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International food retailer Ahold (parent of Giant Food and Stop & Shop) wanted names for all of their U.S. supermarkets’ private-label sodas that cheekily recalled (and thus challenged) the brand establishment. We peppered Dr. Bob with a pinch of you-know-who, and made Quist sound as crisp as the lemon-lime behemoth. To date, we’ve created over 20 feisty challenger-brand names for Ahold.

Christopher Michael Brands engaged Catchword to develop names for several of its new delicious adult beverages. The first was a hard soda made with a proprietary vodka, classically filtered with activated charcoal, mixed with carbonated water, fruit zest, and just enough cane sugar (only 1 gram) to wake up a smile. With no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial sweeteners, this refresher is as light (only 100 calories!), fresh, and natural as a summer breeze. Beach St. is making waves. 

When Kellogg’s approached Catchword to name its exciting new Cheez-It snack food, we immediately requested samples. You know, for creative inspiration. Possessing the same wonderful crispiness of the original Cheez-It but with a new curvy form factor, this snack was just as munchable, bingeable, and delicious as we expected. We developed more than 1,600 names for the product, including Snapz. After determining that Snapz had a less than ideal trademark profile, Kellogg’s adopted a variation, Snap’d, retaining the same associations with a crunchy, crispy mouthfeel and establishing a new and distinctive name style for the Cheez-It brand.  

When Malt-O-Meal asked us to name their new cinnamon-sugar whole grain cereal, we were tempted to accept payment in product (we love cereal!). The food name needed to suggest an economical alternative to their key competitor, General Mills’ Cinnamon Toast Crunch. With Cinnamon Toasters, we leveraged the Malt-O-Meal brand’s lovability, and communicated a warmer, friendlier, more accessible (read “affordable”) product.

International food retailer Ahold (parent of Giant Food and Stop & Shop) wanted names for all of their U.S. supermarkets’ private-label sodas that cheekily recalled (and thus challenged) the brand establishment. We peppered Dr. Bob with a pinch of you-know-who, and made Quist sound as crisp as the lemon-lime behemoth. To date, we’ve created over 20 feisty challenger-brand names for Ahold.

What do you call a super-creamy, super-premium ice cream with unique flavor combinations and a yum factor almost beyond description? That was the question put to us by Dreyer’s when we were tasked with naming their decadent new line of ice creams. Many names later, Dreyer’s had their answer. And ice cream lovers had their dream come true. We just wish the project had lasted long enough for some extended, um, field research.

Dunkin’ engaged Catchword to name several new food and drink menu items. The first was a flaky croissant with savory favorites like cheese and bacon baked right inside. Folks on the go don’t have time to guess what a menu item is, especially while rushing to work or school or looking for a satisfying snack. Croissant Stuffers immediately lets you know you’re in for some hot, savory goodness. Dunkin’ rolled out the sandwich in select markets in the South in late 2019, and we hear the Chicken, Bacon & Cheese is the fan favorite. 

Eaux Vives wanted a name for their bottled water that suggested purity and stood out from their French and Italian competitors. We went straight to the water’s source for inspiration: a stream filtered by a glacial esker in the northern reaches of Quebec. The coined Eska sounds crisp and refreshing, and also vaguely Scandinavian (with all the cool associations that implies).

Catchword was tasked with developing a private label name for Lucky/Albertsons. The name needed to encompass a broad range of household products (everything from batteries to coffee filters). Homelife did just that. It also dovetailed with the company’s tagline at the time, “Helping make your life easier.”

Unlike most of the leading blended iced coffee drinks, Peet’s Coffee’s new line would be hand-made with freshly brewed East African roasts. The company had spent a year conducting research and optimizing recipes, and Catchword set out to develop a name with equal rigor (though quite a bit faster). Peet’s and Catchword agreed the name should convey the premium quality, flavor, and exhilaration of these icy refreshments, as well as Peet’s unique personality and unwavering commitment to freshness. The name Javiva was made to order. Long live freshly brewed java!

The Javiva line launched in March 2015 to rave reviews. And by June of 2015, the beverage had outperformed Peet’s previous blended drink by 67 percent in sales.

McDonald’s needed a name for their new chicken sandwich (and a bunch of other cool menu items). The new name had to be upscale enough to suggest premium, casual enough to appeal to a wide audience, and distinctive enough to signal a truly new menu concept. Hundreds of visits to the Arches (and who knows how many fries) later, we served it up.

