Gripe No. 62: The DX Tee-Bird is hyphenated (and I hate it)

My day job is in public relations.

Writing plays a big role in what I do.

This is great for Green Splatter.

Another semi-frequent undertaking is branding and branding-adjacent work. Technically, this is more of a marketer’s task, but it’s part of messaging, which is right in my field’s wheelhouse.

Writing. Branding. Messaging.

Want an entry-level example of all three?

Here are a few:

• It’s eBay – not Ebay.
• It’s Walmart – not Wal-Mart.
• It’s ExxonMobil – not Exxon Mobil.

Did you catch all that?

Stylization.

This might seem nitpicky, but consistency across all possible touch-points is key for both current and prospective buyers: logos, demos, signage, products, websites, social media channels, etc. Getting this right isn’t a question of outright brilliance. Rather, it’s an issue of not being lazy.

Which brings me to today’s beef …

The Innova Teebird.

Or “Tee-Bird,” depending on the plastic.

Here’s an image of the Champion Teebird:

Regardless of plastic, they all say “TeeBird.”

Except for the DX Teebird …

Here’s what that looks like:

If you’re even the tiniest bit OCD, this’ll drive you bonkers.

But wait …

It gets worse.

In my head, to try and find an explanation for the random, irregular spelling of “Teebird,” I went to the PDGA’s  archive of approved discs. I figured “Tee-Bird” might’ve been the O.G. spelling. And to pay homage to it, Innova decided to stylize the stamp as such atop its oldest polymer …

The DX stuff.

However, my quest only led to more iterations of the “Teebird” name.

Check this out:

So to recap:

• Teebird
• TeeBird
• Tee-Bird

Throw the 3-series into the mix, and the madness only compounds: Teebird3, TeeBird3, Tee-Bird3, Teebird 3, TeeBird 3 and Tee-Bird 3. Apparently, these options are ALL on the table.

So, which is right?

“TeeBird” and “TeeBird3” are what Innova uses on the discs’ official pages, as well as on the discs themselves – not including the DX Tee-Bird, of course. Yet, further adding to the insanity of all of this, totally blind of plastic type, the Firebird and Thunderbird have uniform spellings.

Go figure.

As for me, “Teebird” and “Teebird3” are what I use.

You probably do, too.

Anyway, you know what makes this WAY more insufferable?

That stupid hyphen on the DX Tee-Bird – it still exists.

Kill it off, Innova.

Thanks in advance.

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