Japanese retailers continue to capture our attention. UNIQLO seems ready and willing to challenge HM for the coveted role in defining accessible fashion for the young (remember the Gap?….us too…). Bathing Ape (BAPE) can thank a steady stream of hip-hop and dance music artists for their growing success. $400 BAPE hoodies are not uncommon on Ebay.
Muji is different in that they sell a wide range of consumer goods (from clothes to toothbrushes) with a “All Value, No Frills” branding philosophy. Think of IKEA or Target without the company logo screaming at you and that would describe Muji pretty well. One of IKEA’s recent ‘Be Brave, Not Beige’ slogans is a stark contrast to Muji’s embracing of all things neutral. Their commitment to minimalism starts in the design process which shuns the use of computer in favor or creating designs and prototypes in recycled paper. Their products reflect a continuing movement in Japan (and everywhere) to simplify and scale down the excesses of branding and ‘noise’. Masaaki Kanai, the company’s director says
“Thirty years ago, our company noticed that the Japanese love branded products that have low quality, so we decided to put up a brand that does not have labels, but offers cheap, high-quality goods,…We want the people to choose with their own eyes, not because they have been lured by a logo.”
When ‘No-Branding’ Becomes Branding
Rather than being ‘Amish’ about it, the company expands and grows their influence by entering non-traditional markets. In 2001 Nissan asked them to develop a line of cars directed at young people. A nondescript, almost painfully plain car that was a moderate success but an important indicator of the companies influence with young people. And now they’ve taken their philosophy digital with the release of their applications for the iPad. They’ve married their paired down design sense with meeting basic needs for the digital community. Their calendar app is reminder that you don’t need to beat people over the head with bells & whistles. You drag appointments from one place to another, switch from monthly, weekly and daily schedules with ease and it sync’s with your Google Calendar. Oh, and it’s free. Muji Notebook is the $4 application that Apple forgot to create. Simple, easy to use and necessary. Not branded but completely safe within their brand.
Why Should We Care
How much yelling does your company do? We’ve had (have?) clients who define an ad, website or brochures success on how large their logo is. It’s a cliche to say the world is changing, but we are seeing something happen here that is significant. Decades of consumers being defined by the logos you wear, carry and drive is fading. A young, urban and marketing savvy culture is embracing a company that eschews any of that. They’ve found success in minimal, solid design with that branding that quietly, yet strongly says ‘we’re very good at what we do’.
