Part blog and part magazine, its premise is to give voice to those people – surfers, shapers, writers, artists, filmmakers and photographers — who quietly keep surf culture alive. Our mission is to highlight the rich, vibrant diversity of the world wide surfing community.

Liquid Salt Magazine was created from scratch by Sakamoto Studio and could easily be seen as an experiment in social media marketing. Starting with the concept and working through the details of inception, design, deployment, and marketing – Liquid Salt has gained an impressive following in little under a year, with a fan base of over 7300 members on Facebook.

To view, follow the link here.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Memorex entered the consumer media business in 1971 first with its “shattering glass” advertisements and then with a series of famous television commercials featuring Ella Fitzgerald. Memorex approached the Jefferson/Acker agency to refresh it’s image to communicate to a new audience.

Working with creative director Andy Frank, we positioned Memorex as a brand that speaks to a new, ethnically diverse generation and as a bright, colorful brand that fit into everyone’s lifestyle. We crafted the tagline, “It’s your thing” to fit into that strategy. Together we worked on many applications, including print collateral, advertisements, and product packaging.

The result was a surge in growth for the once staid company. With their new brand look and product line, Memorex was now attractive enough to be acquired by TDK, a leading media products corporation.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a chain of grocery stores in the Western United States. The company is located in El Segundo, CA and is a subsidiary of retailer Tesco, the world’s third largest retailer.

This project was done in conjunction with creative director Ross Patrick of Deutsch. We worked together on packaging and signage concepts before the launch of the project.

My involvement with this project consisted of the letterform design and the ampersand symbol shown above. The final design (which I was not involved with) now includes a clock icon requested by the client.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts combine breathtaking surroundings and legendary personalized service. Each luxury hotel is a classic in its own right, known for its inspiring architecture and authentic history. Each one has its own distinct personality and allure.

Working with David Fikse of Insight, together we created an elegant trademark worthy of the Waldorf Astoria brand. Called the Waldorf Astoria Collection, we researched the original trademark and decided to keep the trademark laurel wreath but imbue it with a contemporary expression.

The new Waldorf Astoria trademark was applied to all forms of the hotel’s communications, from advertising, to websites, collateral, and stationary.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Started by Dave Hollander and legendary shaper Phil Becker in 1980, Becker has evolved into a Southern California surfing tradition, operating in six retail locations. Becker was one of the first online surf retailers on the internet, further expanding their empire.

Sakamoto Studio has created the Becker identity through trademarks and retail packaging for the brand.The classic design and appeal of the Becker shopping bags proved to be so popular that they have not changed the graphics in 7 years. Becker has recently been acquired by industry giant, Billabong. Proof that good design is good for business.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Munchkin, Inc. develops clever, innovative products that excite and delight parents and children. The company was founded in 1991 on the premise that it could anticipate and serve modern parents’ needs by developing uncomplicated baby products that make parenting a little easier.

Created in conjunction with The UXB, this colorful and fun trademark was created along with an extensive brand guide that included a format for managing the design of over 150 packages.

Together, we created a brand identity that changed the category from a traditional look to a fresh, modern approach. Target awarded Munchkin with Retailer of The Year and annual sales increased by 40% as the result of the new identity and package design.



©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Alexia Foods is a 100% natural, trans fat free line of frozen products
developed for the natural and specialty food consumer that enjoys a more sophisticated taste.

Developed while employed by Bright Design in Los Angeles. I was directly involved with the team in the design of trademark, tagline, and brand packaging. The brand was extremely successful and was carried nationwide to natural grocers, such as Whole Foods Markets.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

The Greener Blue (TGB) is an initiative started by former surf industry employee, Mark Marovich. TGB seeks to partner and report on companies that market green or eco-friendly products.

The challenge in designing a trademark for TGB was to avoid the usual cliches of the surf industry of using waves or surfers and to design something that would communicate the concept of “blue becoming greener.” The solution was a partial “eclipse” that visually shows the meaning of the organization’s name.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Tina Turner has become one of the most commercially-successful international female rock stars to date. Her sultry, powerful voice and her time-tested beauty and unforgettable story all contribute to her legendary status.

Working with creative director Tommy Steele of Capitol Records, together we crafted Tina’s brand for the 90′s and beyond. Her brand identity included albums, programs, and special packaging – one of which won a Grammy nomination.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Vibram FiveFingers is a type of shoe manufactured by Vibram. Originally developed as a “barefoot alternative” for sailing and climbing, the footwear has thin, flexible soles that are contoured to the shape of the human foot.

This trademark design was inspired by the shoe and was submitted to Vibram Italy. No word yet on whether it will be used in the future (I’ve got my toes crossed!).

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.