Abrdn adds back vowels after widely mocked rebrand
Investment firm Abrdn will add the vowels back into its name after dropping them in a rebrand that was widely mocked.
The firm said it will now be called aberdeen group, with no capital letter at the start. In the past it has been Aberdeen Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management.
Its rebrand to Abrdn in 2021 was largely derided, with some saying it seemed like a typo, and others joking the firm had "irritable vowel syndrome". The company said the mockery amounted to "corporate bullying".
Chief executive Jason Windsor said the latest name change would remove "distractions".
"This is a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation," said chief executive Jason Windsor, as he revealed a strategy revamp.
However, some people commented that while the company had found its vowels, it still hadn't found its capital letters.
'Lv Abrdn aln'
The firm has faced a barrage of mockery over the last four years since rebranding to Abrdn under previous boss Stephen Bird.
It attracted reaction on social media with one user posting a mock-up of word game Countdown. The letters ABRDN are shown on the letter board behind presenter Rachel Riley, with the words "another consonant please Rachel..."
A new version of the image was posted on Tuesday with one user joking that reinstating the vowels was responsible for the firm's share price rising.
When a senior executive said in 2024 that mockery around its name was corporate bullying, the Financial Times responded by publishing a post that read "Lv Abrdn aln" (Leave Abrdn alone), while City AM ran with a front page that read "Abrdn: an apology - sry we kp tkng th pss ot of yr mssng vwls".
Rebrands for big firms have in the past proven tricky to navigate. Royal Mail, for example, caused a public outcry after it suggested a name change to "Consignia" in 2002.
A few years ago, Volkswagen was greeted with derision after an April Fool's joke misfired. The German car giant was forced to deny that it was changing its name to "Voltswagen" in the US, despite having said in a press release that it would.
Tuesday's announcement from aberdeen group came as it revealed a return to profit in 2024 with pre-tax profits of £251m.
The firm also said it was starting the search for a new chairman and increasing targets for profit growth.
The company said it expected costs associated with the name change to be "negligible".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool make huge new Wirtz offer in bid to strike British record transfer
Liverpool have submitted a new offer to Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz - but are still below the German club's valuation of the player. The bid totals £113million with £100m initially and a further £13m in add ons. It would be a British transfer record, eclipsing the £107m that Chelsea splashed out on Enzo Fernandes back in 2023. But Bayer Leverkusen believe the German star is worth £126m (€150m). Talks are continuing between the clubs and will go on through the weekend. Liverpool do not want to pay the full asking price the Bundesliga side are looking for and are hoping to strike a compromise. Wirtz, 22, has made it clear to his club that he only wants to move to Anfield after Manchester City opted out of the race for his signature when it became clear his preference was Merseyside. Sporting director Richard Hughes is leading negotiations and is hopeful a deal can be reached in the coming days. Boss Arne Slot sees Wirtz as a player who can push Liverpool forward as they bid to defend the Premier League title and go for glory in the Champions League. He's seen as a talent who can make an instant impact but with the potential to become even better over the coming years. Personal terms won't be an issue once a fee is agreed and the player is waiting for the green light to head to Liverpool for a medical next week after Germany face France in the Nations League third-place play-off on Sunday. Rudi Voller, the former Leverkusen sporting director, speculated that progress on a deal was being made earlier this week. 'It's no secret that he'd like to go to Liverpool,' Voller told DAZN. 'I know the clubs are negotiating with each other. [But with] transfers like this [it's] often the case that it takes a while until an agreement is finally reached. Of course, in the end, you have the feeling it will go through. 'Florian Wirtz has proven that he is a very, very valuable player. Not only for Bayer Leverkusen but also for the national team. That's why he costs a few euros more.' Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool 'get green light' to complete huge £126m Florian Wirtz deal
Liverpool have already been busy in the summer transfer market with the signing of Jeremie Frimpong and are now closing in on a move for his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz Liverpool have moved a step closer to sealing a sensational deal for Florian Wirtz, with Bayer Leverkusen having now granted their permission for the attacking midfielder to complete a dream move to Anfield. The reigning Premier League champions have been credited with an interest in the German since the end of the season. It was thought that they were set to face competition from Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but they both dropped out of the race for Wirtz's signature. Liverpool have since been locked in negotiations with Leverkusen in an attempt to secure an agreement - and it now appears that they have managed just that. According to reports in Belgium, the Bundesliga side have given Wirtz the 'green light' to complete his move to Anfield. The clubs have agreed a fee of €150m (£126m) for Wirtz's services with personal terms already agreed. Former Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller had recently given an update on talks and suggesting he felt positive that a move would eventually be completed. 'It's no secret that he'd like to go to Liverpool,' Voller told DAZN (via Sport1). 'I know the clubs are negotiating with each other. [But with] transfers like this [it's] often the case that it takes a while until an agreement is finally reached. Of course, in the end, you have the feeling it will go through. 'Florian Wirtz has proven that he is a very, very valuable player. Not only for Bayer Leverkusen but also for the national team. That's why he costs a few euros more.' Meanwhile, Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard also shared his feelings on the Reds' potential deal for Wirtz and appeared to be a big fan. He said: 'There are rumours obviously, Florian Wirtz. 'A big talent who's done fantastic for Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen. He's got a huge future in front of him, so if Liverpool is the place for him, let's hope we can make it happen.' Should a deal be completed, Wirtz would be the second star to swap Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool. Arne Slot 's side also completed a move for fullback Jeremie Frimpong, who was signed for around £35m. Liverpool's business does not appear likely to end there either. The Reds are also closing in on a deal for Armin Pecsi from Puskas Akademia for £1.5m. They are also hopeful of signing his Hungarian counterpart Milos Kerkes from Bournemouth. The Cherries have put a £45m asking price on the left-back ahead of next season. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NBC News
16 hours ago
- NBC News
'No plans' for a Trump-Musk call to tamp down their feud, White House chief of staff says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will not be calling billionaire Elon Musk on Friday after their feud exploded into public, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. 'There are no plans for that today," Wiles told NBC News when asked about reporting by Politico that White House aides scheduled a call Friday with the billionaire Tesla CEO to try to patch things up between the two men. Trump is "not interested" in a call, a senior White House official told NBC News. White House press secretary said Trump is focused on the "One Big Beautiful Bill," the GOP domestic policy bill that Musk trashed, which triggered their falling out. "That's the mindset he left the Oval Office in yesterday," Leavitt said. A Trump administration official added, 'There could be anything — I'd like to de-escalate a very unfortunate situation. But there are no calls on the books, at least not now.' The spat began Thursday when Trump criticized Musk's recent attacks on the Republican policy measure over its estimated increase to the deficit, and turned into a full-scale blow-up that sent ripples through the halls of Congress and Tesla's stock prices. 'I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 'I'm very disappointed in Elon," Trump said. "I've helped Elon a lot.' Trump suggested that Musk, who earlier this week called the GOP bill a 'disgusting abomination,' was upset that the bill cut out a tax credit implemented by the Biden administration to incentivize electric vehicle purchases. Musk denied he was knowledgeable about the legislation. "False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!" Musk wrote in a post to X. The two men spent the rest of the day Thursday lobbing insults at each other on their own social media platforms — Musk on X and Trump on Truth Social.
