Cooking with Japan-ease
What we did:
- Brand Strategy
- Creative Strategy
- Verbal Identity
- Visual Identity
The Brief
We want to bring Japan’s number 1* to Europe to help foodies easily whip up their own Japanese-inspired meals.
The Insight
Our tastebuds love to travel. The media we consume is making us hungry for new experiences and educating consumers on more worldly flavours. But these exotic cuisines we enjoy in restaurants feel complicated and almost impossible to replicate at home.
The idea
Japan-ease
Mizkan’s expertise makes cooking a breeze.
Embodying Japan’s reputation as the ‘land of contradictions’, the visual style blends traditional craft with the excitement, energy, and vibrancy of modern Japanese culture. Now more accessible and engaging, the identity differentiates Mizkan from the more stereotypical, and often intimidating, aesthetic of many of the competitors.
Iconography, inspired by eki stamps found in Japanese train stations are 'Easter eggs' for those familiar with the culture, but also as functional design elements to help consumers use and navigate the products.
The brand voice acts as a guide, inspiring those with all the will, but no confidence in their skill, to learn and experiment with Japanese cooking. The fusion of English and Japanese language serves up authenticity with a side of accessibility, while the expressive, onomatopoeic phrases add texture and fun.
Enticing foodie photography invites homecooks into Mizkan’s world by offering exciting, yet achievable meal inspiration that helps them understand how to use the staple ingredients.
“Mizkan are the originators and innovators of real Japanese ingredients. Their products are a household staple in Japan, used and stocked everywhere from Michelin star restaurants to corner shops. But here in Europe, they’re relatively unknown. So the new identity needed to not only be accessible, but tell the story of their rich heritage.”
Sam
Senior Designer
Modern reinterpretations of traditional Japanese patterns are a clear visual shortcut to Japan and nod to Mizkan’s authentic roots.
The primary brand typeface echoes the style and shapes of Japanese characters to work in harmony with the Kanji. By using both the English and Japanese translations of product names and phrases, Mizkan doesn't just inspire, but educate.
“Japanese flavours are flourishing across Europe, but many food lovers still see them as exciting but a little unfamiliar. Bridging the gap between our rich Japanese heritage and the modern European kitchen, Robot Food have harnessed the spirit of our successful Mizkan brand in Japan and translated it into an accessible, household staple for EU foodies. The new expression is reflective of our passion, expertise, and has already helped us secure listings in major French retailers Auchan, Carrefour and Leclerc.”
Stephanie Mazel-Dawson
Head of Japanese Food Service & Retail at Mizkan Euro Ltd
*NO1 refers to Mizkan Vinegar and Ponzu only. INTAGE SCI ponzus & vinegars market share (52 week period ending 28 Feb 25)
