11
NAMING 4: A BIG HINT
Modern names often encapsulate a vision of their brand identity. Companies like innocent drinks, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, One Coconut Water, Whole Foods Markets in the real world or StumbleUpon, YouSendIt and Facebook on the Internet; they all have names that give you an idea of what they do. There’s also the king of the big hint, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.
The idea The Body Shop was set up in Berkeley, California, in 1970 by Jane Saunders and Peggy Short. The big hint is pretty obvious; this is a shop that sells things for your body. Before the 1970s, a body shop was a place you took your car to have the bodywork fi xed, dents beaten out, chips repaired and the like. In the automotive industry, it still is. In those days, calling a cosmetics store The Body Shop was an interesting twist in the language, a brand name that borrowed an established term from another industry. Jane and Peggy got their inspiration from their building’s former use; it really had been a car body shop. There is a sequel to this particular story. The Body Shop is better known in its second incarnation. Anita Roddick visited California, went to The Body Shop and decided that it was such a great idea, she returned to the UK and set up her own version, opening her first
100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS • 25
100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 25
12/14/11 11:14 AM
