History Main / AbsurdBrandName

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Series/SesameStreet'': One "Ernie and Bert" skit has Bert reading a book called ''Boring Stories''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In "[[Recap/ArthurS1E4DWsImaginaryFriendArthursLostLibraryBook D.W.'s Imaginary Friend]]", a carnival ride is called the "Hurl-a-Whirl" (parody of the common Tilt-a-Whirl, with the implication that you'll throw up afterwards).
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': When Grunkle Stan recounts his backstory he describes some of the corner-cutting business ventures he tried before devolving into full-blown conman. One of them was a knockoff Shamwow, called the "Sham Total", with the tagline "it's a total sham". Surprisingly people ''did'' actually buy it, but they chased him out of town once they realized the cheap dye he used created more messes than it cleaned. After that, he started selling easy-to-remove band-aids that he dubbed "The Ripoff", which [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial definitely won't give you rashes.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', a roller coaster seen primarily in Season 1 is named the Stomach Destroyer. Later seasons phased it out, possibly due to the unappealing name.
* ''WesternAnimation/TimeSquad'': One episode has the team visit the Earl of Sandwich as he invents his namesake dish, only he wants to call it Stinky Pile of Poo; it was his mother's maiden name.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'', the company is planning to unveil a new product, but are having a devil of a time finding a name for the product that isn't already trademarked, and thus are forced to trademark the name "Gruntmaster".

* ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'': The Maroon Cartoon [[ShowWithinAShow "Something's Cookin'"]] features an [[AcmeProducts Acme]] Suck-O-Lux vacuum cleaner as a prop in a slapstick gag.
** There's also a Hotternell oven.

** {{Subverted|Trope}} in "[[Recap/FuturamaS2E15TheProblemWithPopplers The Problem with Popplers]]", when Bender wants to name the new foodstuff "tasticles" (because they're tasty) but everyone else vetoes it because [[BaitAndSwitch it sounds too much like something else...namely a brand of]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_oysters Rocky Mountain oysters.]]

In RealLife, brand and store chain names are generally the product of expensive research to find something that is both memorable and has positive connotations to prospective buyers. In fiction, these are often used to color the reader's perception of the world or the company marketing it or make a joke. So they may have names that are sinister, blatantly cold and corporate, or funny in a way no company would want their product names to be. Can also involve FunWithAcronyms if it spells out something funny or ridiculous, or TheProblemWithPenIsland if it's easy to mispronounce in a funny or lewd way. Or InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike, when a brand name that's fine in one language creates problems cross-culturally.

'''NOTE:''' The RealLife section should only have examples where this was ''intentionally'' invoked as a gimmick. As [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_blunder the article on Wikipedia]] shows, there are far too many inadvertent examples to list and whether a brand name is bad is often in the eye of the beholder.

May involve a DoubleEntendre or InherentlyFunnyWords. See also IntentionallyAwkwardTitle, which isn't so much absurd as inappropriate for polite company.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHOP IHOP]], the International House of Pancakes, announced in June 2018 they were changing their name to IHOb (International House of Burgers, which while not absurd without context, the fact that they are way more famous for breakfast makes it so), leaving the internet flabbergasted and slightly enraged. While using the name for marketing, the signs stayed the same for six months before they flat out said that yes, this was a promotional stunt to get people to buy their burgers.

[[folder:Fan Fic]]

[[folder:Comic Book]]

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': Hermione makes an organisation called the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, but [[EmbarrassingInitials that abbreviates to SPEW]].

In RealLife, brand and store chain names are generally the product of expensive research to find something that is both memorable and has positive connotations to prospective buyers. In fiction, these are often used to color the reader's perception of the world or the company marketing it, or make a joke. So they may have names that are sinister, blatantly cold and corporate, or funny in a way no company would want their product names to be. Can also involve FunWithAcronyms if it spells out something funny or ridiculous, or TheProblemWithPenIsland if it's easy to mispronounce in a funny or lewd way. Or InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike, when a brand name that's fine in one language creates problems cross-culturally.

Note that this can apply to things that are not strictly brands, but which may use their name to "sell" themselves, such as the names of dishes at a restaurant, a charitable organization or political cause.

