Hutchison reveals brand new 3G name
IN A world of crazy brand names where we have been brainwashed into believing that the future is Orange and that O2 is a better name than Cellnet, Hutchison 3G today unveiled its brand. Or make that brands, because the name is pronounced about half a dozen ways in the nine countries where Hutchison plans to roll out its third generation network.
After almost a year employing former Wolff Olins genius Doug Hamilton, who not only brought us Orange but also Go, the cut-price airline, Hutchison decided its brand will be the numeral 3. So that's pronounced three in the UK, Hong Kong, Australia and most parts of Ireland becoming drei in Austria, tre in Italy, Denmark and Sweden and yet another form in Hebrew.
Refusing to reveal what colour the numeral will take until closer to the launch of services in the final quarter of this year, Hutchison Whampoa managing director Canning Fok said: 'Our name is just one part of our brand. We tell you much more about our approach to our markets and our services when the time is right.'
A spokesman said that unlike some infamous recent rebrandings ranging from the Post Office's Consignia to PWC Consulting's Monday this was 'a new branding with no old notepaper to tear up and logos to repaint. It cost us very little in external consultancy'.
