A Lesson in Trademarks, Names, and Packaging
We had settled on the final formula for the chamois cream and were really excited about a sunscreen formula we were testing. We had also begun to flirt with the idea of launching a biodegradable chain lubricant and citrus based cleaner.
Now we needed to name everything. Will Nystrom had the idea of naming the blanket company Personal Best Products. It fit right in line with the Triathlon/competition theme that we had going with the company. We filed our paperwork with the state and were on our way!
The next names weren't nearly as easy. Through a good high school friend we were introduced to the fellas at Leadout Marketing. They helped us craft the first round of product mock-ups and gave us the first round of names. We were a little hesitant on the names but they began to grow on us. Here they are in all their glory. We loved them immediately. We loved the design. Clean, cosmetic, and and essence of sophistication and grace. They breathed technology and high end chemistry. It was also important for us to make them unisex. We felt so much of the branding, especially around chamois cream, was drenched in frat boyish plays on people nether regions. We wanted these to feel accessible to both genders.
We did run into one problem. Trademarks. Our lawyer advised that Glaze and Honey were too generic to wrap a trademark around. What's interesting about trademarks is that they are actually designed to protect the consumer and not the company. Trademarks are in place so that if you intend to buy a can of Coke, you aren't confused by products that look exactly like Coke. It's a small difference but an interesting way to think about it. The second round of naming/trademark searches was more fruitful and we ended up landing on two names we absolutely loved.
Betwixt - old english for "between". A perfect fit for the product. Unique, complex, AND trademarkable! Done.
Zealios - We loved the idea of having a "z" in the title. We also loved the zeal inherent in endurance athletes. We also loved the idea of Helios, the Greek god of sun. We loved the image of him riding his chariot across the heavens and its affiliation with the sunscreen. We ended up compounding the two to make zealios. There were a lot of vowels, but it was a cool word, it was unique, and most of all...it was trademarkable! Booya! We filed for them, were awarded the trademarks and turned our eyes to packaging.