It would probably be the best 'Don't' naming case study in recent memory if it were all definitive. Luckily for the named entity, it isn't.
I'm talking about Dell and WPP's joint agency on the verge of being called (reportedly in a project by WPP's own Landor) Synarchy. Great meaning and strategic intent, terrible baggage. Think political extremism and a long history of use in less-than-savory circumstances across the world.
I bet a cent they'll settle for something else.
In the case of Dove's highly popular (and criticized) 'Real Beauty' campaign, it turns out it's hard to tell. Retouching whiz Pascal Dangin claims in The New Yorker he did his magic on the real beauties there. A lot of it:
“Do you know how much retouching was on that?”
So those looks were actually not entirely pristine, as one would have thought.
On the other hand, he's quick to note that he aimed to
"keep everyone’s skin and faces showing the mileage but not looking unattractive."
So the retouching work didn't attempt to tell a completely different story from the rough photo shots.
Hipocrisy or not? How is this going to affect the brand's reputation? Hard call to make.
