After successfully collaborating with Walt Disney Japan on a series of furniture inspired by Winnie the Pooh, Nendo, led by designer Oki Sato, is back at it again. This time they’ve designed some irresistibly cute coasters and bottle stoppers/lids featuring everyone’s favorite bear.
The glass bottles are also originals but it’s the silicon lids, which recreate some of Winnie the Pooh’s more famous activities, that are clearly the focus. “Rather than focus our design attention on the glassware, we chose to redesign the coasters and lids,” says Sato. You can see more pictures on their website.
Winnie the Pooh, known as kuma no pooh-san in Japan, has always been a popular figure in Japan. According to CharaBiz, he consistently ranks amongst the 10 most valuable character brands in Japan, duking it out amongst the likes of Anpanman, Hello Kitty and Snoopy. But why Pooh? “He makes people feel at ease in troubled times,” explained Kazuo Rikukawa, director of Character Databank, back in 2002 when Pooh beat out Hello Kitty for the top spot. “He is comfortably imperfect, whereas Mickey is exhaustingly energetic and strong willed.”
source: press release
July 13, 2014 at 6:44 pm
Ha ha ha! Let’s talk shit followed by Winnie the Pooh.
July 23, 2014 at 8:02 am
My hackles go up every time I see another person’s work described as a Disney character. Winnie the Pooh was created by A. A. Milne. Disney Studios just changed the character into their usual standardized product.