KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA: What's in the name?

A toothpaste sold at a hypermarket here, has raised a few eyebrows as well as having drawn laughter as its brand name was considered to be rather suggestive by some people.

The brand? 'Oral-Me'.

The product is a toothpaste manufactured by a Kulim, Kedah, based company.

Melissa Leong, 28, from Sabah, felt the brand name carried sexual connotation.

"Manufacturers should think twice when naming their products," she said.

Kuala Lumpur based advertising executive Martin Voon asked if the manufacturer understood the phrase while coining the brand name.

"I'm shocked. Such words are normally found on a spoof," he said.

Kieran Sharkey, an English teacher in a college, said the name does not carry a positive connotation and could be misconstrued.

"With the amount of information available to the younger generation, I feel they can interpret it wrongly. Manufacturers should be careful otherwise they will be made fun of," he laughed.

The company could not be reached for comment.

This story was first published in The New Straits Times on Apr 6, 2008.