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There are other exceptions, of course—Tumblr and Lyft are prime examples—but the findings indicate that in general, unusual spellings carry some risk. “While marketing managers may believe that unconventionally spelled brand names make their brand seem cool,” the researchers write, “the fact that such brand names are seen as overt persuasion attempts may make them seem uncool because they are trying too hard.” The researchers note that in 2021, when the Scottish investment firm Standard Life Aberdeen rebranded as Abrdn in an effort to appear more modern, it was ridiculed on social media as, for example, “an old person trying to ‘get down with the kids’ a bit too late.”