This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Brands & Merch Business News
Union J to change name
By Aly Barchi | Published on Thursday 10 October 2013
In the ultimate in Faustian band-brand sell-outs, ‘X-Factor’ boy-quartet Union J have arranged to change their name in order to promote a video game. A Pokemon video game.
For this coming Saturday only, aka the day ‘Pokemon X And Pokemon Y’ hits shops, Union J will switch their Twitter title to Union XY, a move they claim is “cool”, “amazing” and “a natural fit”. And then on Sunday they’ll switch it back, probably. Presumably Twitter are on board here, so that someone can’t swoop in while the pop group are busy flogging video games and nick the pop act’s usual Tweet handle.
Speaking at a press call (whilst dressed like this), the band’s George Shelley, who apparently hatched the idea in the first place, said: “We’ve completely collaborated with doing the logo and everything. We’ve always loved Pokemon and it was a massive part of my childhood, I’m hooked on it. When I was telling the rest of the band how excited I was about playing ‘Pokemon X & Pokemon Y’, the idea to change our name just came to me. It’s cool to be part of the game in some way, it feels like a natural fit”.
And erm, there’s this:
