Turns out the word ‘Triscuit’ doesn’t mean what you think it means

By Jeff Beer

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.

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.

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.

Fast Company , Read Full Story

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