It cures heartburn or ass pain?

Last night I saw a commercial for a poorly named product. It was called Aciphex. Say that in your head a couple times then say it aloud. Aciphex. Now think to yourself what this product would be used for.

My question to marketers is this: When you develop a name for a product, do you do some research about how people perceive the potential name(s) of said product?

Of course, my immediate reaction to the product Aciphex was boisterous laughter. It sounded too much like "Asseffects" to me from the living room-adjacent dining room and that is not good marketing but it's good for a laugh.



See how one could become confused with an utterly ridiculous product name like Aciphex (Asseffects)? My suggestion for anyone - cottage industries to Fortune 500 conglomerates - is to rigorously evaluate product names with a wide swath of the population because based on the YouTube comments for this commercial I am definitely not alone in finding the name both hilarious and tragic. Sure, when it's neatly spelled out it becomes clear that Aciphex is for relief of acid reflux or indigestion but when the name is just spoken it sounds like just another solution for ass-related problems.

And if you like bad products - check out some of my own real-life variations from last year.

Yep, while things here take a dive towards juvenile humor, MinnPics keeps it classy with a wide variety of Minnesota photos updated daily - check it out now!