For Designer-Sushi, Japanese Ad Agency Creates Laser-Cut Seaweed

In an effort to reinvent the cuisine, without losing the sight of the age-old tradition embedded in the culture, Japanese ad agency I&SBBDO has created laser-cut seaweed sheets for sushi.

Called ‘Unimo Seaweed’, the delicate, paper-thin sheets of ‘Nori’ (the Japanese seaweed sheets used for sushi) were laser-cut with classic Japanese pattern designs to take the sushi experience to the next level.

Each decorative pattern symbolizes a notion—the Sakura patterns (Cherry Blossoms), symbolizes beauty; Mizutama (Water Drops), symbolizes luck; Asanoha (Hemp), symbolizes growth; Kikkou (Turtle Seashell) symbolizes longevity; and Kumikkou (Tortoise Shell), symbolizes long-life.

When the designer Nori gets incorporated into sushi rolls, a contrast is created against the white rice grains of the sushi—giving the traditional Japanese cuisine a modern twist.

The designer seaweed was developed to help a north-eastern Japan company boost their business after the 2011 Japan tsunami.

“It’s hard to think of a product that could spur less interest online than a black square of seaweed. The design of a square of Nori has not changed since its creation in the 15th century,” the ad agency wrote.

“Choosing the right designs was also important, as we wanted to convey the classic brand heritage and our positive hope for the future, so that our customers could sense our values and feel more optimistic when seeing our designs. We carved into Nori various Japanese classic patterns that signify happiness, long-life, etc, creating an unprecedented type of Nori as a result of the combination of a traditional product with a modern laser cutter, thereby conveying both our wish for the future, as well as our respect for the past.”

[via Jeannie Huang]