McDonald’s wanted to build on the success of their McCafé coffee (which had already taken a venti sip out of Starbucks’ and Dunkin’ Donuts’ market share), and they also wanted to expand the McCafé brand to include more beverage items. As such, they asked us to develop a strategy and a system for organizing all of their new beverage categories and names. We needed to be good and caffeinated for this one.

Over the years, McDonald’s has engaged Catchword on a variety of naming related initiatives. From McCafé naming strategy and architecture development to dressing up a burger with just the right name. On this occasion, one of Catchword’s names was selected for the Golden Arches’ new grilled chicken sandwich: a perfectly seasoned and seared fillet lovingly prepared with a light vinaigrette and combined with McDonald’s new hand-crafted roll. A culinary work of art(isan).

Messaging directions and stylistic preferences are of course critical to developing a name for any product, but when it comes to foods and beverages there’s nothing more helpful than actually experiencing the new comestibles. And, when Catchword first sampled Gordon Dessert’s new line of mochi (a delectable combination of premium ice cream and other tasty ingredients wrapped in sticky rice dough), we knew we were naming a truly category re-defining confectionary. A play on okey-dokey, Mochidoki makes use of the product descriptor in a fun and playful way, all while recalling the product’s Asian roots and sounding bite-sized and delicious.

We named this instand oatmeal for Malt-O-Meal (or MOM, as we called it). Later, Malt-O-Meal adopted MOM Brands as its company name and Malt-O-Meal became a sub-brand, while Mom’s Best Naturals expanded into a whole line of cereals.

Ahold’s U.S. supermarkets (including Giant Food and Stop & Shop) sold more than 500 natural and organic products ranging from chips and salsa to pasta sauce and peanut butter. They challenged us to create a distinctive name that would quickly communicate the health benefits and general deliciousness of the entire line. Ultimately, we landed on a name that let nature do all the heavy lifting.

Not so long ago, potato chips were always on a first-name basis with the deep fryer: a delicious but greasy and caloric affair. But in 2006—pop!—along came a new snack brand, offering consumers a healthy and tasty alternative: potatoes and corn heated in a pressurized chamber and quickly released to “pop” them out.

Catchword assisted partner branding agency Addis in developing the name Popchips, perfectly capturing the excitement and distinctiveness of this category-popping product. Since then, the company has won numerous food awards and was rated by Forbes as one of America’s top 20 most promising companies in 2011, with high-profile investor-endorsers such as Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry, and Sean Combs. In 2019, the company was acquired by leading private-equity firm VMG Partners as the foundation for its new Velocity Snack Brands.

First-of-its-kind, Popchips ushered in a pack of popped-chip products, from Poppables to PopCorners, reflecting and facilitating America’s move toward “better-for-you” eating and evolving our favorite snack.

When Safeway needed a name for its top-of-the-line beef, Addis Creson (a branding agency and frequent partner of ours) brought us in to help out. We liked the understated confidence and quiet authority of Rancher’s Reserve for this premium house brand. And its alliteration and propulsive rhythm made it very easy on the tongue. Not unlike the beef in question.

Boston Beer approached Catchword to develop a name for a new, easy-drinking but high quality beer focused on social occasions such as time spent with friends, parties, and unwinding. A lager/ale hybrid sourced entirely from American grown ingredients, the new beer is lightly golden with a subtle citrus tropical aroma that is both refreshing and smooth. However, the name needed to speak less to the flavor profile and more to the strong American heritage for which the Samuel Adams brand has always been known. The name needed to serve as a tribute to the American spirit and focus on inclusivity, hard work, perseverance, and grit. After an extensive creative ideation, and among other ideas, Catchword presented ’76, a crisp salute to 1776 and our nation’s year of independence. Ultimately, Boston Beer added “Sam” to the name to tie it very closely to the Samuel Adams brand.

Fresh Mex chain Chipotle wanted to offer customers a new vegetarian filling for its burritos, tacos, and more. A savory combination of marinated tofu and chilies, this meat-free option would be muy sabroso. Catchword consulted with Chipotle on the new ingredient name and developed many hundreds of name options.

Made with green coffee extract and fruit juices, Starbucks’ line of sparkling cold beverages packs a natural, revitalizing punch. The name Refreshers conveys that, without veering into the high-octane territory of energy drinks. And it’s inclusive enough to encompass handcrafted in-store beverages, sparkling canned product, and VIA instant packets. Try some and find out what all the buzz is about.