Kirin’s ad for Izayoi no tsuki (moon of the 16th night) beer
It’s well-known that Japanese culture values, and places much emphasis on, the four seasons. And it’s not uncommon for companies to incorporate seasonal themes into advertising. Japanese beer companies, in particular, are known for their proactive development of limited-time seasonal beers. But this super-creative ad by Kirin definitely caught our eye.
The Grand Kirin is a craft beer brewed in the style of a Calypso IPA. (Calypso happens to be the name of one of Saturn’s moons) And this Fall, Kirin is releasing a special Izayoi no tsuki beer, which celebrates the Jugoya autumn harvest moon. Specifically, Izayoi no tsuki refers to the moon on the 16th night of the month – the day after the harvest full moon, which was yesterday – and is meant to inspire a longingness for the moon, which has begun to wane and rise later in the evening.
when placed in train cars, the reflection renders a full moon (photo by @QianChong)
The ad itself is beautiful in its own right – an illustrated half-moon with similarly illustrated bottles that appear to be watching it rise. But when placed in train cars as they are intended, the glossy ceiling creates a reflection that renders the half-moon as full. As it so happens, today is the 16th day of the month so, this evening, look up into the sky, crack open a beer if that’s your thing, and wait for the moon to rise. As the ad points out, “there’s beauty in a waning moon.”
the rest of the packaging design is also nicely done
