Yamasa, a 400-year-old shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) brand, was looking to launch nationally with consumers in the US. They’d built their US brewery in Oregon 30 years prior, but their primary market penetration in the states was in sushi bars and Asian-style restaurants. As they readied a push into retail, they asked Trinity to help define a unique brand positioning and bring it to life across all key touchpoints.
The new brand strategy carves out a premium tier in the Asian sauces category for Yamasa USA, creating an artisanal platform for their high quality shoyus, sauces and broths. The expressions Trinity has created for Yamasa include everything from packaging and website to social media content, advertising and retail POS. Trinity also manages Yamasa’s retail activation, special events and an Influencer Chef program. Every expression and activation we develop reflects Yamasa’s attention to detail, honors its rich Japanese heritage and celebrates being crafted in America.
The brand’s new visual system is anchored by an elegant white canvas adorned with choiceful touches of black and the brand’s powerful equity red, suggesting a Japanese inspiration. An iconic illustration links Yamasa’s roots in the Japanese town of Choshi to its home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley– a location chosen to match Choshi’s climate and pristine water. The distinctive line drawing style of the illustration extends throughout Yamasa’s look and feel, creating a throughline across the brand’s many touchpoints.
