A fascination with match labels

「Match Design Factory」is a collaboration project between TRUNK DESIGN and Kobe Match Co., Ltd., a Himeji-based company in Hyogo that has been producing matches since the early Showa period (1926-1945). In spring 2009, Mr. Masafumi Sagayama, at the time the third-generation Managing Director of Kobe Match and now President, was looking for ways to revive and leverage their classic match label designs. Hearing about this by word of mouth and seeing the retro label designs firsthand, inspiration sparked in my head: ‘I want to make them into T-shirts.’ Just two days later, I had produced sample T-shirts and brand tags; I even wrapped it up to give a sense of the whole retail experience and presented them to President Sagayama. The two of us hit it off immediately, and before we knew it, we had been discussing ideas for more than three hours.

It was in the summer of that year that Match Design Factory launched its first line, featuring retro design T-shirts paired with reissued matchboxes. The initiative created a real buzz, and was featured on national television.

NHK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk1JDAiPca8

Brand development is about increasing connections with consumers

Match production is a long-standing local industry in the Himeji area of Hyogo Prefecture, and accounts for around 70% of all matches made in Japan. However, now that the custom of lighting a match is fading from daily life, the number of people who know about this industry, even amongst the locals of Hyogo Prefecture, is decreasing. Production has declined to the extent that there are now only three companies in Japan, including Kobe Match, that are able to produce their own unique matches, from the matchstick to the match head. My intention was to propose a new type of craftsmanship from a slightly different perspective, while preserving the production technology and business structure that makes Kobe Match one of the best in the country.

Unlike conventional wholesale and OEM business, by promoting products using our brand platform, Match Design Factory, matches began to catch the eye of young people as stylish accessories. This led to the development of new sales channels such as home accessory stores, events, and our own ecommerce site. The connections with users have broadened and increased awareness of the brand with new customers. This is an example of how we have been able to dramatically increase the unit price of matches without altering the manufacturing process itself, simply by changing the way they are presented and sold through the power of design.

Opening new doors by linking local industries in Hyogo

Since then, I have visited Kobe Match frequently to develop the branding and also to support the collaboration between matches and local industries in Hyogo Prefecture. So far, we have released leather match cases made in Himeji, the home of leather tanning, and matches made from the byproduct of forest management in Tamba Sasayama. Reviewing the culture, history, and techniques developed by the match industry, we are resetting the industries’ framework with a fresh perspective, designing methods to bring new light to the humble match, transforming it from a mere consumable to an object with a story to tell. With this belief we developed the ‘incense match’, a collaboration between match makers and incense makers, the traditional industry of Awaji Island. We named this product “hibi” in the hope that it will become a new fragrance ritual in people’s day to day lives. TRUNK DESIGN managed the comprehensive art direction, from product name and package design, to PR tool creation. The product was launched in spring 2015 with a vision for overseas expansion.

Match design factory
http://www.m-d-f.jp

hibi 10MINUTES AROMA
http://www.hibi-jp.com