Life
Beauty box: The art of picking the perfect name
Like babies, beauty brands need a label that’s just right — as they should have a very lasting impact
March 9, 2023 15:49
Like babies, beauty brands need a label that’s just right — as they should have a very lasting impact
March 9, 2023 15:49I’ve been thinking up names for my baby, which is no mean feat seeing as it will most likely stay with him for life and maybe even influence the course it will take and his general character. (Would Madonna have been so iconic if she’d been called Marjorie?)
One word can have a lasting impact. It reminds me of the time I had to help a company come up with a new name for a line of hair products.
It was a German firm and the initials of its previous name were “SS” so you see the issue. I aimed for words that connoted technology and efficiency, peppered with the letter “k” for good measure. But it was really a case of throwing lots of ideas up in the air and hoping something landed.
Coming up with a name for a beauty brand or product poses all manner of conundrums. It needs to be unique and clever, but also memorable and easy to pronounce by a global audience.
Some choose the cute and whimsical route: Bread Beauty Supply (haircare), Boy Smells (candles), CRA-YON (perfume) and Drunk Elephant (skincare). There are also companies that like to be provocative and risqué with innuendo-laden names that are too rude to print in a family newspaper.
Others are just plain obnoxious such as Gorilla Snot hair gel and Chicken Poop lip balm. These could be amazing products but we’ll never know, as I doubt anyone who isn’t a sniggering seven-year-old would be tempted to buy them.
The fail-safe option is to adopt an enigmatic, French or French-sounding name connoting luxury and quality (Oribe, Embryolisse, Nuxe et al).
Some brand names even have Jewish origins — beauty retail giant Sephora got its name from the Greek spelling of Zipporah, the (said to be exceptionally beautiful) wife of Moses.
Like the fathers who pass their name on to their offspring, some company founders such as Jo Malone and Bobbi Brown name their beauty lines after themselves. It’s a shrewd move for those looking to boost their personal profile while growing their business. Especially if you happen to already be famous.
Although I can’t imagine Brad Pitt’s skincare line benefited from this. I mean, would you moisturise your face with Pitt Cream?
There are many brands whose products live up to their jazzy names. Among my current favourites is Dizziak, a haircare range for all hair types whose conditioner (£22) smells heavenly and hydrates with aplomb.
Faace skincare (pronounced “face”) is another quirky niche brand, whose Stress Faace moisturiser (£34) with nourishing rice bran oil has been saving my tired, weatherbeaten skin of late.
I think when it comes to choosing a name for a baby or a brand — there’s little rhyme or reason to it. Yes, it should be easy to say and spell, and ideally devoid of unpleasant associations. But the rest is all down to gut feeling — you just think: yes… that’s them.
Hopefully I’ll settle on something my son will thank me for in 20 years’ time.