CHAMPNEYS - name generation

From our initial ideas and research, we decided that the most effective way to target a younger audience was through the use of a sub brand or a side brand that would be designed specifically for 16-25 year olds. By doing this, we would be able to create something that visually looks more contemporary and fresh, with an appropriate tone of voice, whilst still keeping the brand values intact. This would include a new area online, as well as a range of spa products. In order to do this, we needed to come up with a name that could be used that had a connotation to health and wellbeing, that would attract a younger target market.

It made sense to begin by looking at synonyms of words that linked to our research and ideas, this would done using thesaurus. This allowed us to quickly develop and create a wide ranging list of relevant words, as well as developing our idea generation process. 

Health

Well being

Energy

From this, we picked up on the word 'spirit', which was a synonym of energy. We looked some definitions...

- The vital principle or animating force within living beings

- The part of a human associated with the mind, will, and feelings

- The essential nature of a person or group

- A mood or emotional state

We both felt that this worked extremely well in terms of becoming a name for our sub brand. We also found that it was mentioned within the brief, stating that the deliverables must have a "sense of spirit that appeals to 16-25 year olds". 

We therefore started to brainstorm how this would link in with the brand values of Champney through quality, courage, vitality, life, energy, essence, heart and humour. We also explored how 'spirit' would work in conjunction with Champneys in terms of a logo. The image of the logo given to us in the project pack couldn't be edited, and once live traced it became slightly distorted. I therefore downloaded a vector of the logo so that we could experiment and explore with colour.

The next step was to explore how the word spirit would work alongside the logo, therefore we mocked up some quick possibilities, using a sans serif type to create contrast and to appeal to the younger audience.  

The more we developed the logo, the more we realised that a singular word didn't work well next to the Champneys logo. We also started to dislike the chosen name, feeling that perhaps it felt too mystical and wasn't all that appealing to our targeted age range. We therefore decided to start again, and explore some other name possibilities. This was an extremely lengthy process, as we couldn't quite get something that really struck us both, specifically in terms of standing out to a young audience. 

After a good few hours of trying to decide, we felt uninspired, and therefore decided to take a break and get some fresh air. It was because of this that our new name came to us through picking up a magazine which really started getting our ideas rolling again. Eventually, Steph suggested the name "The Good Stuff", which we both loved and felt was extremely appropriate and relevant. It was a contemporary and unique name that was playful but still linked to health and wellbeing. The Good Stuff being what Champneys spa can offer you in terms of quality, health and trying new things.