# Poor choices for product names



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I'm sitting here watching Craig Ferguson, and there's a commercial for the anti-depression drug Abilify. Whenever I see it advertised, I can't help wondering why they made up a name for it that sounds like "vilify". This reminded me of the Hyundai "Accent", which when I first heard the commercials I thought they said "accident" (and of course could never stop hearing it that way after that).

Any other product names out there that make you wonder what they were thinking when the marketeers came up with them?


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I never understood why they called those cookies Hydrox.  It seriously sounds like a scouring sink cleaner.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I never understood why they called those cookies Hydrox. It seriously sounds like a scouring sink cleaner.


Not that I'm exactly sure what an "oreo" is, either, but it certainly doesn't sound as caustic.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

The reason Chevrolet stopped making the Nova was in Spanish Nova litterally meant No-go.


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## alexisleno (Mar 4, 2011)

When the iPad was first announced, everyone thought that was pretty weird. Calling it a big iTampon, or something. LOL.

I honestly don't know what else they would have called it. iBigExpensiveIPhone maybe.

Oreo is also a weird one.


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## JD Rhoades (Feb 18, 2011)

KIA. 

You want to buy a  car whose name is the acronym for Killed In Action?


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

Google Android. 
The technology company that the most information about human beings locked away in its data centers produces a product named Android and no one bats an eye. I know the green alien branding is cute and all, but we've seen this movie and we know how it ends. One day you're at a Radio Shack going "Smartphones...oooh shiny" and the next you're nothing more than a rechargeable battery for the android empire.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

The Mazda Millenia.  Every time I'm stopped behind one at a light the missing "n" annoys me.


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## BrianKittrell (Jan 8, 2011)

The vacuum hair cutting device, the "Suck Cut". Well, it really does suck... (Wayne's World)


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

T.L. Haddix said:


> I don't know about product names, but have you seen the commercials for the shoes that have the giant sperm as an emblem on the side?? I couldn't believe my eyes, but I saw it. Recorded it and showed it to hubby. Big honking sperm, right on the side. The commercial was one of those uber-short infomercial types.


At first I thought you meant Nike  But no, looks like they're called just what you'd think they'd be called.


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

Years ago (and I do mean YEARS), we took my mother to Canada where she saw a billboard advertisement for a Volvo.  She thought it said "vulva" and was disgusted anyone would name a car that.  

(Now that Volvos are ever so much more popular than they were then, every time I see one I remember the day).


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

Jamie Case said:


> Google Android.
> The technology company that the most information about human beings locked away in its data centers produces a product named Android and no one bats an eye. I know the green alien branding is cute and all, but we've seen this movie and we know how it ends. One day you're at a Radio Shack going "Smartphones...oooh shiny" and the next you're nothing more than a rechargeable battery for the android empire.


Actually, I think most people think of the droids from Star Wars with that. George Lucas actually gets a cut of Motorola's Droid profits as his franchise coined the term "Droid".


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

ScaryMerry said:


> George Lucas actually gets a cut of Motorola's Droid profits as his franchise coined the term "Droid".


You're kidding me? .... damn.


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

MrPLD said:


> You're kidding me? .... d*mn.


Yeah, take a close look at a Droid ad sometime. The fine print says it all.
http://www.smartphonefanatics.com/uploaded_images/droid_leapin_lizards-786815.jpg


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

:shudder:  The guy knows how to milk his creation, got to give him that.


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

Eh, I can't really blame him. They could have called their phone something else, by=ut they knowingly picked one that they'd have to get licensing for or else risk trademark infringement. If a company wanted to call a product a Muggle, I feel like J.K. Rowling/WB would have every right to press charges if it was used without their permission.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Here's a bit of a side question though - are the rights 'indefinite' or do they have a 25 year limit like patents or normal 'copyright' ?


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

I have no earthly clue.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

It's a bit like the whole Disney copyright thing - was supposed to expire on a lot of items a few years ago - but they got the laws changed and now it's essentially indefinite (as good as).


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

I saw a commercial the other night for something called Fat Foam, it's a hair color.  Somehow I just can't imagine saying to myself, Gonna go get me some Fat Foam and color my hair.  Loreal sounds so much more classy.


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

ScaryMerry said:


> Actually, I think most people think of the droids from Star Wars with that. George Lucas actually gets a cut of Motorola's Droid profits as his franchise coined the term "Droid".


Yes. But Motorola Droid is not the same as Google Android. The first is a smartphone and the second is the operating system that powers a bunch of smartphones, including Motorola's Droid. Google doesn't pay George Lucas a red cent.

