Interesting. I was with visiting Esso-Humble in Houston when the "corporates" and publicity people from NY descended and presented the new EXXON.

The corporate heads had little to do with its creation, that was the product of some advertizing agency that sold the idea to the Board. Not all of the heads were happy with it, but they went along.

The man who gave the presentation told us that it couldn't be confused with any other and did not lend itself to any mis-pronunciations, etc.

Almost immediately, someone in a back row muttered; spell it backwards, and pronounce it in two syllables.....

"Esso" continued in use in some overseas operations, and "Imperial" is used in Canada. (other names were used locally in the past- Carter in Oklahoma, etc.