Although several researchers have investigated atypical naming effects with respect to food and color names, no research has examined atypical names in the context of apparel products. In this research, we investigated the way in which atypical clothing names influence consumers’ mental imagery, followed by consumers’ evaluations, compared to typical clothing names. We also investigated the moderating effect of the clothing design’s visual complexity. An experimental design was used with 2 name (atypical vs. typical name) × 2 levels of visual complexity (complex vs. simple design) between-subjects design. A total of 292 responses were collected. The results showed that the atypical name was more effective than were the typical one in influencing consumer’s attitudes and purchase intentions. Also, we found significant interaction effects of visual complexity and names on consumers’ evaluations, which are mediated by mental imagery. For clothes with a simple design, the atypical clothing name increased mental imagery, followed by product attitudes and purchase intentions, more than the typical name did. In contrast, when participants were presented with a garment with a complex design, typical and atypical names did not have different effects on consumers’ evaluations of the garment through their mental imagery. The findings of this study help marketers understand better the way in which consumers process certain names associated with a garment’s design cognitively, and therefore, improve their ability to name garments strategically depending on their design details.

• Jung Eun Lee(Virginia Tech, USA)
• Eonyou Shin(Virginia Tech, USA)