One of the more interesting, and perhaps tougher, jobs in marketing and advertising is coming up with brand and product names. Does it fit the category? Will it attract the desired consumer demographic? Does it look good on a box or in a commercial?
But for all the questions each and every moniker needs to answer, many are just gibberish that only take on meaning after the utility of the product catches on. Google? Q-Tip? Cadillac? What’s a Pepsi, really?
This week, the existential query of consumerism turned its attention to crackers. Yes, those crunchy bits that sit somewhere between cookies and chips on the snacking scale. Writer Sage Boggs revealed his journey into the truth behind Triscuit.
OK, buckle up. I wanna talk to you about Triscuit. pic.twitter.com/Tg7334OSbc
— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020
The consensus was that "TRI" means three. Maybe "three layers" or "three ingredients." No one knew for sure, though, so I Googled it. But here's the thing — Google didn't seem to have an official answer, either. Just more guesses.
— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020
"The "TRI" does not mean 3." How… how do they know what it DOESN'T mean, but NOT know what it DOES mean? HOW??
— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020
A completely valid question! Even a mildly peckish glance at the Nabisco cracker lineup reveals a roster primarily consisting of literal descriptive names: Wheat Thins, Vegetable Thins, Nabisco Grahams, and Better Cheddars are pretty self-explanatory. Even something as weird as Chicken in a Biskit is just a cracker flavored with dehydrated chicken. Ritz, created back in 1934, were named by Nabisco employee Sydney Stern, who picked the name to make the snack sound like a classy affordability to those who had lived through the Great Depression.
But Triscuit isn’t so easy.
I was baffled. And I couldn't stand not knowing. So I did a little sleuthing online, and stumbled on some early Triscuit advertisements. Take a look at these bad boys: pic.twitter.com/jbeBUmjeCF
— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020
Elec-TRI-city Biscuit
TRISCUIT MEANS "ELECTRICITY BISCUIT"
— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020
So now, when you’re getting to the back of the cupboard in these days of social distancing, stay in place, and general lockdown, you’ve got a decent story to tell everyone else you’re stuck with. Or just yourself.
Thank you, Mr. Boggs.
UPDATE:
It’s official.
We had to go all the way up the ladder but we CAN confirm ⚡️ https://t.co/yFWWL3MjX3
— Triscuit (@TheRealTriscuit) March 26, 2020
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