It was only last year when a Belgian chocolate company called Italo Suisse decided to change its name. After all, 90 years after its founding, the business had no real connections to either Italy or Switzerland anymore. But yeah, if anyone at the company had realized there was another ISIS out there, that would definitely not have been the name it chose to switch too.
The company has decided to switch its name yet again, reports Reuters, as it turns out there is another organization associated with the name ISIS — it is the acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a jihadist group that’s invaded parts of Iraq. That group is now known just as Islamic State, but ISIS has stuck around in the public mind.
As such, ISIS is out the door at the chocolate company.
“We chose ISIS as that was the brand name of our pralines and tablets,” marketing manager Desiree Libeert told Reuters. “Had we known there was a terrorist organization with the same name, we would have never chosen that.”
The company had problems moving its product, as the name was putting customers off.
“We had international customers saying that they could no longer stock our chocolate as consumers had only negative associations with the name,” she added.
The new name is one she likely is on board with — Libeert, which is the family name of the company’s owners, and as far as anyone knows, not a terrorist organization.
Belgium chocolate maker ISIS needs to change its name again [Reuters]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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