Brandjack News

By Quentin Langley

So, here you are, happily naming yourself after the Egyptian goddess of love – an archetype of motherhood – and suddenly the name "Isis" has a new meaning. It is the acronym of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which is confusingly also known as Islamic State (IS) and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Despite the confused branding of the jihadist group it is garnering rather more coverage than the non-governmental organisation which campaigns on human trafficking, the British technology transfer company or the American pharmaceutical group. Many smaller organisations in Oxford – where the River Thames is known as the Isis – also carry the name. Not only are all of these groups nothing to do with the group that beheads journalists and aid workers, it seems certain that almost all of the people associated with these groups are disgusted by IS.

At least two groups have ideological missions of their own that are quite opposed to jihad. The Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society would seem to be pretty much the worst enemies of IS. The Institute for the Scientific Investigation of Sexuality is an expressly Christian group .  Its "research" may be somewhat appealing to IS, but I am pretty sure its activities are a lot less murdery. 

This sort of thing happens. As an organisation – or a person – you may have a perfectly good name only to find your fame eclipsed by someone else with the same name. No doubt a few David Camerons were distressed by the rise of the one who is now British Prime Minister. We have to assume there were rather fewer Barack Obamas around, and so far I have been reasonably safe with "Quentin Langley". 

The largest construction company in the Middle East opted for a relatively minor name change after 9/11, it is now known as "the Saudi Binladen Group". In this case the family that established the company is the same famiy that spawned the founder of al Qaeda.

Investment group, ISIS Equity Partners, has already announced that it will be changing its name. A new name will be announced soon.

I wish I could advise on the sort of name that is immune from future accidental and embarrassing brandjacks of this nature, but I don't think that's possible.