Pocky sticks have been Japan's top-selling chocolate snack for decades. They are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the country, and are particularly popular with kids and teenagers, for whom the social interaction of sharing them with friends is a key part of their appeal. But sales to adults between the ages of 20 and 39 had historically been weak, and the client had struggled for years to expand sales to that target group. It had tried offering them in different flavours and package designs, but none had been successful. Instead, the client had become trapped in a costly cycle of new product launches and package redesigns. Our objective, therefore, was to find a cost-effective solution to these problems that would enable the client to boost sales to young adults and achieve stable, long-term growth.

We designed new packaging to be used exclusively at upscale shops and sales outlets, transforming an everyday snack into a fashionable gift item. Instead of the product shots featured on supermarket and convenience store packaging, we employed simple, iconic graphics and a carefully selected range of colors to represent the flavors offered. We also designed a line of gift boxes in various shapes and sizes, and created movies that playfully depicted the product's journey from factory to consumer.

Our strategy was designed to give young adults an age-appropriate way to continue to share their love for a favorite childhood snack. We created new packaging decorated with stylish graphic artwork instead of photorealistic product shots, and introduced the repackaged snacks as a fashionable “gift box” item sold only at upscale shops and sales outlets. We placed no above-the-line advertising. Instead, we used social media to suggest innovative ways to create mix-and-match assortments of flavors and package colors. This effectively increased the brand's relevance to young adults by giving them a way to show off their design sense and originality, and to earn “likes” on social media.

We deliberately chose not to use the type of high-gloss ‘glamour-shot’ product images that are typically featured on confectionary packaging. Instead, we appealed to the more sophisticated design sense of adult consumers by decorating the outside and inside of the boxes with iconic illustrations. Using single-wall, matte-finish cardboard, we made different-colored boxes for each of the seven flavors offered, as well as carrier bags and multi-package gift boxes in a variety of sizes and colors.

With simple package design and effective use of social media, our creative work not only increased sales in what had previously been the product’s weakest segment (adults aged 20–39), it also generated 120 million yen in additional new sales in just five months (01.12. 2019–30.04.2020). As a gift item, the product has long-term appeal and can be sold at a higher price, while multi-package gift boxes encourage people to purchase the product in higher volume. But the most significant impact of our solution was on the client's business model. Instead of depending exclusively on mass-market sales driven by mass-media advertising, the client gained an important new revenue stream of high-value sales driven by user-generated social-media content. What’s more, it serves as a sustainable model that can be applied to other brands and products in the future.