Isis Wallet Changes Name To Softcard Because Of Course It Does

In a move that’s only shocking because it didn’t happen sooner, Isis Wallet is officially changing its name to Softcard. Softcard CEO Michael Abbott released this statement:

In July, we announced that we would rebrand the Isis Wallet to avoid confusion and association with a violent Islamic militant group in the Middle East whose name, when translated into English, is known by the acronym, ISIS. However coincidental, we have no desire to share a name with this group and our hearts go out to those affected by this violence.

Our search for a new name has been rooted in our founding vision: to use the power of the mobile phone to help consumers find a safer and better way to shop, pay and save. But we also wanted a name and visual identity that had the power, flexibility, and simplicity to define our category. Today, I’m pleased to announce that we will rebrand the Isis Wallet to Softcard.

President Obama is set to appear on TV tonight to address the nation on his plans to combat the ISIS terror group. Meanwhile, newly-named Softcard, available for both Apple and Android devices, scrambles to distance itself as far as possible from the name association to the group that may end up causing yet another war in the Middle East. Softcard might be a boring and almost meaningless name with its plainness, but that’s exactly what could help it go a long way to becoming more widely accepted. It already sounds like something you use every day just because it has such a generic name. It’s the equivalent of Kleenex, Band-Aid, and more recently, Gmail. Don’t think that the common — even mundane — new name for Softcard was anything less than a purposeful decision to become part of your everyday vocabulary.