Bon Appetaggio!

Seldom do I have more fun working on a naming project than I did on this one for Fiorucci. Fiorucci is basically a legend in the meat and cheese world — a virtual smorgasbord of fine Italian deli meats under a brand that’s been around for more than 160 years. Their products are deliciously authentic, exceptionally high quality and a perfect homage to their Roman namesake, the Fiorucci family.

As part of the Sigma family of brands, Fiorucci stands for flavor, passion and culinary creativity. As such, the brand’s latest snacking innovation needed a sophisticated, international-sounding name to match. The new products are fruit-infused cheeses wrapped in cured meats like prosciutto and salami, so the Sigma team challenged me to generate names that sound Italian and cue tempting flavor, but aren’t actual Italian words. They also wanted the name to make sense to English speakers since the products were launching in the U.S.

The winning name is Appetaggio™: a heavily Italian-influenced coined word that rolls off the tongue and is just downright fun to say. Visually, its two pairs of double letters complement the double-c in Fiorucci for a natural brand fit. The name originates from ‘appetite’ or ‘appetizer’ (a nod to snacking) + the suffix –aggio, which indicates the root verb of a noun. So basically, its own Americanized way, the name means ‘to have an appetite’ or ‘to snack’.

(Image credit: Fiorucci Foods)

Look for all four flavors of Appetaggio products, plus other Fiorucci favorites in a grocery store near you. And until then, arrivederci my friends.

Full Function, Faster.

Introducing Fullswift Mobile Physical Therapy: a new company, a fresh name, a standout positioning and a whole new approach to PT.

Fullswift is one of Boulder’s first and only full-time, mobile-only physiotherapy practices bringing expert treatment to your body and mind where you live, work and play. Translation: potential is everywhere, so Fullswift comes to you. Could this BE any more convenient? (said like Chandler from Friends).

Jesse Modica is the man behind the brand, and his wife Lisa lends her smarts to keep the company running smoothly. This literal “power couple” brought me on to build their brand from the ground up, starting with a full positioning exercise to reveal their unique truth: Fullswift believes that full functionality is the ultimate boss move. Then we moved on to naming, tagline, brand expression and a new website coming soon 🙂

In short: your optimal movement is Fullswift’s ultimate mission. Whether you’re a busy professional, a stay-at-home parent, a young athlete or anyone in between, they see everyone as a boss. Just say when, where, and be ready to put in the work, and Fullswift will get you back in driver’s seat of your health and happiness — on your terms and in your space — so you can get back on track like the boss you are.

I brought on the always talented Rachael Harp to create the new logo, look and feel for Fullswift, and she crushed it like some drunk dude’s beer can on his forehead. So, keep an eye out for “the boss van” riding around town like PT heroes and popping up at local events like Bike to Work day last month (see insta image above). And if you find yourself in need of some bodywork but lack the time to drive to an office, just remember that I know a guy.

In the Mood to Go Nude?

It’s here! It’s here! The new TrueTones collection from Pact has officially dropped and awaits your order on wearpact.com.

You see, throwing shade has never been Pact’s style. But complimenting (and complementing) your true shade? They’re all over it. Pact is about all about positivity, and I’m 100% positive you’re going to love these intimates sets made with 100% organic cotton and tinted with individuality. Shop six cuts of under-there underwear and a wear-anywhere padded bra in four shades that are barely there, yet boldly you.

Get your own TrueTones set (or three) right here. Collection naming and copywriting by me. Awesome photos and design by the in-house Pact creative team.

(Images from wearpact.com and @wearpact on Instagram)

New Year, New Name.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your holidays amounted to just the right amount of revelry and no broken bones…or equivalent…or worse. Now that we’re officially living the kind of clean slate that only January 1 can offer, it felt like the perfect day to get back at the ol’ blog. It’s an important duty that I’ve been neglecting not as the result of a slow season, but more of a hyperspeed one with precious little time for blogging. Regardless, I’ll be sharing oodles of new work in early 2019, so check back often to see the fruits of my last-year labor.

