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February 6, 2007

Brand Naming: "Great Men" in China Use Viagra

Pfizer lost a trademark battle over an Asian upstart with the brand name “Wei Ge,” which is the Mandarin Chinese homophone for “Viagra.”

Chinese drug maker Guanzhou Welman registered "Wei Ge," a commonly used local reference to Pfizer’s tremendously successful anti-impotence drug. Great product naming strategy - Wei Ge means “great man.”

As the expiration of Pfizer’s patent on Viagra looms, we’re sure to see the company at odds with yet more producers in China: my favorite Chinese name for a Viagra clone, of course, has to be “America Number One, Male Exclusive, Great Big Brother.”

Now that's a pharmaceutical brand name that doesn’t leave much to the imagination...

Technorati Tags: Viagra, Phizer, Trademark Conflict, Wei Ge, Chinese Drug, Guanzhou Welman, Pharmaceutical Brand Name

Posted by William Lozito at February 6, 2007 11:05 AM
Posted to Brand Naming | Pharmaceutical | Product Naming | Trademarking

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