Just let that sink in for a minute. That’s a real, edible Penta-orange. It’s an “iyokan,” also known as a “Japanese Summer Orange”, which are mandarins crossbred with oranges from the Ehime prefecture. The interesting shape is a result of the oranges being grown in pentagon-shaped boxes, so the country that brought you canned bread and robotic girlfriends won’t have messed with the genetics of your weirdly-shaped fruit.
As of right now, there are only 300 of these odd little fruits available, but there are plans to make many more. These have the possibility to inspire entirely new dishes and creations based around geometric shapes and it’s possible that other fruits and vegetables may see themselves in new shapes in the near future.
What Sparks Our Fire: Low-tech ways of messing with food are somehow a little more fun than genetic pentagons.
How would you eat this penta-orange?
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The baggage claim at the airport is the last place anyone would expect branded works of art. This is exactly why tourism agencies in Japan have focused their latest efforts there. If you have traveled to the country recently, you might have noticed a number of themed pieces of art adorning the baggage claim carousels. This was no accident. Each piece of art was meant to promote the uniqueness of various regions within the country, focusing on culture and cuisine. This guerrilla advertising, assisted in branding each geographic region by transforming specific characteristics into visual symbols. For example, sea food pointed out the clean ocean waters near the Toyama Kitokito Airport, and the fruit represented Miyazaki’s diversity of distinct fruit.
What sparked our fire: Mundane locations used to brand and display unconventional works of art.
How would you tap into marketing potential at more unique markets like the airport?
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-Canopy Team
