Hope Super Lights

I haven't come across a packet yet, but this is a new (limited edition?) package design for Japan Tobacco's Hope Super Lights. The packet is wrapped in an extra layer of paper, which is printed in a way that makes it look like somebody has scribbled on the original package. Similar to pre-ripped or (recently very popular here) pre-stitched or otherwise customized clothes, this is an interesting example of a company embracing modifications consumers make to its product.

The design has won a prize at the D&AD Awards as well as a G-mark.

Toyota Bb

The Toyota bB – dubbed a "car-shaped music player" by the company – features an impressive audio system with nine speakers, a connection for a portable digital music player as well as lights flashing in rhythm to the music and comfortable, reclining seats. Judging from the catalogue, Toyota is trying to appeal to young, male consumers by driving home the point that this is a car that impresses the ladies. And who knows, maybe Toyota is also trying to solve the problem of Japan's shrinking birthrate in the process...

Black Highball

Nikka, one of the two large producers of Whisky in Japan, is trying to reach a younger demographic with its Black Highball, a Whisky-based coctail that comes in 330ml cans.

Souvenirs online

The Japanese company Traveler Corp. is offering to remove one major stress factor from travelling - souvenir shopping. Instead of spending a good part of their valuable holidays searching for presents for friends, colleagues and neighbours, travellers can order souvenirs from all over the world online prior to departure and have them home-delivered on their return.

Kids and parents

I have posted previously about the mobile phone for children released by NTT DoCOMo in December. In the meantime, the company has come up with a dedicated homepage for that handset, which is cleverly split into a part for children and one for parents. The content for kids (top) includes an animation showing how owning a mobile phone would solve some problems kids face every day, and is completely written in hiragana (the simple Japanese alphabet) so it can be read even by elementary school students. The site for parents (bottom) offers all the hard information, such as the safety features of the handset.

LISMO!

KDDI has started a new service which combines mobile phones and music with LISMO!, short for Listen Mobile. I will post on the technical details later, in the meantime you can enjoy a Japanese take on the iPod ads - a dancing squirrel - here. Why a squirrel? Well, squirrels are not only cute, but the Japanese word for squirrel, risu is pronounced almost identical to LISMO!.

Kirin Braumeister

Kirin is the latest brewery to come out with a premium beer. The Braumeister bares a striking resemblance to Bavarian beers such as Erdinger in the fonts and graphics. The slogan "weiter trinken" ("drink on") is absolutely perfect.

iD ad campaign launched

NTT DoCoMo has started an advertising campaign for its mobile credit card brand "iD" with posters in trains and stations in Tokyo featuring the logo on a gold background, trying to create a high-class image of the brand. More information on the launch of iD here.

Music Porter X

Sometime later this year NTT DoCoMo will release the successor to the Music Porter (a mobile combining talk and digital audio). The question - will it look like the concept model Music Porter X? Apart from other features, this would be the first mobile phone that can receive radio programmes via the Mobaho! network. Or maybe DoCoMo will go all the way and offer a phone that can also display the Mobaho! TV programmes as well?

New green tea drink from Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Japan has teamed up with Calpis and will release a green tea drink containing the L-92 bacterium on January 30.

Year of the Dog

2006 will be the Year of the Dog - not only according to the Chinese calendar but also Japanese consumer behavior, as the last few years have seen a huge boom in dogs as household pets that is bound to continue in 2006. Some facts and figures:

• The Japanese market for dog-related business is estimated to be about 1.2 trillion yen annually (Nomura Research Institute).
• Dogs have become fashion acessoires and therefore status symbols among urban females in their 20s and 30s , with rare and popular breeds selling for up to 1 million Yen.
• There are numerous dog-grooming salons all over Japan, and last year saw the opening of a hotel at Narita Airport where owners can check in their dogs while they are on holiday.
• Nintendo has released a very successful game for the DS in 2005, which allows users to raise, train and play with a virtual puppy from various popular breeds.

Click here for more information on the above artwork.