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Shakespeare Is Alive and Well in Many Brands
As we discussed in an earlier blog, the reach of Shakespeare in our modern world is immense. Translated into over 80 languages worldwide and providing the English language hundreds of new words and phrases, it comes as no surprise that companies have hopped on the brand-wagon (see what we did there?) to capitalise on his good fortune and talent.
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For some companies, using a word or name related to the 16th-century writer, or even his name itself, can be an attempt to pander to a more intelligent or sophisticated audience. Some states in America have opted for Shakespeare as a town name, such as Shakespeare, New Mexico, a ghost town. Also notable is ShakesBeer, a beer festival held every year in Stratford, Connecticut (as opposed to Stratford, UK, the 16th-century author’s birthplace).
The use of Shakespearean characters is also extremely common. The moons of Uranus, for example, use a total of 19 characters; including Titania, Ariel, Puck, Miranda, and Oberon; for the 21 total moons. As you may recall, the name Oberon is also used in Star Wars as the personal starship for the Jedi Knight Jarat Shimell’elio. A popular washing powder brand also uses the name Ariel while Othello has been used for a board game, a brand of bathroom accessories, a brand of bedding, and so much more.
However, it is the neologisms, or newly coined words, of Shakespeare that often go unnoticed. These words fill our everyday speech and writing yet we seldom stop to thank the name himself for their existence.
Interceptor and Mountaineer, both types of vehicles by Jensen and Mercury respectively, have Shakespeare to thank for their appellations and occur in multiple works. Majestic Wine as well as Eventful, an online events discovery service, would have had different names if it weren’t for ol’ Shakespeare. “Majestic,” in fact, occurs in a total of ten different plays while “eventful” occurs in just one (As You Like It).
MasterCard has had a hugely fruitful campaign based on the word “priceless,” which is also a Shakespeare neologism and occurs just once in the Rape of Lucrece. The campaign was so successful that the credit card giant has developed Priceless into its own brand where online users can find fun experiences and attractions in various cities.
Expedia, the travel company, is known for allowing you to expedite your travel plans with the convenience of a single website. But, the creators of the brand would have been at a loss for the correct word had it not been for the neologism “expedience.”
Airless, assassination, frugal, manager, torturer, and transcendence have more in common than being created by Shakespeare; they’re also all names of films all over the world. The Shakespearean neologism “unreal” is also used in Hollywood as a popular American television program.
Of course, the scope of this blog post only covers a thin slice of the far reach that Shakespeare has had. Do you know of any brands named after his neologisms?
