Tweets Become Challenges, Printers Respond with Products

Tweets Become Challenges, Printers Respond with Products

A nationwide co-creation project where printing companies transform social media posts into product design challenges, repurposing discarded printing materials through creative ideas. Since its launch, participation has grown, resulting in the creation of 24 unique products. The project was also invited to Japan’s pavilion at SXSW, organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, with some products being commercialized.

Issue

Printing companies are not just manufacturers—they are creators of ideas and form

Printing professionals from across Japan came together to transform industry waste into meaningful products. This project aimed to shift public perception of printing companies and empower industry players. Instead of traditional advertising, it used social media-driven PR to spread its impact.

Creation

Waste Materials × Ideas = New Products

A tweet about getting caught eating lunch early led to the creation of the "Go-Han English Dictionary", a lunchbox disguised as a book. Another tweet wondering how many frames it takes to finish a flipbook inspired the "P16 Flipbook Machine."

By merging real-life voices with waste materials and fresh ideas, the project continuously generated new products, gaining attention on social media and later in mainstream media. Participating companies broke free from conventional thinking, collaborating with experts from various industries in innovative ways.

Exhibition

Ōgiri Printing Pop-Up Stores

To connect these creations with the public and expand the project's reach, we held pop-up stores —at Shibuya QWS and Design Festa Gallery Harajuku. The events attracted many visitors and provided valuable feedback, encouraging further product commercialization.

Future

From Concept to Market

Several products born from Ōgiri Printing have since been developed into commercial products by their creators:

"PAPELISTH" by Shinohara Shiko, inspired by the original Peelable Table.

"Kami-Hime", an edible noise-canceling memo pad by Ainz.

Kami-Hime was featured on YouTuber Hajime Shacho’s channel, where the video surpassed 2 million views, further boosting its reach.