Which type of marks require imagination to connect to a quality of goods or services?

Suggestive trademarks require a degree of imagination or thought for consumers to connect them with the quality of the goods or services offered. Unlike descriptive trademarks, which directly describe a characteristic or quality of a product, suggestive trademarks hint at or allude to the qualities or attributes of the goods or services, compelling consumers to use their imagination to make that connection. This imaginative leap is what distinguishes suggestive marks from merely descriptive ones, as suggestive marks are capable of indicating the source of a product without explicitly describing it.

In contrast, arbitrary trademarks consist of common words that have no inherent relation to the goods or services they represent, relying on their placement to denote origin rather than meaning. Generic trademarks, on the other hand, merely describe the general category of goods or services, making them unsuitable for trademark protection because they do not indicate a specific source. Thus, suggestive trademarks are unique in that they invite consumers to think beyond the surface meaning, fostering a more creative association with the product's qualities.