Omicron Rock: When Your Brand Name Gets Co-Opted By A Virus

Back in December, a Wall Street Journal headline caught my eye:

“Omicron— the Metal Band— Makes The Best Of Its Name”

Some excerpts:

Meet Omicron. Not the coronavirus variant but the Belgian death metal band, who say that the only thing contagious about them is their music.

The World Health Organization decided to name the new virus strain after the same letter of the Greek alphabet they chose for their band name.

At first the band appeared apologetic.

“We want to express our support for all the victims, the people working in the medical sector, and all the sacrifices everyone makes to battle this virus,” the band wrote on its Facebook page.

That might not have been quite metal enough, however. A beat later they struck a more defiant note:

“For the record, our band name is based on the Omicron galaxy system and not on the current Omicron Covid strain.”

Some larger enterprises have been caught out by the pandemic, at least at first. Sales of Corona beer were predicted to fall when the corona virus struck, but by the end of 2020… sales had held up.

Delta Airlines had a scare when it wound up sharing its name with a virus strain. Named after a crop-dusting operation in the Mississippi Delta, the airline didn’t see a significant fall in bookings compared with its competitors…

Omicron Repro, a small-town print shop in Canterbury, England, sees it as a chance to bag some free advertising— or at least an opportunity to get customers to remember how to spell its name.

Owner Mark Fawcett-Jones ordered a pair of bright yellow hazmat suits off Amazon to wear at the store and make the
most of the situation. “It’s just a bit tongue-in-cheek, really,” said Mr. Fawcett-Jones. “But it’s easier to read our email address on the phone now. People know how to spell it. We
had all sorts of trouble before.”

Omicron, the band, is working on a new concept album about
an alien invasion. If all goes well, they expect to have nine or so songs in the can soon, enough for a 50-minute live set— assuming Omicron, the virus, will let them play.

A death metal band sharing a name with a virus… one has to appreciate the irony there.

I love Omicron Repro’s response: wearing hazmat suits in their store. I think the humor strikes just the right note.

Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd and have fun with it. People will like you better for it. They may even learn to spell your name correctly!!

A few closing thoughts:

1. If they name a virus after your brand (or if Fate puts you
in a similar awkward position), embrace the situation.

Acknowledge it. Doing so gives you some control. Much better for you to make light of the situation than for others, including competitors, to make jokes at your expense.

2. Don’t sell yourself out as part of any damage control.

A death metal band jeopardizes its standing with fans when it mouths polite phrases (“We want to express our support for all the victims…”). There’s a credibility issue there (as ludicrous as that may sound).

3. “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” is attributed to P.T. Barnum. Probably not true if you’re on the 6 o’clock news as a convicted ax murderer, but true in general, I think.

A better way to phrase it might be: “All publicity is good if
it is intelligent.” It’s how you choose to handle any unexpected publicity.

4. There’s a lot to be said for taking a humorous approach. Humor projects confidence, and confidence wins people over.

So have fun with the situation. When life hands you lemons, make a yellow hazmat suit.

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About Mark: I’m an illustrator specializing in humor, branding, social media, and content marketing. My images are different, like your brand needs to be.

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