Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake by Maho Sekizuka

Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake by Maho Sekizuka is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award d'Argent in Disseny d'Embalatge Competition Category.

ArgentEmbalatge· 2025

Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake

by Maho Sekizuka

Client: Takeda Shuzo Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award d'Argent Winner in Embalatge Category

26,190
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #165941

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake

Aquest conjunt de tres ampolles de sake Daiginjo envellides presenta un embalatge amb animació de ranura combinat amb l'artesania tradicional japonesa. L'etiqueta desplaçable revela els anys d'elaboració—2004, 2012 i 2019—mentre que obrir la caixa simbolitza el procés d'envelliment del sake. El vernís transparent i els segells de làmina de plata accentuen els tons ambre de cada anyada. Equilibrant minimalisme i eficiència de costos, el disseny destaca la bellesa natural del sake i deixa una impressió duradora.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Argent

Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award d'Argent, un reconeixement extraordinàriament prestigiós concedit a dissenys d'alta gamma, esplèndids i impressionants. Els guanyadors d'Argent són obres tremendament brillants i summament creatives que il·lustren la perícia, el talent i la perspicàcia excepcionals dels seus dissenyadors. Es preveu que Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake sigui una obra meravellosa i de gran lluïment, remarcablement professional i profundament innovadora. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award d'Argent és un invent molt notable i admirat que beneficia i fa avançar els límits de l'art, la ciència, el disseny i la tecnologia. Utsuroi Embalatge de Sake és una creació molt envejada que evoca desitjos, introdueix sentiments positius i desperta sorpresa i admiració.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This set of three Daiginjo aged sake bottles features innovative slit animated packaging with changing logos to indicate the brewing years 2004, 2012, and 2019. Opening the box reflects the flow of time. The bottle seal highlights the progression of years using varnish and silver foil. The design emphasizes the amber color of sake, deepening with each vintage, adding a new layer of enjoyment to the sake experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 300 mm x Depth 232 mm x Height 64 mm
Tags: GraphicDesign, Utsuroi, PackageDesign, Branding, Sake, VintageSake, Katafune, Joetsu, Niigata, Japan
Production Technology: Specifications: Double printed with black ink + OP varnish. Gift box: Double printed with black ink + OP varnish. Material: PP transparent 0.25. Gift box: CB 270g/EF (single-sided white, C5).
Design Challenge: Achieving new concepts involved trial and error, applying slit animation to evoke the passage of time. Cost management balanced high-end design and budget limitations through careful material selection. The box design ensures ample white space and durability. Offset printing with double sumi ink achieved deep black sleeve animation. Bottle seal varnish highlights the vintage's amber beauty, fine-tuned for gloss. Packaging focuses on enriching the user’s luxurious sake experience.
Research: This research explores innovative packaging that transcends traditional boundaries, enriching the sake experience. Slit animation symbolizes time's passage upon opening, with varnish and silver foil on bottle seals highlighting the amber beauty of vintages. Stripping away decorations, the design emphasizes sake’s intrinsic charm. By balancing costs with luxury, it delivers exclusivity, ideal for gifting and creating memorable moments.
Inspiration: This product, limited to just 100 sets, aims to create a striking package that avoids classical styles and remains free from conventional constraints. It is designed to allow sake enthusiasts to focus on the tasting experience and fully enjoy a luxurious time for themselves. The package subtly communicates that it contains a set of sake from three different vintages. Despite keeping printing and processing costs low, the package maintains a significant presence suitable for gifting. These conditions, including the naming, were all carefully considered in the design.
Project Duration: This product was released on Friday, November 19, 2021, in a limited edition of 100 sets by Takeda Shuzo in Ogata, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.
Operation Flow: Using the principle of slit animation, opening the sleeve showcases the brewing years shifting from 2004 to 2012 and then to 2019. This conveys the concept of the passage of time from the moment the box is opened. The seals on the bottles represent the flow of time through the use of varnish and silver foil. The design eliminates decorations to emphasize the amber color of the sake, which becomes richer with each vintage.
Image Credits: Image #1: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.
Image #2: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.
Image #3: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.
Image #4: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.
Image #5: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.
Video Credits: Maho Sekizuka, 2021.