Case Study

Chu-Lo Soft Drinks

Mission

Develop the branding for Japanese-inspired soft drink Chu-Lo, a non-alcohol version of the popular Chūhai beverage. Deliverables include brand logo, colour scheme and brand guides, and package design for the initial three flavours.

SCOPE OF PROJECT

Building a brand

As a result of the unusual sound of the brand name, it’s important to give the customer an aid to help pronounce it correctly. Dividing the two syllables with the ‘rising sun’ element and capitalising both provides a visual guide on how to phonetically pronounce the name.

Katakana type was introduced to visually connect the beverage and brand with the Japanese element.

The iconic vertical Chu-Lo logo was also adapted into a horizontal format to ensure it fits any and all marketing touch points.

Setting the mood

Pop

Bizarre, cutesy and absurd cartoon characters are everywhere in Japan from the pages of anime comics to police notices. As a result, they’ve earned themselves a worthy place in popular modern Japanese culture.

Cult

Underground subcultures and peculiar dress styles, particularly around Harajuku, are hugely popular with young people in Tokyo. These are often inspired by cultural icons such as Yakuza-famed tattoos, B-movies and rebellious trends.

Neon Tokyo

Famous for its neon signs and ubiquitous electric lights, Tokyo is an exciting, fun spectacle and one that is unmistakably Japanese.

Packaging

Identified as one of the principle target audiences, the ‘fanboy’ anime comic collector is an admirer of Japanese culture and artwork.

To encourage engagement with the product, the packaging is designed to showcase a diversity of ‘wallpaper’ artwork all of different styles created by various artists.

As a result, the branding must be visually bold, strong and immediately recognisable.

The vertical red stripe device – complete with a typically Japanese vertically aligned type – takes centre stage, holding together the Chu-Lo branding while being able carry very different styles of artwork styles on the rest of the package.

Styling

Fruity
The flavour of the drink is indicated with a visual depiction of the fruit. To compliment the illustrated package design, these fruits are rendered with a halftone pattern in the style of comic print.

Typefaces
The Chu-Lo brand is designated three typefaces: PT Sans, a legible typeface for body copy; Blow Brush, which pays homage to the traditional Japanese brush and ink calligraphy serving as a secondary typeface for display; And a third, Blur, designed by revered British Designer Neville Brody celebrating the East-meets-West concept of a British soft drink inspired by the Japanese Chūhai.

Body Typeface – PT Sans