BoMing out: how to navigate the art of naming

The BoM thing is hilarious.

Brands pay top dollar for the type of salience and social cache they’re desperately trying to distance themselves from. Weather event? Check the BoM. It’s part of the Australian way of life.

And even if they do complete the rebrand, there’s simply no way we’ll ‘check the Bureau’ when the rains are coming. Guys, you’re BoM. You always will be. Embrace it and move on.

Plus, nobody can spell bureau.

To make matters worse, the name change follows in the footsteps of big brands that went down a similar path chopping off important parts of their name. Some years ago, British Airways had a short-lived stint as British, minus the Airways. Even National Australia Bank (now NAB) was once known as The National. These things happen, and then tend to unhappen.

And, as is often the case when government organisations rebrand, the media has jumped on the cost of the BoM rebrand. Is $70k for 18 months of work outrageous? Would we be talking about it if people actually liked the end result?

This blunder got me thinking. There’s a delightful art to naming. More than just selecting a set of words, it’s a pursuit of an idea in its purest form. The chance to create something out of (seemingly) thin air that lives on and on and on and on.

Naming has always been a process I’ve enjoyed. And luckily in my line of work, I’ve got to name a few things. From phone apps and retirement businesses to gaming studios and airport lounges. Even my own son. Not that it’s easy by any stretch.

Doing it properly takes time. And a heap of brain power. Sometimes from different brains. But besides the grind, finding or creating a word that designates and uniquely describes a certain thing, and all the things that thing stands for is satisfying stuff.

The challenge of concision is thrilling. Even more so when all the good words are already taken. And they’re always already taken.

That’s just the contest you enter with naming. No use swimming in synonyms on thesaurus.com — they’re all gone. Used up by corporations, cafes, fashion brands, breweries, bars, retailers, and start-ups (always the start-ups).

So you’ve got to think creatively. Find new ways in. Spend time with acronyms. Create word combos until one sounds good. Play with word associations. Spell things differently. Make things up. Get a little weird. Dive into Latin. Explore Norse mythology. And when all else fails, look to the Greek gods (hello Nike). Do all that, and maybe — just maybe — you’ll land an idea for a name nobody else has had before. For a copywriter, that’s fulfilling, feel-good work.

But there’s another, more personal reason I enjoy it. There’s some ownership in naming something. Not in any real or practical sense of course. More in the way you can point to it much later on and say ‘yeah, I named that’. A mark in the world you’re proud to play a part in bringing to life. Like how developers look up at cities and point to the buildings they’ve built.

That matters to me. More so than just simply writing copy. Because, if you’re lucky, brand names can end up meaning something important to so many people. They’re places you’re proud to work. Products that make your life easier or signify a lifestyle that gives you purpose. Or a website we all instinctively turn to when the clouds go grey and the rain thunders down, and you want to know if the BBQ is still on for the arvo.

So, the question remains. Why has the BoM rebrand ruffled so many feathers?

Every name is polarising. Most are open to ridicule. Many of you will once have known an Alex you didn’t like and will struggle to forget that. Or it was the name of your goldfish who suffered an inglorious death. I get that.

For naming to be meaningful, it’s got to be natural. Inspired by everyday language, by how people talk and think. We already know their proper name is the Bureau of Meteorology, and yet we still call it BoM for a reason. Moving away from it to something that people don’t really say feels forced at best, and pretentious at worst. When it comes to an iconic, ubiquitous, Australian brand — that’s never a good thing.

And therein lies the art of naming.

Getting it right can feel impossible at times. There are so many elements you need to consider. So many hoops to jump. Barriers to cross. Aussies to impress.

But once you do, hold on to it for dear life.

Otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll BoM out.

Alex Moore is a Senior Writer at brand language shop XXVI.