Client: Morinaga / Hi-Chew
Format: Brand world design (Europe)
Role: Art direction, design, copywriting
Agency: Fold7

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Background

Founded in 1918, Hi-Chew’s parent Morinaga & Company, was the first modern confectionery company in Japan and is now the largest in Asia. Soft and chewy, highly fruity and long-lasting, Hi-Chew launched in the US ten years ago and has grown into a $90m brand. It now hopes to recreate this success with its UK launch.

Approach

Hi-Chew is a bit of an oddity. It’s a chewy candy, sort of like chewing gum but it retains an intense flavour throughout. It was this ‘doesn’t quite make sense’ attitude which helped establish the overall tone of the work.

The aesthetic is subtly inspired by Japanese TV gameshow graphics and street signage. Short, sharp and irreverent at times, punchy colour combinations bring the intensity of the fruit flavours to the fore, resulting in a brand world that is highly distinctive and fun. Expressive typography which shares the form of Hi-Chew, gives it a bold, confident, soft and stretchy look.

The illustrations are constructed using the shape of the chew. Simple and blocky, it is highly versatile and can be used to create fruit, pattern elements, stickers and GIFs that can be organically shared across multiple digital platforms.