Edo Japan unveils a more colourful new platform

Edo Japan is getting a makeover and big ad campaign to match its expansion plans.

The Calgary-headquartered, Japanese-inspired QSR has a colourful new brand platform positioned around telling consumers that when they get cravings, they can turn to Edo.

The creative, led by DonerNorth, amplifies that quite literally, with a loud gut-bursting scene in a local library where a man’s internal rumblings knock over a bust of Beethoven.

“It’s part of a new brand voice, being a little bit cheeky but not too silly,” explains Jessica Pellow, VP of marketing at Edo Japan. It’s part of the move, the company says, to further push the boundaries to help it further realize its brand potential as a convenient option that is also better-for-you.

The creative is in market now. Pellow says Edo was ready to kick off its new look, as business has normalized and even expanded post-COVID.

“We have big expansion plans, especially in the B.C. and Ontario markets,” she says.

Edo Japan has very recently opened stores in London, Guelph, Kingston and Ajax markets in Ontario and now has 176 locations. The strategy is more focused on street locations rather than food courts or malls, which comprise 25% of its business.

Edo has rolled out the new brand platform as part of a sizeable integrated advertising campaign, running nationally across TV, online video, OOH, radio, social media and display, with Instagram being a growing platform for Edo Japan. The branding will also be trickling into Edo’s restaurant design in the near future.

DonerNorth was named AOR for Edo Japan last spring and was responsible for enhancing and evolving Edo’s brand identity and developing the creative.

The brand platform features elevated photography style, bolder design and a more playful tone to work in both new and established markets. This meant rooting communications in what makes Edo unique in relation to other QSRs: its teriyaki sauce, high-quality ingredients and teppan grill cooking.

Pellow tells strategy it has 25- to 35-year-old busy professionals in its crosshairs. The competitive set includes QSRs that offer healthier offerings, like Subway, but also Chipotle and Teriyaki Experience.

The ad spend is higher than previous efforts, which Pellow says is befitting of a growing company.

Calgary-based agency Vovia is behind the buy.