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A brand’s expansion from two brick-and-mortar stores and an ecommerce site to supermarkets this summer was a cue to reinvent the packaging.

Based in New York City, premium mochi ice cream company Mochidoki is renowned for imaginative and refined Japanese-inspired desserts, offering a lineup of elegant flavors crafted in collaboration with culinary advisors and pastry chefs.

The company’s redesign in patent-pending packaging reflects a commitment to provide an engaging experience for dessert lovers while maintaining the delicate products’ integrity through distribution.

The matchbox styling has a simple, sleek appearance. The outer box graphics place the mochi ice cream flavors front and center using vibrant imagery. Inside is a second, slide-out box that doubles as a mini serving tray to showcase the product and provide added functionality.

Each box features a pull-tab for easy access.

The project was led by Christopher Wong, co-founder and director of marketing and design.

“Every element of the packaging — graphics and structure — was carefully considered and designed with a specific purpose,” Claudio LoCascio, president and CEO, informs Packaging Digest. “Product integrity and form is paramount to us, and can ultimately affect the flavor of the mochi, so we wanted to ensure to protect the mochi and its shape while in the box. The drawer-style packaging makes sure that our mochi remain intact and supported within the box, while also doubling as a mini serving tray. The packaging is made exclusively for the brand.”

A custom-designed tray always differentiated Mochidoki, according to LoCascio. Now, however, it’s more advanced, with a unique functionality for removing individual mochi and preserving their freshness.

Even the simple process of product removal has been fine-tuned —  trays were developed to precisely match the mochi size and shape.

“Each delicate mochi ice cream ball will gently ‘pop’ out of the tray, ensuring they remain well-formed and intact when enjoyed straight out of the box,” LoCascio points out.

As well, the plastic seal allows the mochi to be removed one or two pieces at a time while protecting any remaining mochi from exposure to the air.

“It’s always fresh when the customer is ready to enjoy it,” he adds.

The new-look packaging retains a Mochidoki tradition.

“Mochidoki has always brought a very clean and sophisticated aesthetic to its packaging,” says LoCascio. “With the new packaging, the brand builds on that approach, incorporating more color, vibrant images and copy elements that put ingredients front and center.”

For example, boxes display calorie count and “gluten-free” labels, along with product weight. The vegan selections are also identified by a clearly visible stamp on the front of the packaging.

The redesign also reveals more about the brand’s approach to making premium mochi. “It includes elements that differentiate its process from that of competitors and shares more details about the hero ingredients of each flavor,” explains LoCascio.

Flavor descriptions and the story behind the brand’s approach to making premium mochi were previously featured in marketing materials and on the website. Those are now “folded into the packaging so that each design tells the complete story behind the flavor,” LoCascio adds.

Mochidoki’s new packaging will be available in eight stock-keeping units (SKUs) with two varieties:

With four pieces of 1.25-ounce mochi, each box has a suggested retail price of $7.99.

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