Helpful words

Mommy, where does bubble gum come from?

By Alex Altman, Senior Health Correspondent Bubble gum ain’t what it used to be.  When I was younger Bubblicious, Chiclets, and Bazooka Joe used to be top-shelf stuff.  Sure, the flavor in a piece of Bazooka Joe only lasted ten minutes, but it was a good ten minutes brought to you by real sugar.  Today…

Let’s not rush into this: Planned Parenthood Express

Some things should never be express. For example, haircuts, NASA launches and adoptions all seem to be things where rushing might be a bad idea.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Planned Parenthood belongs in this category too. The group started opening ‘express’ locations in 2003. They describe them as…

Top 10 things to look for in a naming company

f you’re looking for help naming a company or product, here are 10 simple things to look for in a naming company: 1. A pulse. Why do naming companies strap themselves into a straitjacket with terminally boring names like Namestormers and Nametrade and Namix? If they can’t name themselves, how can you expect them to…

Tip of the hat: Trader Joe’s

The idea of Trader Joe’s is an island market where some wily trader scours the world for tasty bargains and passes the savings along to you. Shopping there was supposed to feel like a treasure hunt, and amazingly enough, after all these years, it still does. Like Costco, it’s a crossover experience: a store where…

What does the apocalypse taste like?

by Eli Altman Recently I went into 7-11 to try their new Slurpee flavor: Apocalyptic Ice. It was created as a promotion for Terminator Salvation which will hit theaters across the U.S. tomorrow. We were more interested to find out what the apocalypse tastes like–surprisingly, not half bad. Take a look: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixyTrJM9qIg]

To form a more perfect union: The MLS names its Philadelphia expansion team.

Major League Soccer has a new team: the Philadelphia Union. On Monday, the name and identity of the league’s 16th team were unveiled. While it may sound more like a newspaper than a soccer team, the Union definitely works on a few levels. It clearly relates to the history of Philadelphia. It has some class…

Tip of the Hat: Benefit Cosmetics

by Susan Gertman and Eli Altman Today, our Tip of the Hat goes to Benefit Cosmetics–They broke the mold in the beauty business. Way before MAC and Sephora arrived on the scene, Jean and Jane Ford created a fresh alternative to the intimidating experience of buying beauty products in big department stores. Here are some…

Best name in the NBA? We’re going with Speedy

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the player with the best name in the league. Jesus Shuttlesworth is fictional, so he’s out. It’s not Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Zaza Pachulia or Hedo Turkoglu—it’s the Atlanta Hawk’s own Speedy Claxton. How cool of a name is that? It…

Indigenous branding: Whiskey Heaven

by Danny Altman and Pons Maar It isn’t created by branding companies, design firms, or ad agencies. Indigenous branding is something that is found off the beaten path, on dusty roads, in small towns and funky neighborhoods. It speaks to us because it is so far off the corporate track that passersby are completely disarmed…

Naming the pandemic: it’s a flu-id situation

We said yesterday that the name of the pandemic was becoming a political football. Well today, the ball is still in motion. President Obama opened yesterday’s press conference by calling it the H1N1 flu virus. I know he promised us a science-based administration, and maybe H1N1 could slide by as a name for a star…

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