Joto Strategy
Joto is a range of artisanal Japanese sakes developed expressly for the North American market. To the Western eye, traditional sake packaging all looks the same—calligraphic brush stroke flourishes; black, red and gold graphics; faux woodcut stamps. Add to this that the names and information are all set in Japanese, and it’s almost impossible to build brand recognition and recall with an English-speaking audience.
Our strategy centred around ignoring sake packaging convention and developing a system that spoke directly to the target audience.
An approach that leant on familiar branding cues, such as strong colour, bold graphics and clear information. The outcome was a highly memorable brand that was easy to spot over a crowded bar.