Nomenclature: Triscuit & the Ragamuffins
Project Description: Nomenclature (Latin for "name calling") refers to systems of naming things. Namenkultur is a culture-emphasizing, German twist on the original. This branding assignment explores the importance of name in driving brand identity & experience. For part one of the assignment we had to choose a curiously unusual brand name and research the meaning behind the name and then make it our own. Second part, was to create a pitch and brand identity from a fictional jazz band,Triscuit & the Ragamuffins then design an album that reinforces the identity.
Part 1: ASUS
Origin: The consumer electronic company is named after Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology. The founders dropped the first three letters in favor of the high position in alphabetical listings. In 1998, Asus created a spinoff company named Pegatron, using the other unused letters of Pegasus.
Redefine: The term Asus in an abbreviation of the phrase “Assimilate Us”. Its’ definition pertains to the ability to take into mind, thoroughly understand, utilize and absorb (information, ideas, or culture)–a summary of the company’s mission as it aims to be one of the world’s most progressive, innovative, multinational electronics company. Asus aims to create machines that are increasingly capable of natural intelligence thus coining the term “Assimilate Us” meaning to assimilate human intelligence.
Triscuit & the Ragamuffins debut album: Electric Baked
Part 2: Triscuit & the Ragamuffins, Brand Pitch & Album Cover Design
I was inspired by the terms “Triscuit” & “Ragamuffins” so I researched them separately. Triscuit was already an extensive brand and best known as a snack cracker. So instead, I toyed with ideal that this was actually a person named after the brand. Her name would later inspire the bands branding. The term Ragamuffin describes a person in ragged, dirty clothes. This inspired the ideal that they were street performers. I crossed the two words and it inspired a fusion, a meeting of styles and this created a backstory. Considering they were a jazz band, there was no better place than New Orleans to originate in. I wanted Triscuit to introduce a new flavor to the Ragamuffins' jazz style by being a Jamaican reggae-singer who migrated the United States who by chance saw them performing and started jamming with them. Why Jamaican or reggae? Jamaican/Reggae music was actually derived from finding relationships to jazz music. My research found Reggae musicians over the years have always used jazz chords, so their use in reggae is not new.
Backstory: Triscuit & the Ragamuffins is a jazz-reggae fusion band that started in in Louisiana. Triscuit is their lead singer that originally hails from Jamaica and migrated to New Orleans where she met her bandmates, the Ragamuffins, who were playing the streets of the French Quarter. Their meeting became a spontaneous musical fusion as they both started playing off of each other. Realizing the similarities in the jazz sound and Triscuit’s reggae vocals and musicality. This became the origins of their musical career as Triscuit & the ragamuffins’ sound and popularity travelled across the state landing them a record deal.
Branding: They are planning to break into the mainstream music scene with their debut album titled “Electric baked”. A play on the snack cracker of -the-same-name’s origins (Triscuits were advertised as electricity baked). But “Electric” refers to the band's eclectic nature of fusing two styles of music. “Baked” refers to their laid-back sound with its’ reggae influence and smooth jazz chords. The ad agency, which is us, decides to brand the group with Triscuit in the forefront of the campaign. She will be the face of the group. She best represents the bands fusion having migrated from Jamaica to New Orleans. Her styling represents the image of the band showcasing Jamaica’s vibrant style and attitude but paired with jazz’s elegant history.
The album cover features the lead singer Triscuit posing with the snack cracker with a high-fashion feel. She looks fresh and exciting but also just a celebration of the band’s fusion style.
