When it comes to naming, I’ve done my share. As a professional copywriter, with a career spanning 40+ years, I’ve had the chance to name all kinds of products as part of my job – beauty treatments, sandwiches, cocktails, opening-night events, nail polish colors, pet-food flavors, desserts, children’s toys, blue-plate specials, bank products, games.

Name it, and I’ve probably named it. Even a friend’s puppy.

Full disclosure – on a personal level, I’ve even named some of our household items. There’s Midge the Mini Fridge; Chuck the Hand Truck; Champ the Floor Lamp. (Talk about bringing your work home with you.)

The funny thing about professional naming is what others may think about it. That’s it’s fun (it can be). That it’s easy (talk to me after submitting your first ten pages of names). That it’s the world’s best job (these are the people who think that all it involves is sitting back, eating bonbons, and just plucking names out of thin air). As an aside, “bonbons” is a great name – it translates to “good goods” (only it sounds sexier in French) and is the perfect description for chocolate candy or other sweets.

What makes a good name? Not to minimize the strategy or the art behind creating a moniker (another great word) that fits a product well, but you want something that has the “it” factor – eye-catching and meaningful; fun to say, maybe; something that sticks in a customer’s mind; and something they actually want to ask for – by name.

I’d say I’ve created thousands of names for hundreds of nail colors for several beauty companies (no, not at the same time). None of the names were duplicated (yes, I’m sure – I kept lists). Someone once asked me how I managed to keep coming up with new names. I had never thought about it before but, once asked, I froze. “You know,” I finally replied, “if I ever stopped to think about it, I don’t think I’d ever create another name again.” And I’ve never thought about it again. Until now. (Thank you very much.)

My secret? Most of the names were based on very clever wordplay. Some were based on themes. Still others were inspired by a visual prompt. Or by rhyming. Or from a feeling evoked by a particular shade. Or a specific experience. It’s hard to explain – some of it is instinctual.

One of my favorite naming stories came from my showing off in front of B. We were in Portland on a “cuisine” walking tour, where we visited several different restaurants and food shops to taste all kinds of goodies – pizza, wine and chocolate pairings, boutique olive oils and vinegars, artisanal breads, gelato, and more.

There were about 20 people on the tour with us, and as we sat at each place and tasted, we struck up an ongoing conversation with one couple. When asked what I did, I said that I was a marketing copywriter for a certain beauty company and explained that that included writing advertising, press releases, promotional pieces, point-of-sale, and, in this case, color names for nail polishes. The woman of the couple lit up like a birthday cake and told me she loved those polishes and bought them for their names.

I asked her if the color on her nails was such-and-such and she nearly fell off her chair. “How did you know that?” she asked. “I named it,” I said, not as modestly as I might have, I guess. She took off her clogs to show off her pedi, done in a different color. After I correctly identified that shade, she screamed with delight. I was clearly her new BFF.

She was beyond wowed, B. was indeed impressed, and I continued to answer her questions about which other colors had I named and didn’t I have the best job in the world?

Whatever I’ve named, yes, it’s been fun to see that name on a bottle (whether nail polish or bourbon), on a menu (whether burger or pie), or in an ad (whether in a magazine or on social). Or on an adorable little rescue puppy just looking for a loving home.

Name game.

©2023 Claudia Grossman