Kotaro is a Cancun-based Japanese eatery that specialises in ramen, baos, and gyoza. It expertly integrates classic Japanese elements like finely illustrated cherry blossoms and a love of fine artisanship with a decidedly tropical flair appropriate for the Yucatan peninsula. Warm and inviting, like a warm cup of green tea or the shade under a palm frond, the warm green used as the brand’s primary hue. Warm wood tones, used throughout the interior and in the kraft paper used throughout the packaging, help to bridge the gap between bamboo and sand associations. Minimal open layouts seem airy and light across the menu and other printed touchpoints, and humorous, slightly crooked typography keeps the brand from looking stuffy.
Sources
Kotaro Branding & Art Direction by Estudio Wikka. Grits & Grids. (2021, February 1). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from https://gritsandgrids.com/2019/01/kotaro-branding-art-direction-by-estudio-wikka/.
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