Visual communication for Japanese street food brand Unagi Inu
We built a new content strategy, an original visual concept and a storytelling approach that turned the restaurant's social channels into a single ongoing story inspired by the aesthetics of Japanese manga and contemporary pop culture.
Start a project- CLIENT
- Unagi Inu
- INDUSTRY
- Restaurant / Japanese Street Food
- SERVICES
- Content strategy • Visual communication • Art Direction • Social media
We built a content strategy where every post continues one shared storyline instead of existing as a standalone ad.
We created an instantly recognisable social aesthetic inspired by Japanese manga, anime and modern pop culture.
We turned the restaurant's Instagram into a format worth following - with characters, plots, dishes and a story that keeps going.
About the client
A modern Japanese street food concept for a new generation
Unagi Inu is a restaurant inspired by modern Japanese gastronomy and pop culture. The menu features ramen, onigiri, bubble tea, Japanese desserts and seasonal specials. The concept is built for a young audience that cares not only about food quality but also about atmosphere, visual experience and the character of the brand.
Challenge
How do we get people to follow the restaurant for more than just the food?
Most restaurants publish very similar social content: food photos, promotions, menu updates. Over time everything starts to look the same. Our task was to create not just a beautiful Instagram profile, but communication that sets the brand apart and gives the audience a reason to come back again and again.
Approach
Not a content plan, but one connected story
Instead of a traditional content calendar we built a storytelling concept inspired by Japanese manga and anime. The main characters live inside the Unagi Inu world. They talk to each other, try new dishes, discover Japanese culture, live small everyday moments and gradually reveal the brand's personality. Food stops being just a product in a photo. It becomes part of the story.
We shaped the brand's personality, tone of voice and creative direction for social.
We built a visual system inspired by manga, anime, Japanese street food culture and the visual language of a new generation.
We designed characters, story arcs and repeatable scenarios that can be developed from post to post.
We combined the visual identity and content strategy into a single communication system where every post continues the story and introduces the menu at the same time.
Visual concept
Every post as a new manga page
We stepped away from classic restaurant content built around food photography alone. Instead we combined professional product photography with illustrations, comic elements, speech bubbles, expressive typography and dynamic compositions. The result is a visual language that immediately reads as part of the Unagi Inu brand.
Storytelling
Characters, dishes and the brand in one world
Every post picks up where the previous one left off. Characters evolve, relationships form, new dishes appear, the mood shifts. Followers don't just look at new meals - they wait for the next chapter of the story.
Content strategy
Interest first. Product second.
Every post had two jobs: first hook attention, then introduce the dish. Ramen, onigiri, Japanese desserts, bubble tea - each product became a natural part of the story instead of one more ad.
Social media
An Instagram you want to open again
Our goal was to make the Unagi Inu profile feel like more than a restaurant gallery. Serialised storytelling created anticipation. Every new post became the next chapter. That is what built long-term interest and an emotional connection with the audience.
Motion
When the story starts to move
Beyond static panels the world unfolded in short videos - the same characters, the same comic energy, now animated for Reels and Stories.
Expert opinion
Angelina
Head of SMM
Restaurant Instagram is full of food photos, promotions and news. To stand out, a brand needs its own language. For Unagi Inu we built a storytelling format where every post is the next chapter, and followers come back to find out what happens next.
Outcome
Social became an extension of the brand's personality
For Unagi Inu we built a new visual communication system rooted in storytelling, characters and Japanese pop culture aesthetics. Instead of isolated posts we created one connected feed where dishes, characters and the restaurant's atmosphere work together. It made the brand more recognisable, closer to a young audience and more visible among competitors.
What we delivered
- 01Content strategy
- 02Brand positioning
- 03Creative concept
- 04Visual communication
- 05Art Direction
- 06Character concept
- 07Storytelling system
- 08Social media design
- 09Post concepts
- 10Integrating dishes into the story
- 11Seasonal campaigns
- 12Audience communication
- 13Copywriting
- 14Creative campaigns
- 15Digital brand development
This work includes: content strategy.
