Project scope
Copywriting, Editing, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography
Seasonal Invitation is the name of Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo‘s guest relations print booklet. The hotel has been producing it for more than 60 years. Published every other month, it is distributed to some 60,000 individuals in the hotel’s database.
In June 2018, Paradigm won a competitive pitch to completely reimagine it. Here’s what we did.
First, we overhauled the approach to content, choosing to use less text than in previous incarnations of the print booklet. This helped to give the images more room to breathe. But the quality of the words we did use was a high priority. Our head of copy, Andrew Howitt, and his team of writers crafted Japanese and English text that would engage readers. In addition, we decided to add sections featuring interviews with interesting people who worked for Hotel Chinzanso.
We also decided to take a novel approach to the covers, so we commissioned the award-winning Polish illustrator Ewelina Skowronska to create them for us. When opened, the unique cover flap that we created reveals the key subjects of the print booklet.
One of the most important aspects of Seasonal Invitation is showcasing the amazing food available at the hotel’s restaurants. To do this at the highest level of quality, we engaged professional photographer Tatsuro Kakishima to help us shoot the food. And he made it look truly delectable.
Seasonal Invitation’s transformation was complete when we specified that it should be printed on a new paper stock — B7 Bulky by Nippon Paper Industries. This paper offers a combination of a soft-textured feel with excellent photographic reproduction.
After producing one full year’s cycle of Hotel Chinzanso’s Seasonal Invitation, we believe we have created a great foundation for the next 60 years.
