Stamp Works' branding for Japanese bakery is packed with fun and personality

Japan is full of great bakeries with amazing cakes and pastries, so how do you make a new business stand out from the crowd? Jin Fujiwara's fun, lively and colourful branding shows the way.

Written By: Tom May

31 August 2023

Person wearing a black t-shirt holding a bright yellow tote bag printed with "Bake bread everyday" and illustrated characters representing the bakery's founders

In bustling Kurashiki, a city in Okayama, Japan, sisters Yumi and Hito had grown tired of their mundane jobs. One day, they shared a daring idea: starting a bakery. Driven by this fresh passion, they bid farewell to their old careers. With savings and unwavering determination, they opened Bakery Two.

Early mornings became their routine as flour danced in the air. Yumi's artistic flair crafted delightful pastries and Osouzai bread, while Hito's precision ensured perfection. Locals were drawn to the bakery's warmth and the sisters' genuine smiles.

Two illustrated characters representing the bakery founders dancing joyfully against a bright yellow background, with one holding a large white speech bubble

Stamp Works' typographic branding system for Bakery Two featuring bold sans-serif and italic letterforms in yellow and white on black background

Split image showing a cartoon character sleeping on a yellow background on the left, and a yellow takeaway coffee cup with "drip it like it's hot" text on a dark surface on the right

To brand their new project, they turned to Jin Fujiwara of local design agency Stamp Works. "Our brief was to create an identity that reflects the two founders' personalities," he explains. "Yumi is very playful easy going and helps make Osouzai, while Hito is the perfectionist and in charge of the quality of the breads that are sold in the bakery. So, we decided to illustrate these two characters as the centrepiece of the identity.

Incorporating a mascot into your bakery's identity can be a fun and effective way to connect with customers, strengthen your branding, and create a unique and recognisable presence in the local market. And that's just what these fun, colourful and eye-catching illustrations achieve.

Four bright yellow promotional cards for Bakery Two featuring playful messaging including "super value", "keeping it real jikoy", "free" and "two", with one card showing a baked pastry priced at 220 yen

Yellow sandwich board on a street with "Today was a good day" text and Bakery Two branding

Bright yellow signage reading "Today was a good day" with a playful illustrated character and "Close at 15:00" underneath

Branding collage for Bakery Two showing yellow and white squares with bread products, illustrated mascot characters, and "Bake bread everyday" tagline

"Our illustrations showcased what Yumi and Hito's daily jobs look like in practice and used them in the different touch points," explains Jin.

Incorporating yellow and black into a bakery's identity creates a visually striking and emotionally appealing brand that sets the establishment apart and leaves a lasting impression on customers.

"As for tone of voice, we wanted to be fun and playful," he adds. "The two sisters play hip-hop in the bakery, so we were inspired by the lyrics of some famous rap songs."