Cool company names: Behind bars in the Ottoman Empire

Cool company names don’t exist in a vacuum — they exist at the intersection where the brand name meets the world that it will live in. People have a tendency to want to judge names in isolation, when in reality the combination of the name and the situation is more powerful than either on its own. Let’s look at a few examples.

BEHIND BARS

Take, for instance BEHIND BARS. On its own, the name is just one of a number of ways to describe where you might find yourself if the criminal justice system decides you’re a menace to society. It’s not exactly aspirational. But it’s a cool company name for the right company, think: a place to meet friends for a drink. After all, it’s behind the bar where the magic starts. And just think how much fun it’ll be when someone asks you where you’re going to end up later in the evening.

OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Let’s look at another cool company name: OTTOMAN EMPIRE. Dissolved territories of unsuccessful conquerors may not seem like the likeliest region to explore company name options. This changes when you put it in the context of making and selling timeless furniture. Get it? Taking the phrase out of context shines some light on the name, while firing up some neuron connections that people already have in their brains.

These names work well because they play with your expectations of what a name can be, what a name can do, and how a name can illuminate the space where it belongs.