Character Cooks up New Brand Identity for Japanese Cookware Brand Vermicular

Full-service branding agency Character recently developed a new brand identity for Vermicular, the Japanese cookware brand known for its elegant precision cooker and enameled cast-iron pot. The new brand identity encompasses all aspects of Vermicular’s U.S. launch, including website, launch video, and cookbook.

Vermicular’s new logomark combines the names of its two signature products—the Musui, the cast iron pot, and the Kamado, the innovative warming structure. It serves dual purposes, helping a U.S. audience get a better understanding of the cookware, while also tracing Vermicular’s rich history of over 80 years of cast iron mastery. This logomark further comes alive through the primary colour palette of Vermicular’s new identity. It centres on black and white, offering a dichotomous thread that ties the identity together, while also intriguing the audience to learn more. 

“When Vermicular launched in Japan, it was an instant success. We wanted to translate that success to here in the U.S. However, you can’t just duplicate it” explains Rishi Shourie, Partner and Creative Director at Character. “You have to craft every touchpoint of the brand’s visual and verbal story for the U.S. consumer, which required us to reimagine every part of brand––that level of ownership and challenge is every designer’s dream.”

Speaking to multiple touchpoints, Character also designed the first edition of the Vermicular cookbook. The book not only serves as an inspiration for Vermicular owners but is threaded with the brand narrative, recipe introductions, and cooking techniques that further bring the Vermicular experience to life. 

Headquartered in San Francisco and New York, Character is behind hundreds of other brand launches, relaunches, and cross-channel experiences for clients including Reebok, Oculus, Google, Peet's Coffee, and Fitbit.