Motorola picked the Droid name because they wanted their phone to be strongly associated with the Android operating system. Based on the way some people confuse them, I'd say it was a pretty savvy move. Besides George Lucas's trademark only applies in the US and Verizon picks up the tab anyway.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

When I was in Mexico about five years ago, they had sliced bread in their stores with this happy smiling little face that looked sort of like the Pillsbury Doughboy.  Anyhow, it was called BIMBO.  Probably just a catchy name in Spanish...

Dawn


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## Barbiedull (Jul 13, 2010)

"Dress BARN" and "Shoe Carnival" always strike me as strange names for stores. 
Unless you are in need of a dress to fit a cow... or clown shoes?


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## cegrundler (Aug 16, 2010)

Suzuki makes an SUV called the Suzuki Grand Vitara, and they have the word Vitara emblazoned across the cover on the rear-mounted spare tire. For some reason whenever I see one my dyslexic brain switches the T with a G and shuffles the letters a bit.  What can I say, I've got a sick mind.


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## JD Rhoades (Feb 18, 2011)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> When I was in Mexico about five years ago, they had sliced bread in their stores with this happy smiling little face that looked sort of like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Anyhow, it was called BIMBO. Probably just a catchy name in Spanish...
> 
> Dawn


They've moved into the US (possibly following a lot of their customers north). I can't help but laugh hard when I see the trucks.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> When I was in Mexico about five years ago, they had sliced bread in their stores with this happy smiling little face that looked sort of like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Anyhow, it was called BIMBO. Probably just a catchy name in Spanish...
> 
> Dawn


I have seen BIMBO bread trucks when visiting SoCal and they never fail to bring the laughs.


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> When I was in Mexico about five years ago, they had sliced bread in their stores with this happy smiling little face that looked sort of like the Pillsbury Doughboy. *Anyhow, it was called BIMBO*. Probably just a catchy name in Spanish...
> 
> Dawn


This exists in NYC. I've also had BIMBO ice cream.


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

Jamie Case said:


> Yes. But Motorola Droid is not the same as Google Android. The first is a smartphone and the second is the operating system that powers a bunch of smartphones, including Motorola's Droid. Google doesn't pay George Lucas a red cent.
> 
> Motorola picked the Droid name because they wanted their phone to be strongly associated with the Android operating system. Based on the way some people confuse them, I'd say it was a pretty savvy move. Besides George Lucas's trademark only applies in the US and Verizon picks up the tab anyway.


Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm just saying that no one made them pick that name. And it really is stupid how people confuse the two.

Person: Yeah, I have a Droid phone.
Me: No, you don't.
Person: Yeah, I do. See, it has the cute little green robot thingy.
Me: Your phone runs the Android OS, doofus, your phone's a Samsung Galaxy S. Which I might have to steal.


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

Gray Poupon


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Jamie Case said:


> This exists in NYC. I've also had BIMBO ice cream.


Really? Hmm... I had never seen it before. (I live Upstate.)
Dawn


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## LibraryGirl (Dec 16, 2008)

Clamato


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

Dawn McCullough White said:


> Really? Hmm... I had never seen it before. (I live Upstate.)
> Dawn


I did a little googling after my post. Turns out Bimbo USA is the home of a number of very familiar brands. http://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/ They probably just promote the Bimbo brand wherever there are enough Spanish speakers to offset the connotation.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Barbiedull said:


> "Dress BARN" and "Shoe Carnival" always strike me as strange names for stores.
> Unless you are in need of a dress to fit a cow... or clown shoes?


Several years ago when my daughter was about 8 years old, we were driving through a rather seedy part of town and there was a big building with a sign that said _Girls! Girls! Girls!_ and she looked at me and said, "Look Mom, they must sell girl's clothes there." We still laugh about that.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

In all seriousness, and I'm not just saying this, The Nook. Well, it's not bad actually and sort of cute until you ad "ebook." Nook ebook. Nookie Book? Sounds a little naughty. I do have a folder for that though.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

MichelleR said:


> In all seriousness, and I'm not just saying this, The Nook. Well, it's not bad actually and sort of cute until you ad "ebook." Nook ebook. Nookie Book? Sounds a little naughty. I do have a folder for that though.


We find The Nook funny because in Suess' One Fish Two Fish there is a Nook with a cookbook. "But a Nook can't read so a Nook can't cook So what good is a Nook Cook Book"


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

The GM car EV-1 was originally called "Impact."


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

MichelleR said:


> In all seriousness, and I'm not just saying this, The Nook. Well, it's not bad actually and sort of cute until you ad "ebook." Nook ebook. Nookie Book? Sounds a little naughty. I do have a folder for that though.


My dad purchased a Nook Color for my mom for Christmas. He took great delight in telling us, "I got your mom a little Nookie for Christmas", which mortified my mom.


