Tanaka 1789 X Chartier Sake Blend 001: A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

Laurent Hainaut's Award-Winning Design Merges Two Rich Cultures into One

The inspiration for this design is deeply rooted in the distinctive architecture of the Tanaka Brewery. The black on black grid pattern in the background of the label is a nod to the beautiful brewery walls, a characteristic feature of the Edo period’s Kura architecture. This grid pattern, printed as varnishes around the bottle, is sequenced to create a series of hexagons, a symbol of Chartier’s aromatic science and expertise.

The design's unique properties lie in its ability to encapsulate the essence of both Tanaka 1789 and Chartier. The minimalism, elegance, and luxury of black and white, prominent in both brands, match the quality of the product. In traditional sake packaging, black bottles are reserved for the most premium Sakes. To illustrate the “best of” in the brand’s identity, Hainaut combined Tanaka and Chartier together in a cross pattern to create a strong logo lockup—using a common A to bring the two words together.

The realization of this design required a modern, simple, and sophisticated approach. The designers were inspired by the pattern of the traditional brewery’s wall and the hexagon that is a part of Francois Chartier’s brand. The design selected for the label was a beautiful blending of the two, and the team extensively researched the paper stock to use for the label that would be the perfect grain and texture to seamlessly match the color and texture of the bottle.

The design team, consisting of Michelle Mak, Kei Hayashi, and Linda Tseng, worked closely with Chartier to develop a brand and visual strategy, as well as a design system, to represent the collaboration between the Tanaka 1789 Brewery and Francois Chartier. The clients were looking for a very modern interpretation for this brand, and that was achieved in the design.

The Tanaka 1789 X Chartier Sake Blend 001 design was awarded Silver in A' Packaging Design Award in 2021. This award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.