* The 25th anniversary special of ComicBook/{{Superlopez}} introduces a restaurant known as the "Salmo-Nella Ristorante". It is not clarified whether this was deliberate on the owners' part, but it is not entirely out of the question, as the restaurant was set up as a front by several members of Super's RoguesGallery; yet, judging by a remark by Lady Araña, the business seems to be going surprisingly well.

* ''WebVideo/{{Caddicarus}}'' features a gag in the episode where Caddy covers a series of game reviews from the 1990s that have been re-named to "Series/GamingInTheClintonYears" where he says the acronym, "GITCY", sounds like a "Russian fizzy drink".
--> '''Caddy:''' ''(speaking with a Russian accent)'' Gitcy: it's good for your spleen!

** {{Subverted|Trope}} in "[[Recap/FuturamaS2E15TheProblemWithPopplers The Problem with Popplers]]", when Bender wants to name the new foodstuff "tasticles" (because they're tasty) but everyone else vetoes it because [[BaitAndSwitch it sounds too much like something else... namely a brand of]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_oysters Rocky Mountain oysters.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': When Grunkle Stan recounts his backstory he describes some of the corner cutting business ventures he tried before devolving into full blown conman. One of them was a knockoff Shamwow, called the "Sham Total", with the tagline "it's a total sham". Surprisingly people ''did'' actually buy it, but they chased him out of town once they realized the cheap dye he used created more messes than it cleaned. After that he started selling easy to remove band-aids that he dubbed "The Ripoff", which [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial definitely won't give you rashes.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': The episode "Roller Cowards" has [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick attempt to [[BraveTheRidePlot gain enough guts to ride a new roller coaster at Glove World]]. Said coaster is called the Fiery Fist O' Pain, which the advertising of does not shy away from how much it lives up to its name:

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_Soda OK Soda]] was an invoked case of this by Coca-cola, an attempt to connect with Generation X's perceived cynicism and disillusionment. It sported intentionally terrible marketing slogans and art on the cans. It utterly flopped, never making it out of the test market phase.

* ''WebVideo/{{Caddicarus}}'' features a gag in the episode where Caddy covers a series of game reviews from the 1990s that have been re-named to "Gaming in the Clinton Years" where he says the acronym, "GITCY", sounds like a "Russian fizzy drink".

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': Hermione makes an organisation called the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, but [[EmbarrassingInitials that abbreviates to SPEW]].

In RealLife, brand and store chain names are generally the product of expensive research to find something that is both memorable and has positive connotations to prospective buyers. In fiction, these are often used to color the reader's perception of the world or the company marketing it, or make a joke. So they may have names that are sinister, blatantly cold and corporate, or funny in a way no company would want their product names to be. Can also involve FunWithAcronyms if it spells out something funny or ridiculous, or TheProblemWithPenIsland if it's easy to mispronounce in a funny or lewd way.

** {{Subverted|Trope}} in "[[Recap/FuturamaS2E15TheProblemWithPopplers The Problem with Popplers]]", when Bender wants to name the new foodstuff "tasticles" (because they're tasty) but everyone else vetoes it because [[BaitAndSwitch it sounds too much like something else... namely a brand of oysters.]]

* Spoofed in ''VideoGame/SeventySevenPEggwife'', a "crass and disgusting" (per the developer's words) FPS parody, with obscene, disgusting fictional parodies for real-life brands. Notably, there's a Toblerone parody called Chocolatobober, and a Tesco expy called '''Piss'''co.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheMiddleman'' featured an energy drink whose name was TheUnpronouncable, known as "''''!!!!''''", which characters pronounced by doing jazz hands, stomping, and making an enthusiastic face.
* An iconic ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit involved a pair of Creator/{{NPR}} hosts commenting on some confectioneries brought on by a baker. The baker's name was Pete Schweddy, and the food? Schweddy Balls.
* ''Series/PeepShow'': Jeremy and Super Hans are opening a pub, and want to stand out over the generic pubs in the area, but Jeremy is not enthusiastic about Super Hans' suggestion of "Free The Paedophiles" as a name for the pub.
* ''Series/SesameStreet'': One "Ernie and Bert" skit has Bert reading a book called ''Boring Stories''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': There are many brands that make you wonder what the marketing department was smoking. Examples include a sleep med called [=ComaDoze=], the mobile medical service [=DocWagon=], and the Stuffer Shack convenience store chain.

[[/folder]]