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## alexisleno (Mar 4, 2011)

I never realized that about the Nook being in Dr. Seuss. That's too funny!


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Wii. Every time my nephews say they're playing with their Wii, I shudder.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

The Honda Element, and only because the first time I saw one of those boxy things I thought it said "elephant" and it has stuck with me.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

JFHilborne said:


> Wii. Every time my nephews say they're playing with their Wii, I shudder.


Hehe, I was about to mention that. The first time I heard the name announced, I was SURE they were joking.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2011)

Pretty much everything in English in Japan.

Like this noodle shop at the stadium of the professional baseball team, the Hiroshima Carps.









And this clothing store in Osaka.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Starvations makes me think of a _good_ name, albeit through my mind doing a word association based on what people think of when they here Ethiopia. There are at least a few Ethiopian restaurants called Blue Nile which I just think is a lovely and welcoming name, and the food is delicious.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Prescription drugs are full of them. The most recent I can think of is Yasmin - a birth control pill. It sounds just like Yaz in how it works. And Yaz got pulled because of all the side effects and there have been several lawsuits. But when I hear "Yasmin" the first thing I think of is Yaz. So even if my doctor offered it to me, I wouldn't take it.

Googling to make sure I had the name right, it even looks like it comes from the same company. FAIL


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## TheRiddler (Nov 11, 2010)

How about the Touareg (made by VW maybe?)

It's an anagram of Outrage....


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

In Australia there's an Ice Cream called Golden Gaytime ... seriously!


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

mom133d said:


> Prescription drugs are full of them. The most recent I can think of is Yasmin - a birth control pill. It sounds just like Yaz in how it works. And Yaz got pulled because of all the side effects and there have been several lawsuits. But when I hear "Yasmin" the first thing I think of is Yaz. So even if my doctor offered it to me, I wouldn't take it.
> 
> Googling to make sure I had the name right, it even looks like it comes from the same company. FAIL


It's basically the same drug. When Yaz went generic, Bayer just slightly tweaked the amount of estrogen in the pills and put them out under a new name. "New formula" = new patent.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

TheRiddler said:


> How about the Touareg (made by VW maybe?)
> 
> It's an anagram of Outrage....


I've often wondered, exactly how is that name pronounced? Two-uh-reg? Tour-egg?


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## TheRiddler (Nov 11, 2010)

HappyGuy said:


> I've often wondered, exactly how is that name pronounced? Two-uh-reg? Tour-egg?


I go for: Twuh-Regg

but I could be wrong.

Stupid name.

So is the Ford Ka


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

HappyGuy said:


> I've often wondered, exactly how is that name pronounced? Two-uh-reg? Tour-egg?


Seems like I've seen commercials and they said Tour-egg.


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## kindlequeen (Sep 3, 2010)

VW also has an SUV called the "Tiguan" (my DH wants one), the name implies it's half Tiger and half Iguana (dead serious).  I haven't seen too many here in California.... I wonder why....


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

kindlequeen said:


> ... I haven't seen too many here in California.... I wonder why....


Probably can't meet CA's emission standards.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Probably can't meet CA's emission standards.


Amen.


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## Alessandra Kelley (Feb 22, 2011)

In the drugstore I spotted a hair appliance, meant to add volume to the top of the head (how 'sixties!) called a "Bumpit".

Did they think before they marketed that?


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Crestor-  why did they give it a name so close to the brand of toothpaste?

Dawn


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

This isn't the product name but the campaign. That Kia that uses hamsters as the drivers. Do you really want to associate rodents with your car? Every time I see it I think of hamsters running the wheel and not getting anywhere.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

A friend of mine used to bemoan rental cars saying "how can you get excited about a used Probe?".

That tennis shoe was hysterical.  Laughed 'til I cried.  Thanks!


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## Keira Lea (Apr 15, 2011)

When I hear the phone ad for "Evo Shift," I think "Evil Sh**." When I hear "4G," I think "orgy." I know, I'm strange.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

The name of this stuff always made me laugh. I've drunk it. It's pretty good. Tastes like very light lemonade.










I could never use a hair removal cream with a name like this:


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## JD Rhoades (Feb 18, 2011)

MichelleR said:


> Starvations makes me think of a _good_ name, albeit through my mind doing a word association based on what people think of when they here Ethiopia. There are at least a few Ethiopian restaurants called Blue Nile which I just think is a lovely and welcoming name, and the food is delicious.


The first time anyone suggested to me that we go out for Ethiopian food I thought they were joking. But it is really good.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

It sounds strange now. When Apple computer just came and university had meeting group: I thought it was apple growers meeting group.


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