I suppose OTU1 and ASV2 are easier to write about in a publication. Brevity is clarity!
Why is renaming helpful to you?
Here's another thing to consider:
The linux command awk is great, but does not record any history.
Once you make the tree_with_otus.nwk file, it's provenance is gone!
We often answer questions by looking for clues in the Qiime2 artifact provenance history, if you use awk you are on your own.