…By Enitan Thompson for TDPel Media.
US art exhibition, ‘Transfix’, is in danger of being confused with the trans sexuality porn site ‘Transfixed’, which has a similar name.
The outdoor exhibition, located in Las Vegas and opening this autumn, is apparently inspired by the Burning Man festival.
The 200,000 square-foot multi-level site located at the door of Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip includes a giant steampunk octopus, which breathes fire and has hundreds of flashing LEDs, as well as interactive and kinetic works of art that do not fit the typical gallery profile.
However, the similarity of the exhibition’s name to the porn site’s name could result in people searching for the art exhibition online ending up on the adult site.
Tom Stinchfield, Transfix’s co-founder and CRO, describes the exhibition space as a platform for artwork that does not fit into the typical gallery either physically or psychologically, making it niche and difficult to sell.
While the exhibition organisers may be looking for something unique, they probably weren’t expecting their exhibition to be confused with a porn site if they Google it.
This awkward occurrence highlights the importance of choosing names that are not similar to other popular brands or adult websites, to avoid any confusion or unintentional association.
The organisers’ challenge of promoting the Transfix exhibition may be further complicated by the fact that some individuals may not want to risk searching for information about it online and potentially ending up on an adult website.
However, if the exhibition is successful, it could be a testament to the power of branding, even in the face of an awkward similarity to a porn site.