Wagamama restaurant leverages AI design for retail packaging facelift

Morrama, a design and innovation consultancy, has unveiled a new packaging design for Wagamama’s in-store retail range of sauces and meal kits. This fresh look departs from the traditional black backdrop common in Asian-inspired brands, allowing the restaurant’s products to stand out on shelves.

Morrama used AI to test various visual styles, enabling iterations without the need for a photography studio. The innovative approach fostered collaboration with the Wagamama team, resulting in a design that enhances the brand’s shelf presence and elevates the at-home dining experience.

Jo Barnard, founder of Morrama, tells Packaging Insights: “We use AI sparingly at Morrama, and developing a prompt that provided the right imagery was a challenge.”

“It allowed us to bring our final concept to life more quickly and present the art direction we wanted to use for photography. This enabled us to streamline the project and help guide the food stylist during the shoot.”

Visual design upgrade

Jo Barnard founder of MorramaKey details from the previous packaging remain, such as the “shop” and “cook” instructions, chef’s tips and a QR code for inspiration directly from the Wagamama kitchen.

The updated packaging features vibrant colors and a bolder display of dish names across a range that includes meal kits, stir-fry sauces and mayonnaises. Morrama also utilized photography to highlight finished dishes framed by chopsticks, creating a visual focus on Wagamama’s products. 

“Our goal from the start of the project was to make Wagamama’s retail offerings pop and capture the attention of customers. We realized that nothing quite tempts you like a photograph of the food itself, and tapping into that insight was pivotal in our process of developing the final graphical style,” says Barnard.

“Drawing on our experience of previously working together, we were able to use an AI-driven approach in the concept stage that allowed us to explore and curate the visual style for the range.”

Sustainable vision

Morrama and Wagamama developed the company’s sustainability-focused takeaway packaging in 2022. Morrama replaced the brand’s black, virgin plastic bowls with a light gray recycled PET bowl and side dish.

“There are some strict constraints on retail packaging that limited us exploring and introducing new materials, however, we made incremental changes, including reducing ink requirements,” Barnard explains.

“As with all Morrama projects, the sustainability breakdown we carried out will feed into the ongoing development of Wagamama’s packs.”

Last year, Morrama and Deodorant brand Wild created a plastic-free and compostable refillable shower gel bottle made from supermarket junk food waste. Once the refill is empty, it can be put in a compost pile or general waste, where it will biodegrade “faster than a banana peel” and “leave no trace.”