by berni
20 replies
Hi Copywriters!
I'd like to ask for your advice about "smello" neologism that we consider as a brandname for a line of breathalyzers.
I'm not a native speaker and I cannot feel all the associations that come to mind when you see this brandname. Does "smello" sound OK or does it have rather negative connotations? What are your first impressions?
I'm aware of the fact that a controversial brandname sometimes can be easier to recognize / remember, but for these products we should rather need some safe name.
Thanks for your feedback!
#associations #brandname #smello
  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    It's good, if the breathelizers get your breath to smell like skunk or toilet. Otherwise, no.

    Originally Posted by berni View Post

    Hi Copywriters!
    I'd like to ask for your advice about "smello" neologism that we consider as a brandname for a line of breathalyzers.
    I'm not a native speaker and I cannot feel all the associations that come to mind when you see this brandname. Does "smello" sound OK or does it have rather negative connotations? What are your first impressions?
    I'm aware of the fact that a controversial brandname sometimes can be easier to recognize / remember, but for these products we should rather need some safe name.
    Thanks for your feedback!
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      I get the point. Thanks for your feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
    It implies something that smells terrible, not something that detects an odor.

    If you don't speak the language of your audience, you need professional help in coming up with acceptable, much less appealing, names.

    Marcia Yudkin
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      Thanks for your explanation.

      If you don't speak the language of your audience, you need professional help in coming up with acceptable, much less appealing, names.
      That's why I came to this forum
      Regarding our audience - we are going to sell across Europe, so about 10% of the audience would be native English speakers plus maybe 10% more would really feel such nuances but we'd like to avoid cases like Mitsubishi "Pajero" in Spanish.
      Your advice convinces me to give up "smello" name and look for some more acceptable ones. Thank you!
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      Dear Marcia,
      I'd like to ask you for your professional opinion.
      I believe I found some good alternative - "be.legal" name.
      The message is: after drinking use your breathalyser and check whether you are legal to drive a car or not. If you are not legal to drive - don't drive.
      Does it make sense to you?
      Google shows the phrase "be legal to drive" is quite popular - https://www.google.pl/?gws_rd=ssl#q=...ter+drinking&*

      Do you see any threats / disadvantages of "be.legal - smartphone breathalyser"?
      Thank you in advance!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Does "smello" sound OK
    Not to me - I think you can do better.

    Listerine...Binaca...Scope.......smello?
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    Dear April: I don't want any trouble from you.
    January was long, February was iffy, March was a freaking dumpster fire.
    So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrickyDick
    Originally Posted by berni View Post

    Hi Copywriters!
    I'd like to ask for your advice about "smello" neologism that we consider as a brandname for a line of breathalyzers.
    I'm not a native speaker and I cannot feel all the associations that come to mind when you see this brandname. Does "smello" sound OK or does it have rather negative connotations? What are your first impressions?
    I'm aware of the fact that a controversial brandname sometimes can be easier to recognize / remember, but for these products we should rather need some safe name.
    Thanks for your feedback!
    That reminds me of Smell-O-Vision.
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      That reminds me of Smell-O-Vision.
      Reading all the other comments I can see that this connotation is the most positive one
      Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dolives
    Smello is dirty, it sounds like a pad,
    how about BREATHRun
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      Thanks for your comment.

      how about BREATHRun
      Thanks for your suggestion. Our target will be all European countries, which means most of our potential customers would not be native English speakers. Most of them would hardly read or pronounce "breath". Even existing brandnames that make the trick for English speakers - like BACTrack - seem to be a puzzle for our target group. DrinkMate, AlcoMate are much better, unfortunately already taken.

      Please have a look how a "breathalyser" word looks like in other languages:
      EN breathalyser
      DE Atemtest
      FR ivressomètre / Alcootest
      PL alkomat
      RU apparat.....
      SE utandningsprov
      DA breathalyser
      RO alcoolemie
      IT etilometro
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      • Profile picture of the author Dolives
        Thanks for your comment.

        how about BREATHRun
        Thanks for your suggestion. Our target will be all European countries, which means most of our potential customers would not be native English speakers. Most of them would hardly read or pronounce "breath". Even existing brandnames that make the trick for English speakers - like BACTrack - seem to be a puzzle for our target group. DrinkMate, AlcoMate are much better, unfortunately already taken.

        Please have a look how a "breathalyser" word looks like in other languages:
        EN breathalyser
        DE Atemtest
        FR ivressomètre / Alcootest
        PL alkomat
        RU apparat.....
        SE utandningsprov
        DA breathalyser
        RO alcoolemie
        IT etilometro


        Alcohol or Alco is a word that mostly every language understands, so suffixes of ALCO should work fine like ALCoKiller, Alcohale, AlcoMan/Boy, ALCOLYSER, Alkohitler (controversial), etc.
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        • Profile picture of the author DABK
          If drinkmate works, how about drinkpal?

          Originally Posted by Dolives View Post

          Thanks for your comment.


          Thanks for your suggestion. Our target will be all European countries, which means most of our potential customers would not be native English speakers. Most of them would hardly read or pronounce "breath". Even existing brandnames that make the trick for English speakers - like BACTrack - seem to be a puzzle for our target group. DrinkMate, AlcoMate are much better, unfortunately already taken.

          Please have a look how a "breathalyser" word looks like in other languages:
          EN breathalyser
          DE Atemtest
          FR ivressomètre / Alcootest
          PL alkomat
          RU apparat.....
          SE utandningsprov
          DA breathalyser
          RO alcoolemie
          IT etilometro


          Alcohol or Alco is a word that mostly every language understands, so suffixes of ALCO should work fine like ALCoKiller, Alcohale, AlcoMan/Boy, ALCOLYSER, Alkohitler (controversial), etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    "breathalyzer" is a registered trademark (probably worldwide) for the "drunk tester" machine used by police....
    Signature
    Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
    ***
    Dear April: I don't want any trouble from you.
    January was long, February was iffy, March was a freaking dumpster fire.
    So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      "breathalyser" example was meant just to show how differently "breath" sounded in target languages. We don't intend to use it as our trademark. Thanks anyway!
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  • Profile picture of the author thewriterfiver
    What are your first impressions?
    Makes me think of smelly jello, to be quite honest.
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    • Profile picture of the author berni
      Thank you. Smelly jello is not the most desired connotation
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  • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
    If it's a 'breathalyzer' there can only be but one name.

    Drunkometer. :-)

    When can I expect my first royalty check?

    Thank you.
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    "He not busy being born, is busy dying." - Bob Dylan • "I vibe with the light-dark point. Heavy." - Words that Bob Dylan wishes he had written.

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  • Profile picture of the author NewEnglandah
    It does sound negative. Either try a word that is positive or chemically sounding.
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  • Profile picture of the author jessegilbert
    Banned
    Yeah I don't think Smello is great. I like the pithiness - that is something to aim for so that is a plus but it could use some brainstorming work.
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  • Profile picture of the author heaththompson
    no, it stinks
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