Ajinomoto: Voice of Food
Ajinomoto tasked Dentsu with addressing the exclusion of visually impaired individuals from their digital recipe platform. The client sought an inclusive solution that allowed for independent cooking without relying on visual cues or automated machinery. The objective was to re-engineer their recipe content to be accessible, fostering culinary independence for the visually impaired community while maintaining the brand's position as a market leader in food media.
Creative Idea
Recipes were rewritten to use cooking sounds instead of visual cues for instructions.
Ajinomoto transformed visual cooking recipes into a multisensory auditory experience, enabling visually impaired individuals to cook independently by using the distinct sounds of food preparation as precise, reliable cooking milestones.
Cooking Through Sound Instead Of Sight
Engineering An Auditory Kitchen
The technical execution required a complete overhaul of the AJINOMOTO PARK digital infrastructure. Led by technical directors You Tanaka and Tadashi Koiwahara, the team stripped away complex visual elements, advertisements, and non-essential links that typically interfere with screen-reading software. By prioritizing a text-first, high-contrast interface, they ensured that the platform functioned seamlessly with VoiceOver and other accessibility tools. The sound production team, including engineer Tadashi Hara, meticulously recorded the specific frequencies of cooking processes—such as the precise pitch of a bubbling sauce or the crackle of searing meat—to serve as reliable, non-visual milestones for the user.
A Collaborative Creative Effort
The campaign was a massive cross-agency undertaking that spanned several specialized firms. While Dentsu Inc. provided the lead creative strategy, the project relied on the expertise of Material Inc. for public relations and Toitokettei Inc. for creative direction under Takato Akiyama. The production was brought to life through the combined efforts of kome inc., TYO Inc. MONSTER, and WOO inc., ensuring the auditory recipes were not only functional but also engaging. This collaborative model allowed the brand to address the needs of Japan’s 300,000 visually impaired individuals by reframing the kitchen as a space defined by sensory feedback rather than visual observation. By shifting the focus to the "Soundful Recipe," the agency successfully turned a standard digital utility into a tool for culinary independence.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
As a leading digital recipe platform provider, Ajinomoto possessed the infrastructure to re-engineer recipe content for accessibility.
Category
The food industry relies exclusively on visual language and imagery, effectively excluding visually impaired individuals from independent cooking.
Customer
Visually impaired cooks desired the autonomy to prepare meals without relying on sighted assistance or complex machinery.
Culture
The growing cultural emphasis on universal design and inclusive digital accessibility made this auditory innovation timely and impactful.
Company
As a leading digital recipe platform provider, Ajinomoto possessed the infrastructure to re-engineer recipe content for accessibility.
Category
The food industry relies exclusively on visual language and imagery, effectively excluding visually impaired individuals from independent cooking.
Strategy:
Leverage overlooked sensory data to transform exclusive visual experiences into inclusive, accessible utilities.
Customer
Visually impaired cooks desired the autonomy to prepare meals without relying on sighted assistance or complex machinery.
Culture
The growing cultural emphasis on universal design and inclusive digital accessibility made this auditory innovation timely and impactful.
Strategy:
Leverage overlooked sensory data to transform exclusive visual experiences into inclusive, accessible utilities.
Results
The campaign achieved significant engagement and reach, with 23,600+ users accessing the recipes. It generated 160 million dollars in media coverage and over 4.9 million social impressions. Additionally, it inspired low-vision students to start their first cooking club.
23,600+
Users accessed the recipes
$160M
Media coverage value
4.9M+
Social impressions
Strategy Technique
Make the Invisible Visible
It identifies the overlooked auditory signals inherent in cooking and elevates them to a primary instructional format. This transforms a hidden, everyday phenomenon into a powerful, inclusive utility for the visually impaired community.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Spotlight the Overlooked
The campaign highlights the subtle, everyday sounds of cooking that are usually ignored. By elevating these auditory cues, it turns a mundane sensory detail into a functional, life-changing tool for the visually impaired.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign excels by transforming a visual medium into an auditory experience, beautifully bridging accessibility and brand utility.
The precise capture and amplification of cooking textures make the auditory recipes intuitive and functional.
The high-contrast red-and-white visual framing and bold typography ensure the video itself remains highly accessible.
“The synergy between the tactile sound design and the high-contrast visual design perfectly mirrors the campaign's accessibility goals.”
