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Sensational spelling is the deliberate spelling of a word in a non-standard way for special effect. [1]
Sensational spellings are common in advertising [1] and product placement. In particular, brand names [1] such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (crispy cream), Weet-Bix (wheat, with bix being derived from biscuits), Blu-ray (blue), Kellogg's Froot Loops (fruit) or Hasbro's Playskool (school) may use unexpected spellings to draw attention to or trademark an otherwise common word. [2]
Some bands in the mid-1960s (e.g. The Byrds and The Monkees) adopted sensational spelling. The Turtles successfully resisted an effort by their label, White Whale Records, to name them "The Tyrtles." [3]
Other examples include Def Leppard, and Led Zeppelin, in which "lead" was deliberately misspelled to make clear it is pronounced /lɛd/ (as in the metal lead) [4] rather than the other pronunciation of "lead", /liːd/ .