(What it isNt)

Published April 29, 2024

Rice spearheaded a launch campaign for the Vietnamese store of Japanese fashion brand (What it isNt).

Rice's responsibilities extended from the campaign to the development of a unique identity for Vietnam—with the execution of a wide range of deliverables, from space to communications—art direction, to attire. The identity was based on the core concept of “Celebrate Abnormality”, coined by Rice. “Celebrate Abnormality” encapsulates the distinctive spirit of (What it isNt) by drawing inspiration from extraordinary aspects of ordinary life. While (What it isNt) has its roots in American skateboarding culture and art, with a founding by Mark Gonzales, the campaign reflected contemporary Vietnam. The products are designed and produced with pride by Vietnamese designers.

The typographic identity of the campaign draws inspiration from the intricate details found on clothing tags, emphasizing a highly functional aesthetic. This identity is built around a structured typographic system that includes small icons or OpenType glyphs, reflecting the functionality theme. We selected Denim from Displaay Type Foundry for its blend of technical precision and humanistic features. In partnership with Displaay, we also customized a set of diacritics specifically for the Vietnamese market, incorporating distinctive local typographic elements to enhance our integration into the regional cultural fabric.

Campaign imagery: Tuan Fr
Illustrations: Duc Cao

[More info about (What it isNt) on Rice]

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