In collaboration with Golin Ketchum and Ajinomoto, I was asked to design a mailer commemorating the launch of their new chicken and pork gyoza packs.

The brief was ambitious: the client wanted a design that conveyed a sense of wellbeing, remained consistent with Ajinomoto's existing visual brand language, and felt unmistakably Japanese. On that last point in particular, it was important to me that the design read as authentic and intentional, rather than as an outsider's uninformed interpretation of Japanese culture. To that end, every design decision was carefully considered before being presented to the client.

The concept initially took the shape of an omamori — a traditional Japanese charm symbolizing good fortune and wellbeing — with the interior styled after a bento box, housing the gyoza packs, dipping bowls, and chopsticks. Ultimately, the exterior form was revised to that of a standard bento box, ensuring the concept would be more immediately legible to Western consumers.