KIKS IGNACIO
UMAI CRATE BRANDING
Umai Crate was created in 2015 as Japan Crate's third subscription box. Through Umai Crate, customers receive a box of unique instant noodles and ingredients from Japan. It even comes with a recipe card based and an instruction booklet to make it more of a culinary experience than just a box of noodles. I was tasked on branding this crate, as I've done for most of Japan Crates releases, I chose to reference traditional Japanese patterns to help invoke the feeling of Japan's traditional culinary culture.
PRODUCT DESIGN
This box design is different from other boxes we have at Japan Crate mostly because of its peculiar size. It was designed in a way that would hold both cup and block instant noodles safely for shipping. It features the logo and the noodle pattern I designed for the brand. Ike, the brand mascot, is also featured in the crate posing with some Japanese cooking words. We wanted to make Umai Crate more than just a box of noodles you get in the mail. It really needed to be an experience for subscribers and encouraged their culinary curiosities. Each crate comes with an information booklet that explained the items you receive, instructions, and a section that featured pictures submitted by subscribers. I suggested adding a recipe card that features a couple of the items included in that month's crate. Since it was my suggestion, I was held responsible for developing these recipes every month, of course! Yep, I'm also a part time chef!
ONLINE PRESSENCE | MARKETING
My past experience as a food stylist really came in handy when we started Umai Crate. I have a couple of food styling projects for big brands like Unilever and Lipton Tea under my belt. You could say I'm pretty confident with my food styling skills! I really wanted to make the food the forefront of the brand so we tried our best to maximize the "foodie" potential of each product we advertised. It's always a fun challenge to dress up a pack of instant noodles to make them look more like something you can get in a restaurant. It also encourage customers to add on to their own noodles and show off their creativity by sharing their Umai Crate dishes through social media.