Cultural Collisions & Global Design
I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks in Tokyo last year and enjoyed the massive, pristine city and all it had to offer. ‘Design’ was everywhere, but in a very different form from what I’ve seen in the U.S., and Europe for that matter.
I think today’s ‘design landscape’ at it’s best, is a wonderful collision of cultures and points of view. Ideally resulting in a simple, easy to ‘get’ message.
I brought back 2 packages from the trip. One was ‘Kewpie’ Brand Mayonnaise, packaged in a tube with an over-wrap . Simple, charming, yet effective graphics (who needs a clunky glass jar or a dozen colors)?
Mayonnaise has been a favorite in Japan since 1925 and is made with rice vinegar, as opposed to the typical French vinegar.
The 2nd item was a
packaged mascot for the Tokyo Tower. The Tokyo Tower, is Tokyo’s answer to Paris’s Eiffel Tower. Built in the tense atomic time of 1958. And taller! What I found interesting, was how Japan interpreted such French classic icons, as the Eiffel Tower and the humble staple of French cooking, mayonnaise.
What struck me was the simple, direct and obviously humorous aspect of a lot of Japanese packaging design. From the fun ‘donut kiosks’ to the ice cream cone displays found on a lot of Tokyo’s streets.
(I don’t know how the citizens stay so thin).
I think it’s easy to over-think packaging design at times and get caught up with the perceived ‘standards’ and minutia of the ‘norm’. There is something to be said about employing a simple, direct and playful element to what we do. 
A message that quickly speaks!
We all connect to something that visually grabs us at a base and visceral level.
Sometimes getting the message across (and getting a consumer’s attention) works best with an honest dose of humor…….and a directness that doesn’t cloud or confuse.
Point me to the nearest donut kiosk.
