Do product names sometimes make you not want to buy something?

Off topic: Arbor mist is probably the trashiest-not-actually-wine out there and I have to hide my love of it from friends who prefer “real wine”. But every anniversary or birthday or celebration, my boyfriend doesn’t say anything when I get a bottle. I sometimes suspect this is because he doesn’t drink and accordingly doesn’t know to be a snob about my trashy wine, but I don’t care because I love it!

Oh! Oh! Next time, try some Bandit wine!! Comes in a box, totally delicious, good for the environment (see: comes in a box), and you’ve got Bandits! The perfect beginning for any ridiculous romance novel!

“Mushy Processed Peas.” Yes, that is the real name of the product. Yes, it comes in a can with the serving suggestion “Serve chilled.” No, it does not sound remotely appetizing. Yes, we bought it just for shits and giggles, but I can’t imagine anyone actually buying it to eat.

@Empress: Exactly. Everything about the wine seemed trashy to me, which is why it reminded me of trashy romance novels. Hehe. :D I don’t know much about wine to begin with, but you can just tell it doesn’t really… Belong. Haha! That said, I’ve never had it but you need not feel ashamed – I know quite a few people who like it very much, who also happen to enjoy more “sophisticated wine”. Snobs, indeed. If it tastes good, drink it. :)

@omfg: That is such a perfect answer. And so, so disgusting.

Something rings very wrong whenever I hear Tofurkey

Any kind of stupid name does it for me. These days, it’s mostly the increasingly absurd names they come up with for new medicines. ‘Flexeril’ for a muscle relaxant, and the like. I do believe they’ve run out of normal names and soon we’ll see ‘Feelgooderall’.

I’m afraid I have bought any number of wines for the label and the name. My current favorite in this category is Smoking Loon, which I first bought just because I’m a loon lover. I’ve made some perfectly horrid mistakes in this category, but some other picks have been surprisingly good (though never more than that).

But as for names that are a turnoff—yes, anything that is too overtly manipulative or cutesy I will avoid just because it pleases me to turn up my snobbish nose at it. I don’t like names that try to tell me how cool or happy or lucky I will be if I use the product, and I especially don’t like names that mangle spelling (lite, kool, e-z, kwik, etc.) or that contain ‘n’’ for and (as in kwik’n’e-z).

First of all – Arbor Mist???? Really????

Maybe I’m just a wine snob… : /

But yeah, product names (in wine and other things) is pretty important, as well as appearance and brand familiarity. It’s a psychological thing.

and @ Jeruba: AGREED ON THE MISPELLINGS. I would rather go to a “Quick-and-Go” than a “Kwik-n-Go”.

How about Butt Paste?

Ha ha!! Doesn’t that name make you just want to run right out and get some while supplies last?

And speaking of cheap wines.. there is Fat Bastard which really sounds eloquent, don’t you think?

I’d probably buy Fat Bastard wine just because it’s funny! Hmmm, I feel a new collection coming on…(just what I need).

I bet that’s what they were thinking when they came up with the name. It’s not very good. I bought it for the novelty label too. It’s on the shelf right next to my empty bottle of Bare Foot. I bought that when I was working for the foot doctor as a joke.

Hey hey, I actually don’t mind Fat Bastard! Two Buck Chuck is way more legit though.

@scamp, I’ve actually had some Barefoot cabernet that was better than $25 stuff. And for a while there, I was seeing some $4.50 bargains on Barefoot chardonnay that were worth relaxing my standards for.

I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I didn’t care much for either of the two I mentioned. I guess it’s a matter of individual taste. Maybe I’ll try the chardonnay and see it I like it better. Thanks for the suggestion!

But I wouldn’t, uh, order it in a restaurant. Even if I could. Which I probably couldn’t. It’s more for, like, swilling, you know?

It’s more for laying down and avoiding.

</monty python reference>

Yep! I know what you mean.

I think all those Ad people in Manhattan spend their days coming up with cleaver names of things to get us to buy mediocre products that we don’t really need (or want!).
I have bought both wines and beer because of their cleaver names & pretty labels.
I love Philosophy’s product line names, and Benefit’s—who could resist an acne cleanser called “On a Clear Day” or a face powder called “Kitten Goes to Paris”?!

@ Dorkgirl Please know I am just playing and not being a fluther spelling cop (annoying). I hope you take this with a sense of humor because I just couldn’t resist saying… I got this once because of it’s cleaver name.

Please laugh! I’m only kidding with you!!

I have bought jeans before because I liked the name on the pocket; “Sweet Fanny Adams.” My neice used to buy a hair spray called “Hard as a Rock.” I love Wasatch Beer Company’s party box, with their clever names like “Polygamy Porter”, “Chasing Tail”, “Provo Girl.” But seriously, their best ever beer in the box is their Apricot Heffy, which doesn’t need a cute name to be delicious.

@Dorkgirl — yes, and the fact that those clever names do work, at least once, is why they’re still there, doing their eloquent best. So much so that when I saw this question I thought, “Yes. Have you ever bought something because of the name and regretted it? Didn’t it make you feel tricked?”

“Butt Paste.” I saw that! They say it works!

I envision marketing my line of aromatic bath salts in recovered wine bottles, under the name, “My Favorite Whine.”