In 2013, the ice cream powerhouse Haagen-Dazs released a commercial entitled “Even the Name Tastes Good.” The premise behind the short commercial was simple, as a series of actors slowly and seductively mouthed the name of the company’s new Limoncello Galato product.

During the commercial, only the actors mouths were visible, which left the onus of the marketing strategy squarely on the pronunciation of the product name: “Li-mon-chello.” On paper, “Limoncello” is a nondescript name that simply gives the Haagen-Dazs product its identity. When said aloud, however, the name takes on an entirely new connotation, one that is immediately transferred to the product. The sensuality of the name produces an emotional appeal that gives the product a life of its own.

It is quite the phenomenon the way some words actually sound like what they mean. Take for example the words ticket, freeze and sting. These words are not onomatopoeic, like bam and boom, but somehow they sound like their subjects. The word “ticket” makes a similar sound to a ticket machine. The word “freeze” has almost the affect of freezing, a slow and gradual pronunciation. The word “sting” has a sharp and quick pronunciation, similar to the feeling of being stung.