In the past few months, it seems we’ve been dealt several clients in the early stages of brand development (our favorite scenario) and we’ve had the privilege of helping them name their newborn brands. This is always a truly rewarding experience, but I often find myself droning on about name, mission, values, story, principles, etc., and making sure that they are all properly aligned with products and communications.

I tell you that to tell this story:

This evening, I stopped in at the local liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner. Pinot Noir is my latest obsession, and I’ve been getting bored with my usual brand…so I thought I’d branch out.

As I was browsing down the shelf, my eye landed on a bottle with a richly colored label and the name “Irony.” The name intrigued me, so I picked it up. On the back of the bottle, I found the story of the brothers who run the company:

Most of us didn’t imagine where we would be right now. Sure, we dreamed of being firemen, astronauts, rock stars and superheroes, but life often takes you where you didn’t expect it to.

My brother and I worked every harvest from the time we could ride our bikes. After college, our careers took us beyond the land our grandfather planted in 1924.

Ironically, today we are more fulfilled, working side-by-side at the family vineyard & winery. We didn’t plan it or expect it, but we are enjoying this strange twist in our lives.

That’s Irony - a bottle full of life’s strange twists and a celebration of our family’s life-long commitment to producing the finest quality wines.

What a perfect illustration of how the story is used to convey brand values. Further, it’s a great illustration of how a good name is born from a sincere story. Good brand alignment.

And very good wine.