Brand Question 1111 Responses

Last post: 2 months, 3 weeks ago | Thread started: Sep 13, 08, 8:44 a.m.

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• gramme

  So over the past couple years we've designed a bunch of product logotypes for a client of ours. For over a year the accepted convention has been "Product Name by Client" (fill in the blank w/ product name and client name).

  Now, all of a sudden, even after previously approving the verbiage in all logotypes, the client's legal department is saying we can't say "by Client" after the product name because the pronoun in that case becomes an adjective. I'm no English expert, but I did pay attention in high school grammar. Doesn't ring true to me. It's always been my impression that a pronoun can never become an adjective.

  Yes? No? Am I mistaken? I'm up against the possibility of having to re-jigger all 20 some-odd logotypes and would frankly rather not.

  Sep 13, 08, 8:44 a.m. – Permalink

• gramme

  In other words they're saying "by Client" is not allowed b/c it becomes an adjective, and must always be a noun.

  • and I disagree with that.– gramme

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:45 a.m. – Permalink

• Russell_Sprout

  semantics, really.

  • but semantics is what legal departments are all about.– gramme

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:46 a.m. – Permalink

• ismith

  Why does it bother them if it's an adjective? I think in this case it becomes an adjective, but what the hell do I know...

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:47 a.m. – Permalink

• Russell_Sprout

  but on some level, 'by client' can/could technically become a description if said client has a well-known enough persona.

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:49 a.m. – Permalink

• Nairn

  *shrugs stupidly*

  I do know that legal departments are, for the most part, over-indulged, over-zealous, paranoid bastards who do more to hinder than to help, simply to further their continued over-paid existence.

  • Which is no hlp, I know - but you're doomed anyway if Legal has got a bee in its bonnet about something.– Nairn

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:50 a.m. – Permalink

• gramme

  I hate legal departments.

  In the Lord.

  • In a broad sense, not on the individual level. ;)– gramme

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:52 a.m. – Permalink

• Russell_Sprout

  I'm sure there are other politics afloat and this was probably just one way [for whatever reasons] that they could *loosely* justify this request.

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 8:54 a.m. – Permalink

• jett

  "We can use a noun as an adjective when it precedes a noun that it modifies; a mountain bike is a bike designed for riding up mountains. 'Mountain' functions as an adjective modifying the noun 'bike'. The second noun takes the plural form, while the first behaves like an adjective and consequently does not, unless the word is normally used in the plural (sports hall) or refers to people (women footballers)."
  Wiki appears to confirm that as well, and several online dictionaries.

  "Client Product" might be stretched to be considered adjevtical, but it would appear that "Product by Client" does not. "By" being a preposition, I don't think it can convert a proper and specific noun into an adjective.

  But this is all lay knowledge. Fighting it could be more costly than making the revision and looking for a way to bill additional services.

  • adjectival, pardon the typo...– jett

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 9:07 a.m. – Permalink

• gramme

  Thanks for that jett. Oddly enough, "Client Product" is how they want to change the product phrasing. Seems they are morxing their metaphis, so to speak.

  • "morxing", nice. Bill them for sure.– jett

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 9:10 a.m. – Permalink

• johndiggity

  i cannot believe people get paid to do that kind of shit.

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 9:17 a.m. – Permalink

• wristtattoo

  russell brand *runs

  

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  Dog-earSep 13, 08, 9:42 a.m. – Permalink