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| Father and daughter welcome new baby |
Artists, Small business owners and entrepreneurs are getting hoarse trying to
hawk their wares in an overcrowded marketplace. As they vie for attention,
their petulance is showing up in ads, and in their names.
“Angry Orchard” is a new brand of apple juice “with
a bite!” If that isn’t feisty and in your face, I don’t know what is? Let’s
hope their bark is as good as their bite.
“Wild Dolphin” is a start up company that is
capitalizing on the sugar and citrus products grown nearby to make rum. It’s a
perfect fit. Tours and samples lure customers to taste and see if this isn’t
the best rum made anywhere!
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| "Does this hat make me look fat?" 11 x 14 pencil drawing |
“The Purple Dragon” capitalizes on Mahjongg lovers in
the area who want to make new friends and play the game they love. Of course, Chinese
Dragon’s, especially purple ones, create a fun environment where winning is not
only based on skill, but the luck of the draw.
Names do make a difference. The title of a book
certainly attracts attention. And yet fine artists seem reticent to name their
paintings preferring that the viewer draw their own conclusions. The thinking is
that the artist doesn’t want to influence a viewer’s perception or imagination.
Whether this is a good practice or not is still being debated on social media.
Personally, I enjoy knowing what an artist has used
as a title. I try to envision what he or she had in mind when they created the
piece. Sometimes I see their vision and sometimes I don’t, but it doesn’t stop
me from looking and wondering.
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| "I Stand on the Brink" 8 x 10 pencil drawing |
I also enjoy letting my own fantasy run wild through
the forms, shapes, and colors on a canvas. If done well, the painting will lead
me through a labyrinth of contrast and values that are interesting and
exciting. In my opinion, a title just gives the viewer a nudge and a head
start.
Search engines find your blog titles much easier if
they have some length and substance to them. Understanding “catch words” and
trends can help bolster your topics. Words in headings that have fire, sex,
red, wild, or sizzle seem to attract readers. Hit songs with fire in their
title have become instant hits. However, overuse of any hot word or phrase
becomes old and tired in a twinkling on the web.
It’s fun to create catchy titles. Sometimes the
titles I create actually give me an idea for a future painting or a themed
series. In your spare time write down those catchy titles and save them. See if
they don’t become a springboard for creation.
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| "Guess Whoooo?" 8 x 10 pencil drawing |
What an interesting blog post, Carole! It resonates with something I was thinking about twitter the other day. Almost everyone is trying to sell something and some of the names are very clever/catchy/memorable. But in the vast ocean of names on the internet, I started to wonder whether it really matters at all. There are just so many names out there, I think I just tune out these days and I suspect I'm not alone!
ReplyDeleteThere must be something to it because advertisers spend millions trying to devise a name or at least an identity. I use them for my own personal reasons. A good title propels my article or blog. It also adds to my creative spark. Good to hear from you, Judy! Your business seems to be booming.
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