(And in case you ever forget, the device features a cute little tab on the top left corner labeled “Spotify.”) But that won’t be a problem because it will almost always be sold or used in the context of the Spotify brand. To start, if the name isn’t paired with Spotify, you’d have no idea the product has anything to do with audio. The Catchword team love that name, and the product-lots of musicians round here.)Ĭar Thing does have a few challenges, but they’re all minor. (One lesser known name in the music space that’s creatively descriptive in a similar way is Amazing Slow Downer, for a product that enables musicians to change tempo and key without changing pitch.
Last year another version of Thingamajig was produced called Whozeewhatzit (a rare instance when a naming contest produced usable results).įriends tapped this idea by titling all its episodes “The One Where…” or “The One with…” Perhaps Car Thing is tying into the same zeitgeist: Friends seems more popular than ever.Ĭar Thing is charmingly descriptive, self-aware, and slightly cheeky, which make it stand out from names of other products in the music and car spaces, such as Beats Solo and Powerbeats Pro from Beats by Dre, Onyx and Dock & Play from SiriusXM, iPod (does anyone even still use those?), and the alphanumerics used by many high-end audio and auto companies.
In 2009, they decided to tweak the recipe and call it Thingamajig, a candy that never took off. In the 70s, Hershey introduced Whatchamacallit, a peanuty crispy candy bar (with a name by advertising powerhouse Doyle Dane Bernbach) that was heavily promoted and became a hit. And of course there’s the Abbott and Costello baseball players Who, What, I Don’t Know, et al. The classic YA novel A Wrinkle in Time features Mrs. Whosit type naming isn’t new either, but we haven’t seen it applied to tech before. (Do you say “Where’s my USB WiFi adapter?” when you can’t find it or “Where’s my WiFi thing?”) Self-aware, self-referential marketing has been popular for a while and, when done well, projects savvy, humor, and humility.
Plus its acknowledgement that people use thing all the time because they can’t remember product names is rather meta. But whether the product is wow or wanting, the name’s not bad at all.Ĭar Thing makes clear that this is a device you use in the car, and that simplicity is part of the name’s brilliance. Some folks kinda like it, and some aren’t at all impressed. Car Thing, Spotify’s entry into the world of smart devices, has gotten mixed reviews. But ask a stranger on the street if they’ve heard of Car Thing, and you’ll probably get a blank stare. If you saw Spotify’s 2021 Wrapped lists everywhere last month, you’re not alone.