Koike Saké

One challenge faced when designing the labels was how to differentiate between the types of sake. Each grade of sake provides a unique drinking and food-pairing experience. We used the ancient and auspicious motif of Sho-Chiku-Bai to create a three-tier ranking system that follows Japanese tradition.  Another creative way to tie the illustration choices back to the brand was by adding a small tag that hangs off the bottle's neck. This allowed more information to educate consumers about the tradition of Sho-Chiku-Bai, while also adding design elements that are in line with current industry trends.

Also known as the Three Friends of Winter, Sho Chiku Bai is a decorative motif adapted from Chinese ceramics that incorporates pine, plum, and bamboo elements. These three plants are associated with winter because pine and bamboo remain green year-round, and plum is among the first trees to flower in the spring. Together these elements represent the attributes of longevity (pine), scholarly and pure spirit (plum), and flexibility (bamboo). This motif is used to create a sense of hierarchy between things and products. In this context, the pine (松) usually is the highest rank, followed by bamboo (竹) as the middle rank and plum (梅) as the lowest.