Fueled For Thought

Verbal Identity | February 21, 2009

Names are really an integral part of everything: people have a name, things have names. Names really do get into people’s heads, they become ingrained in their minds

Interesting interview from PingMag with Scott Milano, head of the Verbal Identity Department of Interbrand Japan. A year or so old now but what he mentions is still relevant. He talks about his background, what he does and how brand names can generate images and feelings within people. Here is a snippet:

…BRAVIA is a name I created. Then the project was initially to develop two brand names for two separate lines: one for the casual viewing, the feminine, more playful one. The other was for the high-end users. In the end we created about 3000 names for both projects, but ultimately it came down to one name and one brand.

If you hear the name BRAVIA you wouldn’t think of a flat screen in the first place…

Again, a lot of the ideas come up after the briefing. In this case it was about a stellar performer with super-high quality – something brave, beautiful, very natural and a very powerful, moving experience.

That’s why it sounds like Bravo?

Yes, in this case it’s the etymology. Unfortunately this name has been copied since in various ways. If you look at the TV sector now, a lot of the names have this style: they end in e, i, a, or they have similar constructs or similar sounds. That’s a form of flattery. At least in 2005 and 2006 it has helped turn SONY around globally, as it is one of their strongest brands.

Check out the rest of the article HERE