First up, it’s my urgent honor to introduce WellNow™ Urgent Care.

Previously known as 5-Star Urgent Care, this growing collection of national medical care centers now has a fresh look and a hardworking name to portray the brand’s differentiating benefit: wellness at the speed of your life. The brilliant strategy and design teams at Sterling-Rice Group were generous enough to bring me in to help with the naming, and I couldn’t be more pleased with where we ended up.

The name is descriptive and functional with a nice balance of personality. It’s approachable and invites you in to experience WellNow’s exceptional service, which promises not to let a trip to urgent care ruin your day. You get in, get better and get on your way…now. You like?

Gasp-worthy Grapes Are A’Growing.

Calling all fruit lovers, vineyard swooners and snackers with ‘grape expectations’. To the Concord crazies, the seedless fanatics and, heck, all the winos out there too. Allow me to introduce you to a brand-new brand of brand-new table grapes that’s bringing fresh shapes and tastes to this often forgotten fruit.

Bright Vines™, now appearing in produce aisles across the nation, are noticeably different breeds of grapes that will have you WOW!-ing all over the place. There’s “The Funny Yummy Grape” aka Sweet Sapphires® that are long like fingers and burst with sweet fruity flavor. Then there’s “The Juicy Burst Grape” aka Candy Dreams® that seriously taste like the love child of Welch’s grape jam and a juice-filled Gusher. There are also two more poppable crossbreeds that you’ll absolutely love to love. But before you start freaking out about what it took to grow them, rest assured: there’s no funny business here. All Bright Vines are all-natural, U.S.-grown and Non-GMO Project Verified. They’re just grapes meeting grapes to make new…well…grapes.

(photos from brightvines.com)

Bunches of thanks to the Sterling-Rice Group for letting me name and help position this unique and vibrant produce brand. The name evokes imagery of shimmering, sun-lit lands and fruitful acres while the bold, poppy logo rounds things out to create a brand born to stand out in the boring world of the same old reds and greens. Pluck yeah, baby!

I’m So ExciteEd! And I Just Can’t Hide It!

I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.

Introducing the new name and branding for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science‘s school and group programs: ExciteEd. This collection of educational programs literally could not be farther from boring lectures and lame-ass field trips. They’re lively experiences of learning, laughter and excitement in equal measure, which was the inspiration behind this fresh and energizing new name.

Within ExciteEd lives everything from guided field trip experiences and overnight adventures to mobile museums (think food trucks that serve exhilarating knowledge instead of tacos), the Virtual Science Academy and the best darn teacher professional development you could hope to earn your credits through.

Program and sub-program naming conventions by yours truly. So-good-it’s-stupid design and visual style created by Urban Canvas. This month’s favorite client kudos awarded to the Museum marketing team. You ladies rock my world.

(images courtesy of Urban Canvas)

We Are Market.

First, they went BOOM. Now, we are Market.

It is with great pride and passion that I announce the launch of a new brand and brokerage from my friends Todd, Heidi and Laura, formerly of BOOM Properties fame.

It all started with a name. This relentlessly hardworking team sought a name that would speak to their behind-the-scenes expertise in the Boulder-area marketplace. They are the workhorses. The sherpas. The powerhouse that keeps commercial real estate moving forward. We decided to let other brokers plaster their pretty faces on signs and benches, for we would represent more than a face. We would be the market itself. The name: Market Real Estate.

From there, I brought in the talented Rachael Harp to give Market a vivid, textural brand identity and style. Shortly to follow: the website, marketing collateral, property brochures, business cards and about a million and two other things that all had to challenge the conventions of commercial real estate.

