Intel announced their new brand Viiv last week (pronounced Vive). The technology will bridge the gap between home computers and televisions. There has been a good deal of chatter about the brand and it’s peculiar name.
While at a client meeting Catchword heard that Viiv was from the Roman Numerals for 6 (VI) and 4 (IV), underscoring the 64-bit technology. We have since learned that Viiv will be used on 32-bit machines as well.
Other theories hold that it’s leftover from the Pentium 5 days, or that it sounds Finnish (possibly an IKEA product line?!). The official statement is that name is supposed to communicate “excitement, vibrancy, and vividness.” Viiv will literally bring home entertainment alive with new possibilities.
Regardless of the spelling awkwardness, or the rumors about its origins, it appears that Intel is set to spend roughly the same amount they spent on Centrino (~$300M) to promote the brand. With that kind of money, consumers won’t have to deduce much — the Viiv messaging will be branded indelibly in their minds through sheer ad-dollar force.
