Not such a flat name

Chips are awesome. I love chips. Salty, crispy, with the fat fried right in. Rarely buy the baked variety, or anything reduced in fat. If I’m chippin’, I’m chunkin. That’s what I say. So you can just imagine my frustration when the entrance to the carb aisle at Kings was blocked by a sample table covered in, oh my goodness, BAKED VEGGIE CHIPS. Wholly healthy, batman! My first instinct was to egg the table and the cheery representative, grab the nearest bag of Fatitos, and make a run for the check-out. But then something caught my eye – the brand name: Flat Earth. Flat Earth? Yeah, Flat Earth – that’s pretty cool. I slowly put down my carton of extra large, inched toward the table with that “I’m not looking for a free lunch, I really am just curious” look, and sampled a few of the flat, earthly treats. Actually quite good. Course I’m not in the business of reviewing snacks, I’m in the naming business, and I thought this one was worth highlighting. I really love the way it communicates both the style of the chip (flats) and its healthful formulation (specifically, a 1/2 portion of fruits or vegies in every ounce, depending on the chip). Not easy to find a memorable way to tie those two messages together, but using the familiar flat earth theory is pretty effective. Seems “Earth” and every other term suggesting an organic, healthful product, has been used. Kudos to the folks at Flat Earth for finding and adopting a name for their brand that makes sense for the product, is distinct from other “Earth” names, and is also highly memorable.