A tool that is never referenced in marketing textbooks, but that is used in approximately 20% of branding and advertising strategies is “polysemy” (literally, “multiple meanings”), more commonly known as wordplay. In this post will focus on wordplay in brand names, although it is an important issue in the context of slogans and advertising content as well (these will be addressed in later posts). Once again, this linguistic technique is effective because it motivates the consumer to engage in additional processing of the brand name, making it much more likely that the consumer will remember the name. Many will also appreciate the nuances of the branding strategy, associating positive affect with brand. Many very well known brand names utilize wordplay, and while not necessarily all consumers will consciously process the wordplay, the strategy often works on a subconscious level. A good example is the sandwich franchise Subway. In one sense, it refers to submarine sandwiches, while in another it refers to an underground train. Examining the subway logo, notice that arrows going either way imply a subway, and in fact suggest that the depiction of the word “Subway” itself is an abstract representation of a subway. Note also that these meanings are also reflected their business model, as the sandwiches are made in an assembly-line process, suggesting a subway with stops at many different stations.

Other wordplay tactics are much more noticeable.  "Spellbound" is a movie about competitors in a spelling bee. Men’s Wearhouse is an interesting example because one read of the brand name imparts both meanings. That is, the consumer will process the meaning of “a men’s clothing warehouse”, indicated by the word “wear” and the implied meaning, “warehouse.”

Wordplay is also used in the branding strategies of television programs. One quite clever example is the early morning news program on the CNN Headline News channel, Robin & Company. The program is hosted by Robin Meade, and implies 1) the name of a company with the common “& Company” suffix, as well as 2) “Robin and the people who keep her company” (as depicted in the banner).

                             

Here are some additional examples:

            




                               






                


                

                           








             

                  

Please note that Spotrunner is a television advertising agency, Get Real is an organic food company, MeetWithApproval.com provides web meeting technology, Sleep On It is a mattress retailer, Jumpstart Automotive Media is an advertising network company for the automotive industry, AnyWhey is a protein powder that can be mixed with food, HeadOn is a pain reliever that is applied to the head, The Ugly Mug is a coffee shop, Eventful.com is a site that promotes events such as concerts, politcal speakers, religious conventions, etc., and Far Fetched is an Asian import company.

Finally, notice the wordplay in the title of this post. "Branding Wordplay" has a more noticeable meaning of "wordplay in a branding context." However, perhaps a less obvious connotation is "taking wordplay and branding it."