# Unfortunate/worst branding ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383 "2008-11-18T23:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/21 "2008-11-19T05:20:19Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [Some really unfortunate logos.](http://www.oddee.com/item_86090.aspx) First FedEx, now the Vonage logo, thanks a bunch pal. Now I’ll see that every time. My contribution. Who names their brand Nunn Bush? Won’t anyone think of the other possible meaning? ETA we’ve seen [powergenitalia.com](http://powergenitalia.com) but no one mentioned [whorepresents.com](http://whorepresents.com). ETA2 and [penisland.com](http://penisland.com) ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/22 "2008-11-19T05:29:31Z")
There was a recent (Last Week) commercial for Sun Trust Bank. It talks about how it is a real bank, blah blah blah. How you can bank “solid” with them. The Commercial talks about how it is “solid”. A few days ago, if not yesterday. I saw that Sun Trust is now asking for bail out money. Then again, Jay Leno pointed out, [Wachovia should not be showering their customers with money](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMCk2Prfbiw) and still ask for bail out money. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Armageddon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mister\_Armageddon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Armageddon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/23 "2008-11-19T05:59:57Z")
[This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJn6WVOZaqQ) ad for Pepsi is horrible all around, but the “Brown and Bubbly” tag line takes it to a whole new level. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/24 "2008-11-19T15:04:48Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > [Sambo’s](http://www.cnn.com/US/9801/28/sambo.revival/) > > Wasn’t a great idea to start with, but trying to revive it was even worse. Hey! I’m hoping to bring back Coon’s Chicken! (Imagine my surprise upon finding they didn’t make that up in GHOST WORLD.) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/25 "2008-11-19T15:21:28Z")
Since Minnesota was a blue state it was probably unfortunate that this guy’s place [Maverick’s](http://www.maverickswoodgrill.com/) looked like a hangout for McCain/Palin supporters. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/26 "2008-11-19T15:38:21Z")
Well, Alka-Seltzer used to have a television jingle based around the refrain “Plop plop, fizz fizz – oh, what a relief it is!”, which us kids in the 1970s had a lot of fun singing to serenade people on their way to the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/27 "2008-11-19T15:39:33Z")
From another thread…Hummer. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/28 "2008-11-19T16:31:10Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > [This](http://tbn0.google.com/hosted/images/c?q=5aea351291dbf440_large)wasn’t ill-conceived to begin with but because of later events it never became the most marketable of brands. This company existed in Dublin until the 1960s. [Mengele](http://www.mengele.co.uk) still makes tractors. You’d think they’d change the name, but I guess name recognition can’t be beat. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/29 "2008-11-19T16:55:07Z")
We shouldn’t forget El Paso Natural Gas. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/30 "2008-11-19T17:16:28Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > From another thread…Hummer. 😕 A restaurant has in town has a sandwich called the hummer. I hate saying “Yes, I’ll have a hummer.” ETA, here’s the menu description > [@](#): > > Hummer $8.25 > Don’t ask. The sandwich precedes the definition and we’re not changing it. Italian sausage patty, sauce, onions, green peppers and melted mozzarella. BTW I recommend it if you ever get to Milwaukee. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/31 "2008-11-19T17:17:00Z")
I always thought **Siemens** was a terrible corporate name; evidently, they don’t. Also the **DiC** television production company would end their broadcasts with a very young child’s voice simply stating “Dic(k)”. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/32 "2008-11-19T17:20:11Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > Also the **DiC** television production company would end their broadcasts with a very young child’s voice simply stating “Dic(k)”. Yeah, but it was pronounced more like Deek. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/33 "2008-11-19T18:12:31Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > A restaurant has in town has a sandwich called the hummer. I hate saying “Yes, I’ll have a hummer.” Why? I could understand it if you were serving them up, but ordering one? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/34 "2008-11-19T18:54:58Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > Another vote for Ayds diet candies. I remember the TV commercials from 1979 in the UK. > > I have a photo of an outdoor ad for a food called a “faggot”. It’s evidently some kind of meatball. The company was “Brains”. In big letters it says: > > “It takes Brains to make faggots so full of pork!” I should have known better than to read a thread like this during lunch. [cleans keyboard] ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/35 "2008-11-19T19:09:22Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > Yeah, but it was pronounced more like Deek. Still cracked me up every time. It’s a little European kid! ---
**Author:** ![Whiteknight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whiteknight/32/4962_2.png) [@Whiteknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiteknight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/36 "2008-11-19T19:15:29Z")
The Buick Lacrosse? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/37 "2008-11-19T19:34:01Z")
“[Onan](http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861634922)” was pretty unfortunate branding to start with – [it didn’t help much when they merged with Cummins](http://www.cumminsonan.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/38 "2008-11-19T19:40:29Z")
I offer the example of [Darlie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie)toothpaste. It was originally called “Darkie”, a name that was probably OK in Taiwan until the manufacturer was bought by Colgate-Palmolive. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/39 "2008-11-19T19:59:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > now the Vonage logo, Where is the reference to Vonage on the linked page? -Kris ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383/40 "2008-11-19T20:00:20Z")
> [@Whiteknight](#): > > The Buick Lacrosse? I have a friend that lives in [Masturbate, WI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaCrosse,_WI), I still remind her of it from time to time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-worst-branding-ever/473383.md?page=3)