Time Magazine tapped Catchword cofounder and executive creative director Maria Cypher to offer expert insights into the plus sign’s rise to power in brand names and beyond. From entertainment and social media (Disney+, Google+) to fashion (Foley + Corinna, Mizzen+Main) to plain old PB+J, the plus sign has supplanted the ampersand, “‘n,” and “and.”
“’The value of + is that it implies more, better, premium,’ explains Maria Cypher … , ‘without being specific as to content, scale, or degree of premium-ness.’ It suggests customers will be getting something extra without making it at all clear what that extra thing might be.”
And for a broader exploration of the appeal of “X and/&/+ Y” brands, check out this analysis by Alex Kelley, 10 reasons there are so many “X and Y” brand names these days.
