Kamakura

Kamakura sells ceremonial-grade matcha, the finest grade, traditionally reserved for the tea ceremony. The product was exceptional, but the brand spoke the same language as the rest of the category: soft greens, calligraphy, quiet rituals.

The brief covered the full brand: positioning, identity, packaging, and a dedicated whisking tool to complete the ritual.

Matcha is everywhere, and most brands look alike. Muted palettes, zen imagery and a reverent tone keep the product at a distance. For a new audience, ceremonial matcha feels precious, complicated and a little intimidating.

The challenge: make a centuries-old ritual feel desirable today, without turning it into a gimmick or erasing its origins.

We took the opposite stance to the category. Instead of guarding the ceremony, Kamakura invites people in, with confidence and a sense of humour.

The tradition stays at the core; only the attitude changes. Matcha becomes a cultural object, something you show off as much as you drink.

A bright, pop palette replaces the usual muted greens. The typography is built on rounded letterforms that borrow from Asian scripts, without the soft, ceremonial clichés.

The campaign stars older women enjoying their matcha with full swagger: a nod to tradition, delivered with the energy of a new generation.

The packaging breaks the codes too. A cubic stainless steel tin, rare in the category, designed as an object people keep on display. The signature box brings the whole ritual together: the matcha, a bowl and the whisking tool we designed for the brand.

Kamakura now has an identity that stands apart from its category: recognisable at a glance, easy to extend from packaging to social, and true to the ceremonial grade at its heart.

A quiet ritual turned into something people want to be seen with.