PROJECT
Oyatsu TIMES
Created confectionery brand with JR East for disaster-stricken areas. Products celebrating regional charm and producer stories achieved popularity, driving economic recovery.
WHY
To support
small and mid-sized enterprises
affected by harmful rumors
due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident that occurred immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 caused a widespread health and food safety concern for agricultural products. However, most commodities were, in fact, safe. The tsunami had covered approximately 500km of East Japan coastal areas, which meant parts of the Japan Sea had no damage whatsoever. However, the whole of “East Japan” and “Tohoku” both received reputational damage. As smaller companies of the food industry suffered from this reputational damage, we questioned what we could do to support and revive the whole of East Japan.
Monthly business closures related to Great East Japan Earthquake
Investigation on the origin of food products causing hesitation during purchases(multiple choices)
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident that occurred immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 caused a widespread health and food safety concern for agricultural products. However, most commodities were, in fact, safe. The tsunami had covered approximately 500km of East Japan coastal areas, which meant parts of the Japan Sea had no damage whatsoever. However, the whole of “East Japan” and “Tohoku” both received reputational damage. As smaller companies of the food industry suffered from this reputational damage, we questioned what we could do to support and revive the whole of East Japan.
HOW
A confectionery package
designed as a local media.
We performed comprehensive production and art direction of JR East Japan’s snack brand “Oyatsu TIMES” for their regional rediscovery project “Nomono” (meaning “of something belonging” in Japanese). Oyatsu TIMES is a brand aiming to revitalize Tohoku and areas of East Japan, of a selection of delicious snacks made in various parts of East Japan. We repackaged them into smaller sizes to be carried around easily, distributing them nationwide. We were able to reduce transportation costs by using cargos of overnight buses run by JR, resulting in the product price to be in good competition within the metropolitan market. By creating a newspaper-like package with articles of producers and products listed at the front, with travel information and destinations on the back, we were able to find a right PR balance between the products and the railway company.
To give a sense of active presence in stores such as the convenience store, we designed a simple yet eye-catching package based on a colorful two-tone stripe that resembled the contents inside.
WILL
A brand supporting East Japan,
earning sales of over
triple than expected.
Oyatsu TIMES, utilizing JR East Japan sales force and networks of various group companies, achieved sales of approximately 300% of its expected sales. The lineup has expanded to around 30 different kinds. Through this project, we created a new market for snacks, increasing its sales at a substantial rate, where smaller manufacturers were able to leave a significant impact on the business industry.
We look forward to the continuing growth and contribution this brand will have to revitalize East Japan as a whole again.
INFORMATION
- What
- Oyatsu TIMES
- When
- 2016
- Where
- Japan
- Client
- East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Trading Co., Ltd - Scope
- Packaging / Promotion Strategy Support / Photograph (社内リリース素材使用のみ)
- Award
- Good Design Award(2016)
- Topawards Asia: “HONEST” Category(2019)
CREDIT
- Creative Direction
- NOSIGNER (Eisuke Tachikawa)
- Art Direction
- NOSIGNER (Eisuke Tachikawa)
DODO DESIGN (Minoru Dodo) - Graphic Design
- NOSIGNER (Eisuke Tachikawa, Kosuke Noma, Tomoro Hanzawa),
Kazuhiko Hasegawa
DODO DESIGN (Maya Asada) - Illustration
- Masatoshi Tabuchi
- Copywriting
- Hiroko Kawabata
- Production
- East Japan Railway Company
EAST JAPAN RAILWAY TRADING CO., LT
