WPP Rebranding Da Vinci to Synarchy: Dumb Move or Dumbest Move?

(MoneyWatch)  My colleague David Weir has an excellent run down on the deal between WPP and Yahoo's online ad exchange (two failing giants huddling together in the cold, cold night from what I can tell). But the story out of WPP that's really lighting up the ad blogosphere is their decision to rename their effort at constructing "the ad agency of the future" for computer giant Dell from the somewhat silly Da Vinci to Synarchy, which is not only silly but also alludes to secret societies, facism, and just downright nutbar-level craziness. From the Wikipedia entry on Synarchy:

Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, an occultist, also used the word "synarchy" to describe a form of government where political power effectively rests with secret societies or, more precisely, esoteric societies, which are composed of oracles. He associated this form of governance with "ascended masters" in subterranean caverns of Agartha, who supposedly communicated with him telepathically. Saint-Yves believed that this synarchist world government was transferred to a hollow Earth at the start of the Kali-Yuga era, around 3,200 B.C.

Which, of course, sounds a lot like how it works at any corporate behemoth (such as *cough* WPP).

As always, George Parker of AdScam says it better than I can:

[T]he Wikipedia entry for "Synarchy" quotes from Vichy France when French industrialists saw Nazi Germany as an alternative to Communism: "Many of them had extensive and intimate business relations with German interests and were still dreaming of a new system of "Synarchy," which meant government of Europe on fascist principles by an international brotherhood of financiers and industrialists." How fucking perfect is that? Considering the "Synarchy" brotherhood still hasn't come up with a CEO after months of looking, you'd think that in true fascist style, the "Height Challenged One" would have had someone taken out and shot by now! Loved the bit at the end pointing out this wonderful new identity was created by Uber-Scam artists, Landor, which is co-incidentally, another part of the WPP Dark Star empire. Wonder if anyone's told them it's also the name of a Thrash/Metal group in the fucking Faroe Isles? Can't wait to see the ads!!!