2017 / Packaging Design / Beverage / Professional

Japanese sake KOI

• Company
  BULLET Inc., Japan
• Lead Designer
  Aya Codama
• Design Team
  Designer: Aya Codama Project Director: Masayuki Habuki Project Manager: Yosuke Tanaka
• Client
  Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery
• Project Link
  view
• Other credit
  Printer: Yamaharu Glass Co. Ltd. Taiyo Printing Co. Ltd.

Our purpose for this project was “To create
an impressively crafted sake that represents
Japan”. We chose the famous, ornamental
Japanese koi fish as our motif. Called a
living jewel, koi has beautiful red patterns
on a white body, and it’s attracting many
fans worldwide. Our package expresses the
beauty of koi, with red patterns directly
printed on white bottle which resembles the
shape of koi. By cutting the box in a koi
silhouette, it visually emphasizes the image
of koi. This vividly designed package will
not only stand out in the store, but also be
an art piece to decorate your home.
Since the design is directly printed on the
bottle, not on the paper label, it stays even
having washed so you can reuse the bottle
remaining the beautiful design. Distributed
widely in Japan and overseas, this special
Sake makes an excellent gift.
Designing the package, we’ve been more
particular about the material in order to
make it unique from other ordinary Sake. The
smooth paper called “Kihoushi-FS” is used and
the brand name “KOI” in Japanese printed
using only gold foil to preserve the texture
of the material. To emphasize the beauty of
the white bottle, inside the box is all
covered with the gold sprinkled red paper.
Combination of white, red, gold colors makes
a luxury impression and successfully making
this stand out from other Sake.
Printing something on the curved white
porcelain bottle requires quite high
technique and was a challenge. Only the
limited company in Japan has its technique
and it took a lot of try and error to finally
bring it to successful result.