New Object Name and Application
Starting with a well-known item, the group uses brainstorm and improv techniques to create a completely new name, function, and identity for the item.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
The Applied Improvisation Mindset
Tools for Transforming Individuals, Organizations, and Communities
Theresa Robbins Dudeck; Caitlin McClure
The Improv Mindset
Change Your Brain. Change Your Business.
Gail Montgomery; Bruce T. Montgomery
Yes, And
How Improvisation Reverses No, But Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration
Kelly Leonard; Tom Yorton
Theatrical Improvisation, Consciousness, and Cognition
Clayton D. Drinko
Related Exercises
Generate New Ideas
Generate New Ideas is an applied improv exercise in which a group collectively invents a product from scratch -- naming it, developing taglines and jingles, assigning a celebrity spokesperson, and creating a brief promotional pitch -- through a rapid, collaborative ideation process. The exercise uses the product-invention framework as a vehicle for practicing group creativity, spontaneous Yes-And building, and comfort with presenting unfinished ideas with confidence.
Mantra Introduction
Mantra Introduction is a warm-up and self-expression exercise in which each participant introduces themselves to the group through a personal mantra -- a single phrase, statement, or declaration that captures something essential about how they approach their work, their life, or this moment. The exercise trains concise self-expression, commitment to a distilled personal statement, and the willingness to share something genuine with a group rather than a professional title or role summary.
This Is Jane
This Is Jane is a name-learning exercise in which players introduce each other to the group using a specific phrase and gesture. The structured format ensures every name is spoken aloud multiple times by different people. The exercise builds ensemble familiarity and establishes a supportive group dynamic.
Brain Drain
Brain Drain is a rapid-fire listing exercise in which a player must name as many items as possible in a category before time runs out. The speed prevents self-censorship and trains the associative thinking essential to improvisation. It can be played individually, in pairs, or as a group warm-up.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). New Object Name and Application. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/new-object-name-and-application
The Improv Archive. "New Object Name and Application." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/new-object-name-and-application.
The Improv Archive. "New Object Name and Application." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/new-object-name-and-application. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.