Aquetha Sake-Verpackung by Tacto Inc. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award an Sëlwer in Verpackungsdesign Competition Category.

SëlwerVerpackung· 2024

Aquetha Sake-Verpackung

by Tacto Inc.

Client: Tacto Inc

A' Design Award an Sëlwer Winner in Verpackung Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #158293

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

Colors

The Design

About Aquetha Sake-Verpackung

Aquetha ass e Verpackungs- a Brandingdesign fir gereiften japanesche Sake. D'Fläsch gëtt vun engem Glaskënschtler handgemaach a vun der Schwéierkraaft geformt, wat eng natierlech Rondheet gëtt, déi de Verlaf vun der Zäit suggeréiert. Déi ofgerënnt Form ënnerstëtzt och eng glat Reifung nom Ofëllen. Transparent Etiketten ginn duerch e Blanndrock am Buchdrockverfahren (Letterpress) produzéiert, fir de klore Charakter vun der Reifung bei Äistemperatur ze reflektéieren. Déi einfach Baussebox huet eng Delle tëscht dem Deckel an dem Kierper, fir d'Zäitlinn vun der Reifung auszedrécken. Den Design presentéiert gereiften Sake als e Konschtwierk anstatt als en normale Produkt.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award an Sëlwer

Aquetha Sake-Verpackung ass e Gewënner vum A' Design Award an Sëlwer, enger aussergewéinlech prestigiéiser Unerkennung, déi un Designe vun der héchster Qualitéit, prächteg a beandrockend vergi gëtt. Sëlwer-Gewënner si bemierkenswäert brillant a ganz kreativ Wierker, déi d'erausragend Expertise, d'Talent an d'Schaarfsënnegkeet vun hire Designer weisen. Et gëtt erwaart, datt Aquetha Sake-Verpackung e wonnerbart, mustergëlteg, bemierkenswäert professionellt an déif innovatiivt Wierk ass. Dëst mam Sëlwer ausgezeechent Design ass eng bemierkenswäert, bewonnert Erfindung, déi dozou bäidréit, d'Grenze vun der Konscht, der Wëssenschaft, vum Design an der Technologie ze erweideren. Aquetha Sake-Verpackung ass eng Kreatioun, op déi vill neidesch sinn, déi Wënsch erweckt, positiv Gefiller bréngt an Erstaunen a Wonner erweckt.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Aged sake is a minor genre among Japanese sake, and the design team needed to re-propose it to the world in a way that is not bound by the traditional context of Japanese sake. Therefore, they created a design to position AQUETHA, which is characterized by ice-temperature aging, as the umbrella for the online gallery “Kitamura Sake Exhibition,'' which views aged sake as works of art, and as the first of the works that will be exhibited and sold there. Based on this concept, they planned and developed bottles that are hand-made by artists, and a website that functions as a gallery. The selection of works for the second and subsequent editions is already underway, as they have been well-received by Western liquor fans and young people who were previously unable to approach aged sake.
Dimensions & Packaging: Bottle: width 110mm × depths110mm × height150mm
Package: width135mm × depth135mm × height 165mm
Tags: Packaging, Product Design, Website
Production Technology: Bottles and packaging that do not compromise
on every detail as a “artwork”.
Design team commissioned glass artist Yutaro Kijima to create a bottle that is shaped by the force of gravity and has a natural roundness that gives a sense of the passage of time. Furthermore, in order to make the most of the clear impression that is a characteristic of ice-cold aging, they created transparent labels printed using blank letterpress printing.

The outer box has a simple shape to make the flask-shaped bottle look more attractive. they created a dent on the border between the lid and the main body to express the aging timeline, creating a luxurious feel that incorporates the delicate image of the work.

A website that acts more like a gallery than EC site.
On the website, design team aimed to create a gallery-like space where the consumer could "feel" the work rather than "buying" the product. AQUETHA's greatest feature, the delicacy that matures slowly over time, is expressed through white-based visuals and delicate lines. The spacious design creates a clean, simple and sophisticated image.
Design Challenge: Since the Sake bottle is designed to be handcrafted one by one with glasswork craftsman, it was challenging to make them a perfect size and shape to keep the quality of sake among temperature and moisture. Design team and glass artist had tried so many different shape to test wether the bottle keeps the quality of sake in different atmosphere. They ended up using rounded bottle that helps smooth aging of sake after sake is bottled.
Inspiration: Design team faced business issue of what can they do to increase the value of aged sake, which is an idle asset in sake breweries across Japan. They found inspiration in paintings, which value of painting varies depending on popularity and the time. The solution was to open an online gallery as a curator to exhibit and sell aged sake, a treasure hidden throughout Japan.
Project Duration: 2months, Tokyo, Japan
Operation Flow: This tends to be SDGs project because lots of sake brewery have unsold sake that is asleep for a certain period of time (it is perfectly kept to be aged sake). The design team has branded them as Aged Sake to turn unsold sake into a value for brewery and customer, which ultimately prevented from lots of sake become a waste.
Team Members: Creative Director: Hayato Itakura
Strategist/Copy Writer: Takuro Nakajima
Art Director: Kohei Futakuchi
Visual Designer: Kazuya Sakamoto
Image Credits: Photographer: Masato Ishibashi
Glass Artist: Yutaro Kijima