Write a short summary of what happens in the ambient or digital execution or campaign.

1 spoon Innovation is a service design-focused in-store brand campaign, and essentially an appreciation towards the Japanese food culture, through a collaboration between the soul food ‘udon’ and the beloved food brand known for its savory staple seasonings dedicated to rice. In-store promotions were held in about 800 stores in Japan for a month. Offering a spoonful of topping for just $0.3 led to an inspirational, culinary experience, generating countless unique recipes that were enjoyed and shared among the customers. The launch of these original one-spoon udon toppings allowed the customers’ creativity to run wild, generating approximately 60,000 recipes of their own. Customers posted their own recipe inventions on Twitter, transforming the feed into a media as Marugame Udon recipe hub.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

During the 200 years history of Japan’s isolation from foreign interactions, Japan was able to develop its own unique food culture. In a state of restricted resources, the “art of reducing” has had great affect to its cuisines. Udon noodles are no exception, continuing its evolution as a food that seeks deliciousness in its simplicity. The combination with rice seasonings which are familiar to the Japanese’ taste buds, an innovative concept of “complementing” was introduced to the traditional udon culture.