Recently Lovesac Furniture Co. circulated a Facebook video depicting a woman easily arranging and rearranging its patented Sactionals pieces into various useful configurations. The video was shared broadly—reaching thousands of people who had never heard of Lovesac before. There were two emerging themes from the many and varied comments: One, “This is amazing furniture…holy cow I gotta have that.” Two, “What’s up with the name ‘Lovesac,’ it makes no sense.”
I Love The Name Lovesac
This week is “Love your name week” according to American Onomatology. I am more biased than anyone can be on the subject, but I LOVE THE NAME LOVESAC. Sure, if we were starting over today, having invented (what I humbly think is) the most meaningful furniture invention of this century, Sactionals, then Sactionals would certainly not be called “Sac”tionals and the company would not be called “Lovesac.” We would have been something boring and stale, like a beanbag, a couch, or even worse yet, a sectional sofa. But life did not happen that way. Had we not invented the oversized Sac, we would have not needed a sort of hippie, 1970’s, flower power, love-peace-hate-war-kind-of name for our not-beanbag invention. As we’ve proven by being the undisputed leader in not-beanbags worldwide, Lovesac is most definitely the best name for that product.
We would have been something boring and stale, like a beanbag, a couch, or even worse yet, a sectional sofa.
But when we opened the first Lovesac store in 2001 to sell Lovesacs to everybody who dared peek inside, we learned right away that as the name of a retail store “Lovesac” was a two-edged sword. On the one hand, people could not resist commenting as they walked by. Funny comments, curious comments, half-laughing comments usually beginning with, “Looooooovesac….”
But at least people noticed us—and even if only for curiosity’s sake, many came in, had a great time, and the company grew. From our earliest days in the mall, people asked to buy the Lovesac T-shirts we were wearing. We have sold thousands along the way. I honestly cannot think of another furniture company where the same would even be remotely possible.
We then invented Sactionals because customers kept wanting to buy the couch in the corner of the store that was placed there to make the place look nice. We discovered that the key to our success was the ability to sell a great big Lovesac that we could shrink down to 1/8 its original volume and stock right there in a tiny store….so make a sofa that can
- shrink down - check
- be easily shipped - check
- be delivered - check
- fit down any hallway -check
- fit up any stairway - check
- fit through any doorway - check
With all those successes, it seemed like a good idea—and in the process we figured out how to make it machine washable and have changeable covers as well.
Why Lovesac?
So when people see our “Sactionals” invention, fall in love with it for every reason and then wonder, “why is this company called Lovesac,” it is not surprising at all. Maybe, as a first introduction, “Hi, my name is _____,” the name Lovesac is a bit strange. But ask anyone who knows the brand, knows the company, knows someone with a Lovesac, or has any Lovesac product about “Lovesac” they know exactly what you’re talking about—no clarification needed. This is because (I personally believe) that Lovesac is one of the most sticky and memorable brand names every conceived in the history of all branding.
Most importantly of all, anyone familiar with Lovesac, when asked about it, will always display at least a hint of a smile on their face as they reflect. Because it is LOVEsac. The name invokes emotion. The memory invokes comfort, warmth, and times spent with people you love. Love is the most powerful word in any language. Love is the most powerful force in any culture. Love is the most powerful emotion in the universe and humans are emotionally driven beings.
It’s A Force For Good
It sounds like marketing, but we at Lovesac get the unique opportunity of “spreading the love” every time anyone views our sign, sees our name in print, thinks it, reads, it says it, or puts on the T-shirt and spreads it for us. And with the word Sac attached to the end of it, “Lovesac” is just not-cheesy enough to reach the over-marketed-to masses, the cynical observers, the sense of humored adult, and even the impossible-to-reach youth of today. The old find it cute and the young find it funny.
Lovesac is not about building another beanbag, another couch, another sectional sofa, or just a brand name, it is a force for good in the world. Maybe not like earth-changing good, but at least the made-you-smile kind of good. The best part of all, however, is that with a name like Lovesac hanging above our door, it is incumbent upon us to live up to it—to spread the love—to do good in the world—and to love and accept all whom we are blessed to come into contact with. We’re doing our best.
What do YOU think about the name "Lovesac?" I really want to know - comment!
Keep spreadin’ the love,
- Shawny
Recent Comments