What's your technique when coming up with a fictional brand?

[L.V.]

How do you come up with a name that doesn't sound silly or distracting and do you use a trademark checker to make sure it's not taken? I found googling just about anything gives you results, whether they're domain names, user nicknames etc.

thanks!

[Chad]

I like using brand names that are silly and lead to a joke. Forebucks Coffee (because that's what a small costs). Rapier Bunz Prison. Rod Gunn's Rod and Gun Club etc.

[Martin]

I use actual brand names where ever I can. It makes it real for the readers. There is a "Fair Use" thresh hold and I never use brand name in a negative light.

[L.V.]

Forebucks - lol. That reminds me of the Lego Movie, "That'll be $37" ... "Awesome!"

In my case I'd like it to not be a joke thought. "Cool Camera 01" sounds like I'm taking the michael.

[L.V.]

Martin, I just saw on your profile you are a photographer. Do you ever use camera names in your writing if it's more than just mentioned in passing?

[Chad]

Probe Shot 360. Shutter Bug X-2. Use them if you wanna.

[L.V.]

Thanks Chad those sound cool actually! Do you run stuff by some sort of trademark check at all?

[Chad]

Just Google.

[L.V.]

www.shutterbug.com
pants :(

[[deleted user]]

I'm with Martin on this one. I use real brands if I think they might have survived into the future I write in, or I make up a real-sounding name, relying on fair-use. But if I am going to say anything negative about the product, then I use a made-up name.

[L.V.]

To be honest that's the same reason why I've been using real ones so far, but some of the articles I've read keep putting me off.

[Ian]

Most of my writing is far future so current brands wouldn't even exist. For a fairly near future novel I've only used a couple of brand names, both invented. I try to come up with something in keeping with similar real brands, as if I was forming my own company or selling my own product, then Google to check I'm not treading on any big toes.

[Ian]

Chad wrote: "I like using brand names that are silly and lead to a joke. Forebucks Coffee (because that's what a small costs). Rapier Bunz Prison. Rod Gunn's Rod and Gun Club etc."

That kind of thing works for humorous writing. I had something similar in a tongue-in-cheek scene woven into a non-fiction work - Timbucks :)

[Michael]

i think it's okay to use some brand names, not excessively because it seems to turn readers off sometimes. however, it's a bit fun to make up your own, or not even mentioning the brand name, just leave it to the reader to place a label on it. i think it can go either which way, just don't throw any real brands into a negative light. then it's probably treading on thin ice sorta scenario

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

L.V. wrote: "How do you come up with a name that doesn't sound silly or distracting and do you use a trademark checker to make sure it's not taken?"

I do a lot of making up names for stores and products. I don't worry about silly. Why? Because many real product names sound a bit silly, anyway. Willy Wonka, Spam, S.O.S. Pads, Close Up, Happy Joe's, International House of Pancakes, Aqua Net, Aunt Jamima, Geico... try and go too straight and it sounds too fake.

Distracting... I don't know what will distract the reader and what will not. I suppose if your character is going on a cruise and you call the cruise line Pacific Sunset Cruise Lines it isn't terribly distracting, but if you call it Bouncing Betty's Big Boat of Bodacious Babes... yeah, maybe.

Google for results, like you said. Look at a few pages of the images that come up. If So-Brite does not bring up images of tubes of toothpaste or laundry bleach, use it. (And I just Googled it out of curiosity and found some kind of novelty baseball and stupid photos of Miley Cyrus -- said as if there are any other kind).

[L.V.]

Sos Pads? ... Now where's my Time Turner, I need to go back to before I saw that Cyrus photo or I'll have nightmares. My fault for being nosey.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

[Martin]

L.V. wrote: "Martin, I just saw on your profile you are a photographer. Do you ever use camera names in your writing if it's more than just mentioned in passing?"

I do use brand names for things like that. I would call in a camera a Nikon, or a car a Buick, or a cookie an Oreo, or a gun a Glock.

[Gippy]

My branding was quite easy "Crimes of Power & Victimization". For many decades, I have read, watched, and studied crime. Always as an advocate for the vulnerable. I had no problems with branding. I'm now back in college in my later years for a BS in Criminal Justice, published my first suspense/mystery/crime novel, while working on my second. It's a passion. I think if one has a passion for anything, it will work because you can't let it go.

[Chad]

I realize that Shutterbug is a website for photographers. But if its not actually a brand name for a camera, you can slap a model number after it and use it as much. Shutterbug X-2. I like Probe Shot 360 better anyway. Their slogan can be "Voyeurism at its finest!"

[L.V.]

I actually thought SOS Pads was something else, phew...

Martin, the problem is that my Nikon plays a role in the series and this article says if I do that, I have to come up with my own, even if not shown negatively.
Out of interest, what kind of disclaimers do you use?

[Martin]

Martin, the problem is that my Nikon plays a role in the series and this article says if I do that, I have to come up with my own, even if not shown negatively.
Out of interest, what kind of disclaimers do you use? ."

This is my only disclaimer: "This is a work of Fiction. All Characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental."

My lawyer says with trademarked brands you really only need worry about "Infringement" and "Detrimental Light" are the terms he used.

The first being I can't manufacture a camera and name it NIKON. The second being you can't in your story say "This NIKON sucks, it never works, no one should every buy this."

Oddly you can quote someone else that has said it if you have proper attribution.

In your case, a Nikon as a character, I'd make up a name.

YMMV

[Martin]

By the way, I was talking to my lawyer about these topics because I wanted to include a scene where one of my characters was on stage singing Stairway to Heaven.

That case was NOT fair use and if I wanted to use it I would have to obtain official permission which would not be impossible, just prohibitively expensive.

[Martin]

Nokin would be a good name. Just sayin...

[L.V.]

I'm surprised about Stairway to Heaven, I thought song titles/artist name is fine. Unless you were quoting lyrics?

Oh and sorry, Nikon is not an actual character, it's just the camera is an important object. Ha, I also wondered if I could just spell it backwards, but wasn't sure if that would still be ok, since it's obvious?
thanks

[Shari]

I occasionally use brand names but mostly I don't. I think it's okay as long as it isn't too frequent and you're not being negative about a brand.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Chad wrote: "Rod Gunn's Rod and Gun Club "

Shoot. This is only for folks who carry rods and guns? I carry a club. Could it be Rod Gunn's Rod, Gun and Club Club?

[Martin]

L.V. wrote: "I'm surprised about Stairway to Heaven, I thought song titles/artist name is fine. Unless you were quoting lyrics?"

I was quoting a large percentage of the lyrics. I was "beyond threshold".

[K.C.]

I like to use humor and try to play with existing brand names that folks recognize, thus the reader will catch on quicker, as far as what kind of product and quality I'm aiming for.

[L.V.]

Any idea if you can discuss lyrics content, without actually quoting them?

[Rachael]

Most of the brand names I come up with are satirical, so they're allowed to be a bit silly. I especially love coming up with corny taglines.