What's in a name? Pugilist Brand April 8, 2014 10:59
I just got off the phone with customer support for my website, a small issue which was soon fixed. As soon as the customer service guy looked at the name of our company and struggled to pronounce it I waited on the other end with baited breath.
"I see your website, Pugilist Brand" He said, pronouncing it 'Pug-a-list', as most people I speak to seem to. At this point I can only chuckle and make note that I must be one of the few people to know the word
Pronounced Pew-ja-list.................
Pugilist pu·gi·list
ˈpyo͞ojəlist/
noun: One who fights with his fists; especially a professional prize fighter; a boxer.
historical, humorous: From Latin pugil (boxer), from pugnus (fist). Earliest documented use: around 1740.
Maybe I'd read too many Victorian novels or watched to many Sherlock Holmes type dramas and movies but I thought Pugilist was an obvious name for our brand. Evoking our struggle, fighting spirit, masculinity. The branding I was NOT looking for was a small ugly dog ( apologies to any Men in Black fans or Pug owners)
It could be one of the worst marketing name choices since Chevrolet chose to name their car the 'Nova' some years ago. In Spanish 'No va' means 'doesn't go'. An urban legend which has since been debunked.
So hopefully I'm just bumping into people who aren't boxing fans, know nothing of pugilistic greats such as John L Sullivan, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano or even the more recent pugilists Muhammed Ali and Mike Tyson?
In a weird kind of way it could actually even work if people have to look at the labels and ask themselves 'Pug-a-list?? What the heck is a pug-a-list??'