Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog

Marc Jacobs QR Code from SET Japan

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 30, 2009 at 9:15 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

Creative QR code innovators SET Japan, fresh off of their buzzworthy Louis Vuitton / Murakami QR code promotion, have now released a new edition for Marc Jacobs.

marc jacobs qr code set japan

You can only access the new Marc Jacobs mobile site from a Japanese phone after scanning the code, but the code itself is worth it on its own. Quite amazing how nicely they can be designed while still remaining incredibly functional.

Tags: Marketing, Mobile, QR Codes
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license

Louis Vuitton x Mobage Town Make Branded Mobile Game

Written by: Rebecca Milner on June 27, 2009 at 1:27 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | No Comments

louis vuitton mobage town game 1
Louis Vuitton Japan has created an original game for mobile web SNS and game portal site Mobage Town by DeNA. The free game, called Precious Cargo, will have a limited run from June 25th to July 7th. The simple puzzle game features a backdrop of the brand’s iconic monogram. Players try to line up the boxes with matching designs to clear the boxes, score points, and reveal images of Louis Vuitton products. The debut of the game is timed to follow up the opening of the Louis Vuitton “/underground/” concept shop that opened last month in Ikebukuro’s Seibu department store.

louis vuitton mobage town game 2

Trend Potential
Young potential consumers are given an opportunity to literally play around with the brand’s classic monogram. For many, the Precious Cargo game may be their first interaction with the brand—and Louis Vuitton endeavors to make it a positive and fun one.

Tags: Brands, gaming, Louis Vuitton, Luxury, Marketing, Mobile
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Shiso & Green Tea Cola for the Summer

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 9, 2009 at 7:20 pm | In PRODUCT INNOVATIONS | 1 Comment

I’ve been a fan of the vitamin C-infused Coca-Cola Plus for some time now, but that’s probably because it seems so tame compared to its beverage brethren these days.

Typically it isn’t Coca-Cola straying from their undeniably solid brand image, but Pepsi seems to have no problem playing around with colors, themes, and all kinds of flavor innovations on an regular basis. We all remember Crystal Pepsi many years ago, but recent years have brought us Cucumber, Blue Hawaii, Yogurt, and various other combinations of Coke’s ambitious rival.

weird japanese drinks

On the end of the image above are two latest cola variations in Japan: The upcoming Shiso-flavored Pepsi and the just-released Coca-Cola Plus with Green Tea flavor. The latter we had today, and it’s hard to tell the difference much since Coca-Cola isn’t going to go too crazy, but the shiso will surely be an interesting trial when it comes out in the next weeks.

Of course, it’s not just in the cola world where odd beverages pop up left and right, and there’s a method to the madness that ties into innovation, core-brand boosting, and creative destruction. It’s a wild and wonderful world when the drink choices change all the time, and disappointing when one of them gets you hooked and then vanishes without a trace!

Tags: beverages, FMCG, Marketing
Category: PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION

Bottle Innovation: I LOHAS from Coca-Cola Twists for the Environment

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 3, 2009 at 2:21 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS | 8 Comments

There’s a lot that can be done with PET bottle shapes, from sexier versions to the manipulated artistic pieces below. The bottles can communicate ingredients, emotion, or positive effects on the body purely by the bottle design and shape.

pet bottle art japan

New from Coca-Cola Japan, l LOHAS is jumping in on the Eco bandwagon with a bottled water that makes an environmental stand (at least marketing-wise) with its bottle design that twists up neatly into a 12 gram piece of plastic that is said to be 40% less than other PET bottles.

i lohas coca-cola

The marketing push makes the consumption process into three easy steps: Buy the water, Drink up, Twist up and dispose. Not too different from most other drinks, except for the twisting part which makes the waste noticeably smaller than your average PET bottle. While it may not make a tremendous difference in terms of waste (though it’s certainly space-saving), it does lend itself to a certain spirit of ecology that is making its way into Japanese society.