Japanese tradition with western appeal: Artisan sake brand revamp

27 Aug 2018 --- Akashi Sake Brewery is an artisanal sake producer based in Hyogo, Japan. Their flagship product, Akashi-Tai, is a premium range of five artisan sakes, brewed in small batches using traditional methods. The brewery needed a new design for Akashi-Tai, to position the brand as an authentic, premium player on the global stage. Design agency Cowan London worked with the brand to help define the proposition, brand essence and brand story, the agency explains.

The design challenge was to create one new identity for two diverse markets with different cultures, codes and customers. The brand needed to remain credible in Japan, while engaging new audiences in emerging Western markets. By fully understanding sake, the significance and importance of Japanese symbolism and iconography and gaining an understanding of Japanese codes and nuances, the agency explain how they were able to deliver fully.

The Tai (sea bream) is at the heart of the brand identity, which embodies the attributes the brewery aspires to: strength, resilience and curiosity. The agency worked closely with artist Aurore de La Morinerie to design the illustration and with Hirano Sogen to create the kanji identity.

Craft food and beverage product launches have experienced a CAGR of +28 percent globally over the past five years, reports Innova Market Insights. Craft NPD has moved from the initial craft beer movement to a wider range of beverage products, including spirits, tea and coffee. The marketing of craft food and beverages encompasses themes of authenticity and differentiation, such as highlighting artisanal processes, local production in small batches and the origin of ingredients, which creates a highly inventive space for marketing and branding to add a level of premium or authenticity to such products. With Akashi Sake, we see an authentic Japanese products being carefully branded to appeal to both local and Western markets.