From a New York Times Q&A with Adam Ross Cole, a co-founder of BAM Architecture Studio in New York:
Q. What does BAM stand for?
A. That’s a good question. People have asked us that, and over the years we’ve tried to re-engineer it: maybe it stands for Better Architectural Methods. But it wasn’t where the name came from. We tend to do more complex, sophisticated projects, where there’s a lot of intricate thought required for the design aspect. So the idea was: Bam! What’s the big idea? So that’s where the name came from.
Hmm. I’d say that “Bam!” suggests the opposite of “complex, sophisticated projects” requiring “a lot of intricate thought.”
My first associations are (1) Brooklyn Academy of Music and (2) Emeril Lagasse adding seasoning to an étouffée.
Posted by: rootlesscosmo | March 28, 2013 at 08:01 AM
RootlessCosmo: Yes, words and names often have multiple applications. See Dove soap and Dove ice cream bars, and many other brand multiples: http://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2012/08/but-thats-a-car-name.html
As long as none of the other meanings is negative, there's no reason an architecture firm can't use "BAM." My quibble is with the dissonance between the firm's name and its personality and mission.
Posted by: Nancy Friedman | March 28, 2013 at 08:31 AM
To me if it's BAM and it's in NYC, it's Brooklyn Academy of Music. I don't think it reaches a "likelihood of confusion" level for trademark infringement purposes, but I'm sure it causes some level of head-scratching. It'd be like MOMA Plumbing Services.
Posted by: Jessica | March 29, 2013 at 08:53 AM
To me it just suggests something more amazing and with more impact than just "Wow!".
BAM!
Posted by: Catanea | March 30, 2013 at 06:38 AM