We kept things simple on the web, making a point to make our points without too much fluff. Readers can uncover who we are and what we do with little searching required. The brand voice is pointed, direct and unashamed in its boldness, and same goes for brochures and property descriptions. Each one is a unique story that sells the space in a different way than other brokerages. It’s less about functional details (covered elsewhere) and more about a feeling—crafting something that’s actually fun to read. Wait…fun in commercial real estate? Yes. Hell freaking yes.

Check out the website to get a taste of the new brand (I even got to come up with a kickass URL: wearemarket.com). And if you live in Boulder, look for our new signage in front of available properties. Where there be yellow and teal, there be Market.

Snack on the Wild Side.

What started as Veggie-Go’s™ snacks has now grown into a bold new brand bursting with fresh flavor (and ideas). Ladies and gentlemen: Wildmade™.

Since veggies are no longer a part of every recipe, this awesomely organic, Boulder-based snack brand has fittingly evolved its name and branding to match. Veggie-Go’s strips and bites will still be available under the same name with a Wildmade tag, and the brand’s first fruit-only product (the first handcrafted fruit rolls made with nothing but real fruit) has officially hit shelves with three ridiculously delish flavors, the updated name/logo, and a tasty package I have to remind myself not to eat. Only what’s inside, Erin. Only what’s inside.

I was thrilled to take on the naming and copy for this project alongside the team at Sterling-Rice Group, as well as the va-va-vibrant website update with my buddies from Urban Canvas. So if you want to do your mouth a favor, head to your local grocer and snack into the unexpected. You’re one of the wild ones now.

Escape the Ordinary with Split Fresh Cut Gelato.

Behold a world beyond the bowl and far outside the waffle cone. Introducing Split™ Fresh Cut Gelato, a lusciously sweet getaway from the same old everyday. This fresh take on indulgence begins with ripe, hand-picked fruit from the sun-drenched Sundays River Valley of South Africa. There, long, hot days meet cool sea breezes to produce harvests so bountiful, their fruit is the stuff of legend. Split uses these fresh, simple ingredients to create craveably creamy, rich and flavorful gelato before hand-packing each scoop into real fruit shells for a naturally one-of-a-kind experience you can’t help but share.

Officially launched last week at Expo West, Split has been one of my all-time favorite brand naming projects. Massive thank you and mad respect to the creative powers that be at Sterling-Rice Group for having me along for the ride.

I had the chance to push my creativity in a plethora of ripe (pun intended) strategic directions, including escapism, South African cues, frozen indulgence and “sweet enough to share.” Split Fresh Cut won out in the end thanks to the product’s split-in-half fruit shell servings and the dual meaning of the word split: to escape + “fresh cut” as a new-to-the-category descriptor inspired by language commonly used for colorful, just-plucked flowers.

Sampling several flavors of Split during the naming process was definitely a perk, and my taste buds fell hard for this frozen treat. Stay tuned for updates on where to find Split on shelves near you, and thanks again to SRG for your partnership and mind-blowing design. You make Split look guuuuuuuuuud.

Beech-Nut Name Sighting

Lesson of the day: pleasant surprises come in pretty packages.

How I learned it: I was on an inspiration hunt for a current naming project and decided to hit the shelf-wealthy grocery store as one of my stops. As I snooped through the aisles, I happened upon a product that I had the pleasure to help name a couple of years ago as an agency partner to one of my all-time favorite Chicago clients.

Beech-Nut is a cool-kid brand of real food for babies™, and I was part of the charge to name their new snack lines as they branched out from jarred baby food. One of the products (the one I saw) is a bar made of puffed quinoa, which we named Quinoa Crispies™, and Beech-Nut’s Fruit + Veggie Melties™, Yogurt Melties™ and Cereal Puffs™ were also part of the project.

Gotta love it when you see a piece of work come to life so perfectly. The names are youthful, but not too childish. They portray taste appeal and ingredient integrity in equal measure. Plus, they look picture perfect on-shelf. You should totally try them if you’re at least 12 months old. #NailedIt #LifesABeechNut