The Name Critic rates: chocolate™

Background:

What a tasty name for a phone/PDA. In previous reviews we have compared names like Razr with boring part numbers from LG and others. Perhaps someone paid heed. This is a great example of a cross over name. You sure couldn't name and trademark the word chocolate for real chocolate. But in the cell phone, digital appliance category it is not a generic at all.

CNET reports that LG told them "Chocolate" is their pet name for the phone and that they thought it was about time a mobile phone came out with a name that's easy for people to remember. We second that motion and give it a full 10 on technical merit (especially because they quickly applied for a registered trademark too). Of course, others have had memorable names for a while.

Now as for the logo. Great font choice to play off the o symmetry. It is even one of the few times we like a name with a small first character. But red chocolate? Black chocolate? Yes we know there is black chocolate, but what color did you first think of? It even seems to us that their ad agency is making the black a little brownish in the print ads! This product line really could have been superb and elegant in a dark, rich, chocolate color.

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