BioAdvanced

A little-known French holding company, SBM, acquired the lawn and garden division of science powerhouse Bayer. The brand of that division, called Bayer Advanced, was well-established, with positive associations with scientific expertise and a history of performance. The SBM team wanted to keep as much consistency as they could—but they were required to replace the Bayer name as a result of the acquisition. That was their challenge: how to retain as much brand equity as possible while shedding the name that anchored so much of it?

I managed their renaming process as part of a team at Interbrand, and after developing over 2,500 options, we landed in a simple place: BioAdvanced. This unassuming name perfectly filled the complex niche that Bayer left:

• It indicates scientific expertise

• It starts with a B, maximizing continuity

• It fits in the shield logo alongside the long and awkward word “Advanced”

Before & after

In 2018, Bayer Advanced became BioAdvanced, and nobody noticed—which, in this instance, was exactly what the client wanted.

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Want to discuss something you need named, whether you want to or not? Want to hear about the ~1700 names we explored in a territory called “Caring & Killing” even though the primary product name, “Weed & Feed”, already conveyed those equities?