a hole in the middle"?
[Plastmodel]
As for drinks, there are some wonderful products on sale:
Do you fancy a "Pschitt"?
Or a "Bite the wax tadpole" (Coca Cola in Japanese)?
What about washing your clothes in "Colón"?
[Wikipedia]
Note:
This post is in English.
It is based on a much longer Spanish article which appeared in August in "Vida Económica", a free monthly magazine.
8,000 copies are distributed every month throughout the province.
[Front cover courtesy of Vida Economica]
Introduction
Seriously, the naming of products can be a nightmare.
Rolls-Royce, Mazda and Opel got their acts together, but Mitsubishi continue to sell the pajero model in Spanish-speaking markets, despite the fact that pajero means, honestly, "wanker".
Astonishing!
Mazda MR2 (emmerdeux) - I had one! [Clasicos y Usados]
VW perseveres with the Polo model and you can still wash your clothes in a product which means "arse".
Time has moved on
Nowadays companies give much more thought to the naming of their products.
John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca Cola, called his drink so in 1886 because of its ingredients: coca leaves and cola nuts. Despite its meaning in Japanese, Coca Cola won't be changing the name anytime soon.
Nike was born in 1971 when Blue Ribbon Sports changed its name to the Greek goddess of victory, to signify strength and triumph.
[Wikipedia] [Pinterest]
Steve Jobs chose the name Apple for his computer company in 1976 allegedly after a visit to an orchard.
The search engine Google arrived in 1997 with a variant of the mathematical term "googol" (the number 1 followed by 100 zeros) to express volume of information.
[Apple] [Google]
These days companies have quite sophisticated strategies in an effort to get the name right.
Patronímicos
Using the house name for the company
Roberto Martín, the founder of a national brand of sunglasses.
Casa Kiki, uses the childhood nickname of the founder, Isabel. Bakers and confectioners famous throughout Málaga.
[Facebook] [Casa Kiki]
Aceites El Niño, recalls the nickname of Francisco Rodríguez when he used to deliver oil by bicycle.
Los Mellizos was the nickname of the Montes brothers when they were young. Nowadays synonimous with good Andalusian cuisine.
[Facebook] [Los Mellizos]
Toponómicos
Using the name of a place as the brand name
Cervezas Victoria has Málaga's DNA. Founded in 1928, this beer's name is a homage to the patron saint of Málaga , la Virgen de la Victoria.
San Miguel, another brewer, with its home near Málaga airport, the origins of this beer are the Philippines. In 1890 Spanish entrepreneurs opened the first brewery in south-east Asia in Manila. They named their beer after the district of Manila called San Miguel. In 1966 the brand arrived in Málaga where it has been brewing beer continuously for almost 60 years. Now a national and international name.
Skandia, a seafood brand, has its origins in the fjords of Scandinavia. Famous particularly for its smoked salmon, the company has an international reach.
[Loopulo] [Facebook] [Skandia Ahumados]
Descriptivos
What you see is what you get
Sometimes the best strategy is transparency. If you sell apples, say so.
Todomanzana is the perfect example. It originated from the simple notion of bringing all Apple products and services under the same roof. Sale of computer hardware, software, accessories, repairs.
Maskom. The name of this regional supermarket chain sounds modern and commercial. The creators of the name felt it sounded strong with a touch of Málaga about it.
[Above photos courtesy of Cadena SER]
Alfanuméricos y acrónimos
Playing with letters and numbers
Bbou Hotels are a chain of "boutique" hotels. They decided to reinforce their exclusivity with a double "B", a way of underlining the detail, the unique experience and personal attention that these "iconic" hotels offer.
Ly Company is conceived in a declaration of love: "Love you". The company's founder Curro Rodríguez decided to let himself be led by what he felt, ie love for his company. LY's star product is Aqualy, a water brand which repeats the formula: "Love you, water".
[Above logos courtesy of Linked In]
Salliver is "Revillas" backwards. This is the name of a school which began by offering private classes and which now has thousands of pupils. The school is in Fuengirola.
OXO Museo del Videojuego
[Linked In] [La Proxima Parada]
Neológicos
Utter invention with a taste of brand
Harper & Neyer. "Who were they?" Nobody, they are invented names. The company's founder, Nabil Salah, wanted to create a fashion brand that sounded international, was elegant and had hints of Anglo-Saxon tradition. It seems to have worked.
Coonic is more subtle. This communications agency was inspired by the ultrasonic communication between whales. The double "O" is part of the visual symbol of the brand.
Opplus is not a Málaga company, yet everybody knows it has special ties to the city. The name signifies that their operations have a "plus" of quality, of promise and of excellence.
[Modaes] [Linked In] [La Opinion de Malaga]
Conceptuales
Names which tell a story or provoke an emotion
Owo is one of the shiniest jewels of Málaga's technological eco-system. Signifying a world that opens to a touch. The name, short, symmetrical and graphic, works in all languages.
Froged combines "frog" with "Ed", "frog" being the virtual companion to the consumer, an AI agent who guides the client in real time.
[Facebook] [El Correo de Andalucia]
Bumpers Brand has a conceptual almost poetic origin. The founders of the company, five friends, appropriated the Welsh word "pump", meaning five. From that they have developed a brand of clothing with a spirit of community.
El Pimpi. Originally the nickname of a "buscavidas" (hustler) from Málaga, half tourist guide, half raconteur. When the current owners of the bar bought the former night club, it bore the name "El Pimpi". They decided to keep it, aware that it was more than just a name, it had "soul".
Personal note:
I have been to El Pimpi umpteen times. I love the environment and the vibe, but, at certain times getting served can be a nightmare. Nevertheless, it's a great place to go!
[ViviMarbella] El Pimpi, Malaga [Gastroactitud]
Links:
Lost in translation? Marketing cock-ups and brand name howlers - Secret Serrania
‘What's in a Name?’: Definition, Meaning, and Examples - Writing Tips Institute
What’s in a name? Pedro y Pablo - Eye on Spain
'What's In A Name': Phrase Meaning & History✔️ No Sweat Shakespeare
© Don Pablo
Pictures:
Apple, Cadena SER, Casa Kiki, Clasicos y Usados, El Correo de Andalucia, Gastroactitud, Google, Los Mellizos, Pinterest, Plastmodel, Vida Economica, ViviMarbella, Wikipedia
With special thanks to:
David Delgado, Don Pablo, Vida Economica
Tags:
accessories, Aceites El Niño, Apple, Aqualy, Bbou Hotels, "Bite the wax tadpole", Bumpers Brand, buscavidas, Cadena SER, Casa Kiki, Clasicos y Usados, Coca Cola, "Colon", computer hardware, Coonic, Curro Rodriguez, David Delgado, Don Pablo, El Correo de Andalucia, El Pimpi, Eye on Spain, Facebook, Francisco Rodriguez, Froged, Gastroactitud, Google, googol, Harper & Neyer, hustler, John Pemberton, La Opinion de Malaga, La Proxima Parada, Linked In, Loopulo, Los Mellizos, Ly Company, Malaga, Maskom, Mazda "shitty", Mitsubishi "Wanker", Modaes, Nike, No Sweat Shakespeare, Opel "that doesn't work", Opplus, Owo, OXO Museo del Videojuego, Paul Whitelock, Pinterest, Plastmodel,"Pschitt", repairs, Roberto Martin, Rolls-Royce Silver "Dung", Salliver, Secret Serrania, Skandia Ahumados, software, Steve Jobs, Todomanzana, Vida Economica, ViviMarbella, Volkswagen "with a hole in the middle", Wikipedia, Writing Tips Institute