Tone Bar is a collagen bar that satisfies the stomachs, minds and beauty needs of busy women in Japan. This is Japan’s first gluten-free collagen snack bar, and allows women to pause their busy day to enjoy a peaceful moment in their fast-paced lives.

Founded in 2020 by two women, Tone’s mission is to create a world where women support and uplift one another. Tone donates a portion of their revenue to women’s charities in Japan. The company’s co-founders have positioned Tone Bar as a practical snack with health benefits, against the backdrop of a brand that unconventionally inspires Japanese women.

At the outset, given the brand guidelines, it was clear that we needed the design to be unconventional relative to other Japanese snack packaging. Importantly, we also wanted to create a look and feel that inspires and encourages women to be proud of who they want to be instead of who society tells them to be.

To bring these ideas to life, we assigned a duo-tone color scheme per flavor and created a type-heavy design for the pacakaging. These bold and eye-catching characteristics set Tone Bar apart from the majority of the snack products in the Japanese market, which typically utilize real-life food products photos on their packaging. Moreover, by avoiding the traditionally feminine or “kawaii” designs typically used for the products marketed towards women, Tone’s packaging successfully embodies the spirit of those who want to simply question or break the stereotypes and stigma attached to women in society.