Naming Redundancy and Beyond

Maxi-this. Turbo-that. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing the heavy-duty, 5-star and premium versions of – well, just about everything.

But when a deodorant with the double-whammy moniker UltraMax appeared on the shelf, it became clear that naming had reached another level. To quote Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story,” names were reaching for infinity – and beyond.

Marketers frequently create “hierarchy” names by adding a simple modifier to the basic product name. Two typical examples: Edge Advanced Shave Gel and Extra Strength Tylenol.

In the new era of shamelessness, too much is not enough. Ultra not adequate? More than the max? Double up your modifiers and you get UltraMax – a name registered for deodorants as well as bleaches, lamps and hand tools.

Oh, there’s more. Magnum XL condoms for the well-endowed. Xtra Supreme, a brand of animal feed. Excelle Elite, bakeware and roasting pans from Wilton Industries. And a pet food with a triple promise – it’s select, super and premium: Nature’s Select Super Premium.

The traditional term for this kind of thing – the use of more words than is needed – would be pleonasm, from Latin and Greek words meaning “excess or redundancy.” Of course, for some marketers, that’s precisely the point – play it again, Sam, and again.

Fraser Sutherland, my resident language maven (and the co-author of The Making of a Name), points out that plenty of pleonasms are embedded in English: “free gift,” “plans for the future,” and even Shakespeare’s “most unkindest cut of all.”

So before long, dear namers, we might expect to see such double-whammies as Preferred Plus, Mega More and Total Turbo. One gander at this guide to common hierarchy terms, and you can gauge the possibilities. Just pick two, and mash ‘em together.

3-Star, 4-Star, 5-Star, Aces, Advance, Advantage, Best, Better, Beyond, BlueChip, Bonus, Champ, Choice, Deluxe, Edge, Elite, Excel, Extra, Extra Performance, Extra Strength, Foremost, Gold, Grand, Grande, Great, HeavyDuty, Intense, Max, Maxed, Maxi, Maximum, Mega, More, Most, Out of Sight, Platinum, Plus, Preferred, Premier, Premium, Pro, Royal, Select, Special, Strong, Stronger, Super, Supra, Supreme, Tops, Total, Turbo, Ultimate, Ultra, World-Class, Xtra

Sponsored By: Brand Aid