We loved From Holden as well; we grew up there and it meant a lot to us. We might have been able to contest the C&D but at the end of the day, those guys have done exactly what we are doing -- poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building a company from the ground up. If they felt we were going to do harm to their brand, we definitely weren't willing to move forward because we loved the name or felt attached to it.
So that leaves us with establishing a new brand, and while there were some good ideas, none of them really stuck. We're investing our lives into building a long-lasting company and I'd rather build a brand around something that is already really meaningful to me than a made up word or one that has less emotional connection.
I know the story behind your name change, and I can't complement you enough on the way you handled it. But the new name is not engaging, it's off. It doesn't even connect to the imagery you have on your Kickstarter's page, and it feels like a rushed decision.
Also, I think you might have your priorities wrong. There certainly should be an emptional connection, but it should be that of your customers rather than yourselves. In the end it's not you who's going to be buying your shirts.
Comments
We loved From Holden as well; we grew up there and it meant a lot to us. We might have been able to contest the C&D but at the end of the day, those guys have done exactly what we are doing -- poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building a company from the ground up. If they felt we were going to do harm to their brand, we definitely weren't willing to move forward because we loved the name or felt attached to it.
So that leaves us with establishing a new brand, and while there were some good ideas, none of them really stuck. We're investing our lives into building a long-lasting company and I'd rather build a brand around something that is already really meaningful to me than a made up word or one that has less emotional connection.
I know the story behind your name change, and I can't complement you enough on the way you handled it. But the new name is not engaging, it's off. It doesn't even connect to the imagery you have on your Kickstarter's page, and it feels like a rushed decision.
Also, I think you might have your priorities wrong. There certainly should be an emptional connection, but it should be that of your customers rather than yourselves. In the end it's not you who's going to be buying your shirts.