Handcrafted Guitars
YAMAHA CORPORATION
What happens when a humble watchmaker and third son of a Samurai is summoned to repair a beloved primary schools's American Baby Reed organ?​
​
The birth of Yamaha Corporation.
​
Yamaha began the art of handcrafting acoustic instruments well over a century ago. Since that time, Yamaha has created many of the world's most highly regarded guitars, pianos, drums, wind instruments and more.
​
Retro Nouveau was commissioned to design a unique brochure introducing their latest Compass Series handcrafted guitars.
SERVICES
​
Design
Brand Strategy
Art Direction
Digital Illustration
​
The Challenge
To create a brochure worthy of the latest Compass Series handcrafted guitars. This series of guitars are entirely made by hand and beautifully appointed with solid brass, mother of pearl, and exotic wood inlays. Our challenge was to create an elegantly crafted brochure that would reflect the same attention to detail and craftsmanship as these awesome guitars.
The Idea
Create a rich narrative about how Yamaha Corporation came into existence. The use of the compass rose will be a central theme for both the company's direction, and new series of guitars culminating into a foldout center poster highlighting four themed appointed guitars from the four corners of the globe. Mixed-in, and juxtaposed to the colorful guitars, we'll add black and white photography of the craftsmen making these exquisite guitars.
The Result
The response to the brochure was fantastic! The client reported an increase in sales of the Compass Series guitars with a 6 month back-order waiting time. It was a dream come true to have the honor of working with such a prestigious company. This brochure opened the gates for Retro Nouveau to work on additional projects with Yamaha Corporation.