As any good Boy Scout would know, it is important to always “Be Prepared”, and the Japanese products giant Muji have taken this to heart in their latest campaign “Itsumo, Moshimo” (Whenever, Whatever). With the disasters in Japan 6 months ago the idea of being ready for any event is still very prevalent in society. Muji have taped into this and in the new campaign have come up with a number of different “emergency situation kits” complete with everything you would need should the moment come.
What is really interesting is how Muji have taken into account form just as much as function. They haven’t just thought about what to put in the emergency kits but actually what the kits themselves will look like and if they will be in keeping with the aesthetics placed in. For example the clear plastic briefcase emergency kit designed to be placed on a shelf at work or on a desk should the emergency happen while at the office. The kits are incredibly well thought out, within the plastic case included are the staples such as various food stuffs, batteries, bandages etc, but also polka dot handkerchief and compressed t-shirts so you can look good post emergency too!
There are plastic file box kits to fit on shelves, small nylon bag kits, food draw case kits and even a child’s version backpack which comes complete with crayons and picture book. The thought that has gone into the contents as well as the actual containers here is another example of the attention to detail that goes into design in Japan. Taking into account the small details results in products that are highly functional as well as fitting into the aesthetics they are designed to be in.
Muji have also cleverly used crowd sourcing on Twitter and Facebook asking the public to suggest the items they would find most useful in an emergency situation, and to add what they would use to fill the extra space left purposefully in the emergency kit. The end result is not just a clever marketing campaign but actually provides useful emergency tips from the public and a customized emergency kit. You can browse through other peoples suggestions and their customized kits online and gain inspiration as to just what you may need in your personal emergency kit should the time come.
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