Branding a Paramount Chief Through Visual Identity Design: Evidence from Global South

Branding a Paramount Chief Through Visual Identity

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan African culture, the supremacy of chiefs is highly respected therefore, the study used artistic research to promote the supremacy of the paramount chief of Yilo Krobo Traditional Area in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study identified the indigenous totems of the traditional area and used them to design a customised clothe to brand the paramount chief. Constructionism philosophy and qualitative research approach were used. Expert purposive sampling was also used to select 34 participants, and focus group discussion and document study were used for data collection. The data was analysed thematically and findings revealed that, there are six divisional totems used by the traditional area and one state totem used by the paramount chief. However, the traditional area does not have any traditional clothe that identifies their paramount chief. The researchers based on the findings to design a customised clothe that gives unique identity to the paramount chief. The customised clothe was further discussed through aesthetic appreciation by using Edmund Burke Feldman’s criticism model as a criteria. The model prescribes that, aesthetic appreciation of an art work must reflect the following elements: description of the work, analysis of the technical qualities of the work, making logical interpretations of the work based on the concept, and making informed judgment to indicate whether the work is good or bad. The aesthetic appreciation revealed that, the elements used in the design actually reflects the traditional totems and symbols of the Yilo Krobo ethnic group. It also creates unique identity for the paramount chief and accentuates his supremacy in the traditional area.