WHAT’S IN A NAME?

A prank Web site aimed at ridiculing management’s penchant for rebranding
old firms with “nonsense” names such as Accenture and Avaya has backfired
on its creators after several of its spoof names were registered by real
companies. The What Brand Are You? Web site was created by advertising firm
Design Conspiracy as a way to generate publicity while poking fun at the
“uninspiring” trend toward nonsense brand names. Users are asked to enter
their names and select from a menu of core values, such as “dynamic” or
“passionate,” and a main goal, such as “global leadership” or “client
focus.” The database then offers suggestions such as Aliquis, Vulgo or
Accumulo. “There are about 150 possible names. We just came up with them
one afternoon last year,” says a Design Conspiracy spokesman. “We used an
online Latin dictionary to come up with some of the names, and just added
an ‘i’ or an ‘a’ to the end. Others, like Ualeo, we don’t even know how to
pronounce. We were just literally trying to think of the most stupid
company names.” Tell that to businessman Amit Roy, who registered the name
Winnovate, which he found on the site. “I wanted a name that had a positive
feel that implied innovation,” says Roy. Other names snapped up by unwary
users include: Amplifico, Integriti, Thinc, Winwin, and Ovisovis.

(BBC News
17 Nov 2003)