The Ramones exhibit at the Queens Museum is AWESOME. Seriously. If you’re anywhere near NYC, make your way to Queens and check it out.
My 22 month-old’s favorite book is What Is Punk? by Eric Morse (aka “Punk Book!”). He runs around the house screaming “Gabba ‘ey!” and “‘Ey! Oh! …Go!” Despite his budding Ramones fandom, museum exhibits aren’t really his thang, so we didn’t get to spend as much time reading and studying as I’d like. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun and took a lot of pictures for closer inspection later.
And while I went as a fan, once I got there, it dawned on me that The Ramones are really the epitome of good branding. Hey! Ho! Let’s… consider how this connects to my professional life!
First of all, their iconic logo (designed by (and so bad-ass-ly tattooed on the back of) Arturo Vega) is immediately recognizable. It’s an ironic play on the presidential seal that plays right into The Ramones’ anti-establishment ethos. The fact that they are a punk rock band with an actual logo is amazing in and of itself.
But beyond the logo, everything they did was so perfectly consistent and “on brand.” The songs, the hair, the uniform (leather jacket, tee shirt, jeans, Chuck Taylors), the “fuck the world” attitude, the super-fast, immediately recognizable 2-minute songs… I mean… They’re the definition of #brandgoals! And for sure that’s one of the reasons their legacy has stayed so strong.
The Ramones have become so ubiquitous that their genius is often overlooked. But really, it’s the reason they have become such a part of the cultural landscape. This exhibit shines a light on what made them so special and honors them in a way that is fitting and long overdue.
P.S. Rock and Roll High School is maybe my all-time favorite movie. And if I ever have a daughter, I’m probably naming her Riff.