Shacking Up

Engadget reports that RadioShack is about to launch a "pretty noticeable rebranding" that includes changing the name of the retail operation to The Shack. According to a RadioShack website, the change will kick off with "The Shack Summer Netogether," which will "connect San Francisco and New York  via larger-than-life laptops August 6th - 8th."

Engadget comments on the name change:

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense -- radios aren't exactly considered cutting edge these days, and from the sounds of things, the store is about to launch a full assault on the mobile space, bringing T-Mobile into the fold this month, and attempting to cover the gamut on cellphone reselling. Still, we're not sure "The Shack" is the right direction... unless they wanted us to immediately picture a remote location where very, very bad things happen.

RadioShack opened its first store (in Boston) in 1921; according to the corporate history, the name was borrowed from the term used for the small wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment.

RadioShack's name-ectomy follows a similar move by Pizza Hut, which in June announced its new sub-brand The Hut.

The Shack, The Hut ... shorter names for a downsized economy? Let's speculate on what the next tinyfication will be:

• Pottery Barn shrinks to The Barn.
• IHOP, formerly the International House of Pancakes, cuts back to The House.
• Coldwater Creek slims down to The Creek.
• Hidden Valley Ranch reduces to The Ranch.
• Holiday Inn downsizes to The Inn. (Who can afford a holiday these days?)
• Log Cabin ("authentic maple-tasting syrup"—don't think too hard about that) dwindles to The Cabin.

UPDATE: From Rob Frankel on Twitter: "Next Jack in the Box will be The Box. Oy."

UPDATE #2: And how could I have forgotten Banana Republic, due for an alteration to The Republic?

UPDATE #3: More on the "Shack" campaign, including photos from the Netogether, at the Brand New Blog. The campaign was created by Bay Area agency Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, which is perhaps best known for its work with MINI.

More suggestions? Leave a comment.

(Hat tip: The Name Inspector on Twitter. Image: Terminal screen at a Radio Shack retail store, via Engadget.)

Comments

[Nancy C.]

Olive Garden could be cut down to The Garden.

[jules]

Hey, the Carphone Warehouse seems to be trucking along ok in the UK.

[Duchesse]

Why not go all the way: Pot, Hop, Cold, Hid, Hols, Cab?
That's what we'll call them anyway.

[Stan]

The Frit?

[Steve Baird]

Nancy, great topic and post!

This whole re-branding obsession with truncation is fascinating and raises interesting trademark issues (http://www.duetsblog.com/articles/truncation-1/), I wonder how many other "Shacks" out there happen to sell electronic devices and might take issue with the planned truncation?

I also wonder if the famous basketball personality who appeared in commercials for Radio Shack is behind the change, oh, maybe not that would have been spelled differently: The Shaq!

Last, as the post in the above link shows, Holiday Inn apparently thought that the six-letter "The Inn" was too long and opted for the shorter one-letter H.

[Nancy Friedman]

@Steve: Holiday Inn revised its logo earlier this year to emphasize the "H," but its name, legally and informally, is still "Holiday Inn." (At least until they chop it down to "The Inn"...)