The Dumb and Dumber approach to naming your business...
Okay, I'm going to preface this post with a disclaimer that I am not discussing the quality or service in the below "poked-fun-at" establishments. I'm simply poking fun at their silliness in naming.
Back when we visited Jordan when ButterBean was 6 months old, we were trying to find some play toys and a baby monitor (not available in Jordan at that time). A friend suggested what I think is one of the best toy stores in Amman. It's a bit pricey, but you truly can't beat their selection. But, I thought at the time that their naming skills were rudimentary at best. Did they think that saying one word twice separated by an "and" made it more forceful? The name is Toys & Toys. Oh, well, it's relief to know that they have toys and toys. I was afraid it was the local outlet for toys and GUNS! Toys & Toys, come on... What's with the second one? Jordanian powers that be wouldn't let you name it just Toys, but if you added the & Toys it'd be accepted? You were afraid people would get confused about what you sell without both? Why the name?
But, as if that weren't bad enough, the trend seems to be catching on. There's now a store called Food & Food. Okay, now with that one, is it supposed to imply that they don't have household supplies? Do they truly ONLY have food? At least Toys & Toys is truth in advertising. They have toys. Period. What's with Food and Food?
I saw another one a few weeks ago, but like a goofy-girl, I didn't write it down and have forgotten what it was. So, the trend really seems to be catching on. I think this naming inadequacy is worse than the one I blogged about some time ago Shawerma and More? As if they don't know if all they have is shawerma. At least that one isn't just saying Shawerma and Shawerma. Of course, now that I've suggested it, I will expected to see S&S opening next week :).
If anyone knows who first came up with this gem of a naming system, please let me know. In the meantime...
Happy Repetition & Repetition!
posted by MommaBean @ 2:11 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
How about tum tum the kids store.
It is Tom Tom.
We have Top & Top out here in Khalda. Their idea was it was the top of quality and top of service. I beg to differ of course, but you know... My husband always calls it Tip Top. Ha.
oh well,one thing is for sure,for some reason most of us (Arabs) don't like to innovate ,there always must be a previous successful pattern to copy! i bet "Johnson & Johnson" was a big influence on naming Toys n Toys :d maybe ?
I like all of your alternate suggestions, although they fail to take the obvious statement of a single offering and double it. Tip Top indeed, Nicole. I like that one. Tam Tam makes me think of beating a tableh...
Naser, you may be right, Johnson & Johnson may have been the inspiration, although again there it's the names of the founders :). Innovation is a scary thing!
I never liked the (toys & Toys) name. I guess it's a gimmick to make it stick out.
Kinda like Toys R Us reversing the R.
It gets worse, there's a tobbaco store called (the cancer).
A mobile phone store called (The dsturbance)!
Hani, I'm with you on the stupid backward R... Oh, and I thought that the cancer center (and the disturbance) would at least be truth in advertising. They sell cancer by the stick, come buy some... :)
There's rooms and rooms, and the ever-so-creative salons and salons, and a few other places that I could not remember now..but will keep you updtaed once my memory works!
Ooooh! Salam, thansk for the additions. Do they actually sell ROOMS at rooms and rooms? I'm guessing just furniture, bummer. But, now with salons and salons, I'll give them bonus points for the fact that the word is correctly spelled (rather than the ever popular saloons)!
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