Made in Japan, as seen from Portland.

Overview
For Mizuno’s 110th anniversary, we branded its high-end product line.

Question
What does “Made in Japan” mean to a runner on the other side of the world?

Challenge
The phrase has a long history. To mean something now, it had to be heard through the people who run in the shoes, not only the people who make them.

Approach
So we went to Portland, Oregon, a city full of runners, and talked with runners and the shops that serve them. What came back was the value of a sports industry that has matured, and why that value matters now.

With a local Portland design studio, we put it into words in several languages, and into design, from the typography down to the paper tags.

Outcome
A familiar phrase, heard fresh from the outside. And said in more than one language.