VivaKi - They are at a loss for real words.

One of our best Head Scratcher scouts, Robin Wolaner, Founder of TeeBeeDee, alerted us to yet another new merger in branding land... Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Publicis, the parent of Starcom MediaVest Group, Zenith Optimedia Group, Digitas, Denuo, and agencies such as Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi, said Chicago-based Performics would be integrated into Publicis' new VivaKi Nerve Center, headed by long-term digital media czar Curt Hecht.

Got that?

To Robin's point, the name Performics merged with VivaKi, could result in a total tongue twister. The thought makes our tongues hurt. So let's just focus on one of the offenders: VivaKi.

"Vivaki is a new strategic initiative designed to significantly improve the performance of advertisers' marketing investments as well as boost Publicis Groupe's growth in the context of rapidly expanding digital markets". .....That is a quote from the press release and we have no idea what it means either. On to the name.......

You know it's a bad name when the logo has to include a phonetic key. Yikes.

According to the press release, here is the name origin:

The name VivaKi is derived from the word "viva" which means life, and "ki" (or Qi) which is often translated as energy flow. According to Maurice Lévy (CEO, Publicis Groupe), the Groupe sought a name that signified a new frontier - a new lead solution in the digital era.

Apparently the Groupe gave up on seeking a name that signified a new frontier - a new lead solution in the digital era, because they settled for VivaKi.

A few problems and oddities we see for VivaKi:

1. Combining a 3rd person singular present subjunctive of the Latin word vivere (viva) with a misspelled Chinese word (Ki or Qi) is freaking weird.

2. It is not easily pronounced (see above logo for reminder). We are still confused if viva is pronounced vī-və or vē-və.

3. It has to be explained and yet still makes no sense. What does "life energy flow" have to with "a new strategic initiative designed to significantly improve the performance of advertisers' marketing investments as well as boost Publicis Groupe's growth in the context of rapidly expanding digital markets"?

4. What is the point of the capital "K", to highlight the misspelling?

5. We can't decide which is more pretentious, the faux Latin/Chinese name or calling yourself "life energy flow".

6. Why not VivaQi? It's no worse.
   

7. Is a slam dunk flunk in the SMILE & SCRATCH Test.

Next time you need a name that signifies a new frontier or a new lead solution in the digital or any other era (or any other naming for that matter) call a professional ,we promise no Latin/Chinese mashups.