Six Great Product Names

People always spend so much time on their brand – their copywriting and their company name, their website pages and brochures. Then they release a product and it’s predictable at best and bland at worst.

Your products should be on brand. If you have a luxurious high end brand you need a luxurious high end name (without calling it “the luxury….” – that’s just lazy). If you have an edgy brand you should have an edgy name or have something that SAYS something about who you are what you offer.

The same thing goes for a collection of products, a service you offer or a package you create. There is no need any longer to have packages called Gold, Silver and Bronze or Rose, Lily, Tulip. These are dated and say nothing about your brand. Likewise – hotel rooms should no longer be called Standard, Superior or Luxury Suite – it just sounds the same. And yet product names always seem to get overlooked. Everybody just picks a pretty word that has no substance or brand beneath it.

I’ve put together this blog post to give some examples of six product names (just a random six that I’ve seen in the past month or two) that I think say something about the brand in question and are on the money.

1. F*ck, I’m Flawless Concealer, made by Il Makiage. Bold, memorable and cutting through the noise, who doesn’t want to be flawless? F*ck yeah – add to cart

2. Smooch Sofa, made by Loaf – I know what I want to be doing on a sofa, lounging and snuggling. Smooch says it all

3. Pure Abundance Volumising Shampoo, made by Aveda. As someone always on the quest for more volume, I bought this on the name alone. Abundance is such a powerful word and what an evocative name for a hair product. The shampoo is actually pretty good but I wouldn’t have tried it if it didn’t have such an awesome name. Aveda is often pretty good when it comes to names, I like the sound of their Smooth Infusion shampoo too – they have a slick-sounding shampoo for everyone

4. The Cat Who Got the Cream, made by Rococo. It is hard to find a box of chocolates that isn’t called “the luxury chocolate collection” “the decadent truffle selection” etc, they all sound the same. But when I’m choosing chocolates I can’t taste what I’m buying so I’m basically buying from a brand – your name and your packaging will decide whether I choose your chocolates or not. Therefore a strong name and a sexy box equals straight to checkout via next day delivery. The Cat Who Got the Cream has it all – beautiful box, great brand, quirky name – I only wish I had seen these before I bought the birthday present for my (cat-obsessed) best friend – she would have loved these.

5. 1955 by Gucci. When it comes to handbags, they are such an emotional purchase, it’s important to get the name right. The 1955 is named after the iconic handbag it’s modelled on. Likewise the Chanel 2.55 which is probably their most famous bag is named after the fact that the original was created in February 1955 (and changed fashion history forever). And a stylish accessory doesn’t have to be named after a year. Arguably one of the most famous bags of all time the Kelly bag by Hermes was named after Grace Kelly herself and has become synonymous with elegance and grace over 60 years later.

6. Elysee by Jenny Packham. One of the best for naming wedding dresses, Jenny Packham chooses feminine names with beautiful meanings. Elysee is the name of a French palace (immediately giving the idea of a fairytale magical gown) and comes from the word Elysium – the Greek mythological paradise for immortality. I mean, does it get any better? She could have just named it the Elegance gown but it wouldn’t have had the same beauty and French nod (the place where fashion and elegance come first). I wore a Jenny Packham gown for my own wedding, named Alessia and I loved the name (and the dress!) so much that I considered naming my daughter after her. Don’t underestimate the impact of a strong name.

These are just some I’ve come across on my travels recently (and there will be many others just as good if not better). My three main tips for naming your product?

1. Go deeper – don’t just choose a pretty, nice sounding name
2. Look into meanings and etymology – choose a word with meaning and emotion – the roots of a word should always be considered
3. Keep it on brand – romantic brand? Choose a romantic name. Modern brand? Modern name. Brave brand? Brave name. You get the idea. Your name needs to be in keeping with your brand.

To work on naming your own product or service, sign up for the next round of Class Copy starting in July.