TAO Sushi Box

Design: QNY Creative
Creative Director: Ezio Burani
Art Director: Samantha Clemente
Photography: Rebecca Slee
Copywriter: Valentina Robotti
Strategy: Campara Rozina

Location: United States
Project Type: Produced
Client: TAO Group
Product Launch Location: United States
Packaging Contents: Sushi
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper
Printing Process: Digital Printing

Tao Group Hospitality is a global company that develops, owns, and operates many of the most successful food, beverage, and nightlife entertainment venues in the world. Despite the brand’s name has become an icon of New York City nightlife over the last ten years, the global pandemic threatened Tao’s success more than any other difficulty in the past. Introducing new business models to keep consumers in urban areas able to continue enjoying the Tao restaurant experience from the comfort of their homes was a priority for the brand. Tao Group came to QNY to design an innovative sushi box, which would have been more than an extension of the brand’s presence and ethos beyond its noteworthy physical spaces, but a real revolution in the delivery dining experience. QNY Creative responded by creating a box that rigorously redefines what it means to be eating at home, bringing the signature luxurious, restaurant-quality of a Tao meal to anyone, anywhere.

The box is a way to experience the unforgettable, unique atmosphere of Tao, and perfectly embodying the opulent and exotic feel of the restaurant. The octagonal shape is the first visual cue of the distinctive, exclusive experience promised within the box. An emblem of sophistication, loved by renewed artists like Leonardo Da Vinci himself, the octagon has an intriguing history in the fascinating field of artistic geometry. It was symbolically seen as the spiritual intermediary between the circle—a perfect harmonious shape indicating continuity—and the robust square, the enclosing of reality’s roots. The Octagon, as the uniting force between these two worlds, is timeless and infinite, frequently utilized to indicate this concept in ancient Hindu mandalas. Not only does this shape perfectly espouse the ageless ambiance of Tao, but it marks a point of notable singularity, becoming an instant classic that reflects the restaurant’s elevated dining experience.

The outside of the box is decorated with a mirage of patterns and fabrics that actually belong to the mural inside the Tao restaurant, splashed in soft reds and blues. It is almost impossible to tell where one design ends and the other begins. Uniting them is the striking Tao logo in gold foil, unequivocally marking the experience, and making consumers a promise of superior quality. Whether delivered at home or picked up from the restaurant, the box, even still closed before the meal begins, already sets itself apart as a way to seduce its clientele and warrant excitement.

Opening the box was designed to be an experience itself, initiating the Tao ritual with a sense of wonder and anticipation. In order to preserve the fine decorum of dining championed by Tao, the inside of the upper lid has been decorated with easy-to-follow pointers educating consumers on the proper “Sushi Etiquette.” Even while at home, patrons feel compelled to consume their food mindfully, abiding by the traditions that make the Tao dining experience unlike any other. Undemanding and captivating, the Do’s and Don’t instructions can also educate newcomers to Sushi, with authenticity and effortlessness. The base of the box is separated by four distinct trays, which maximize the possibilities for fitting even the heftiest of orders within one magical box.

Stunningly convenient, the Tao Sushi delivery box promises a one-of-a-kind dining experience that fully exemplifies the unequaled essence of the Tao restaurant experience, now fully enjoyable on any surface in the world. Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, we can still find delight in a world of unparalleled culinary enchantment.