Zaku Advertising Agency Business Card

Nobuya Hayasaka designed these business cards for ZAKU, a creative solutions company that does advertising and promotion services on behalf of its clients.

The business card has a vertical layout to accommodate the custom symbol mark and the contact details of the company.

To understand how the logo was created, first, one needs to know the company’s name, Zaku actually means “to create” in Japanese. The word ‘zaku’ is written as “作” in Japanese Kanji characters.

zaku_logo formation

When Nobuya blurred the word “作” to an extent, it became a “like” gesture or a thumbs-up symbol.

“Apart from the company name, the symbol can also be used to represent the company’s slogan that goes ‘Creating Good!’. The symbol of the hand silhouette is actually a thumbs up. This way, the company’s slogan is expressed in a single mark,” Nobuya explained.

“I added various hints so people would notice the symbol at first glance, such as adding a seal next to the symbol with the word ‘作’ imprinted on it. That way, the Japanese can see and recognise the symbol as a Kanji character.”

While the business card uses mainly monochrome colours for its branding, the special logomark is obviously the main attraction. It not only expresses the company’s goal in creating good content with the power of creativity, but it’s also a great way to start a conversation with a potential client during a meet up!

These business cards were offset-printed on GA Bagasse Sugar 265kg by Miura Printing Co. in Japan.