Cube3
Nissan developed the second generation of the Cube, a popular automobile brand in the Japanese market, in 2002 and turned to Interbrand Japan for a name to fit the line extension. The new car featured an expanded wheelbase and enough interior space to comfortably seat seven passengers.
Interbrand’s international team of verbal identity specialists in Tokyo mapped a set of creative criteria to aid in the generation of names that would realize Nissan’s desire for an organic extension of the Cube brand name, as well as reflect the new car’s unique position as the smallest MPV with an added third-row seat roomy enough for adults.
The Tokyo team created upwards of 2000 names, shortlisted them based on identical and negative screening processes and input from Interbrand’s global network of naming professionals, and presented a final list of 40 candidates to Nissan. The winner was Cube3 (pronounced Cube Cubic), a direct conceptual reference to the three rows of seats, and a fitting stretch of the Cube brand. The new name is not only a fitting extension of the Cube brand in Japan, but suitable for international markets. The Cube3 is slated for a 2009 launch in the United States.