Branded Barrels That Spark the Urge to Buy

At international airport duty-free zones, displays must do more than sell—they must visually communicate the unique appeal of the region. This is especially important in Japan, where gift-giving culture is deeply rooted and regionally inspired design elements often drive commemorative purchases. At Fukuoka Airport’s international duty-free area, INCROCCE created an engaging central display: a tower of sake barrels featuring fictional labels inspired by iconic Fukuoka locations. This visual storytelling approach was designed to attract attention and encourage visitors to engage, explore, and ultimately make purchases.

Property Overview

Name｜Fukuoka Airport International Terminal Duty-Free Zone
Location｜Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Client｜Semba Co., Ltd.
Interior Design｜Semba Co., Ltd.
Display｜INCROCCE Co., Ltd.
Scope｜Design, production, and installation of environmental display
Installation Area｜Central section of the duty-free zone
Display Format｜Tower-style display of sake barrel replicas
Completion｜2025

Property Details and Spatial Concept

The overall design theme of the space centered around “Fukuoka Festivals × Japanese Culture.” A large central yagura—a traditional Japanese tower structure—served as the cultural anchor of the duty-free zone, visually leading the entire area’s aesthetic direction. INCROCCE’s role was to design and install a display within the yagura, visualizing Fukuoka’s local sake culture through a stylized sake barrel installation.

Interior Design Challenges

The display needed to deliver strong visual impact and evoke the extraordinary nature of duty-free travel. It also had to incorporate distinctly local design elements that authentically represented Fukuoka. Finally, it needed to support the commercial function of the space by aligning with the store’s traffic flow and subtly encouraging purchases—especially of alcohol-related gifts.

Our Proposal

To create a memorable and purchase-driven experience, INCROCCE developed graphic designs for fictional sake brewery labels, each named after a famous locale within Fukuoka Prefecture. These labels were designed in a variety of fonts and styles to suggest distinct identities, and were applied to sake barrel-style display elements stacked in a pyramid configuration for maximum visual impact.

Motif｜Sake barrel-shaped display fixtures (designed replicas, not real barrels)
Labeling｜Fukuoka regional names such as Kurume, Itoshima, and Yame
Concept｜A visual-to-desire flow: “See it → Want it” souvenir marketing

Installation and Technical Execution

The display was composed of mock sake barrels stacked in a pyramid formation, carefully engineered for safety and structural integrity. The front-facing side of each barrel prominently featured its unique label, while the sides showcased traditional kome (straw wrap) textures for added realism. The entire structure was placed within the central yagura of the duty-free zone, serving as a landmark-like visual anchor and drawing visitors directly into the retail flow.

Outcome and Client Response

The striking “mountain of sake barrels” quickly became a popular photo spot among travelers. It functioned as a highly effective visual hook, drawing foot traffic into the duty-free zone. The use of fictional regional labels was particularly well-received by international visitors, successfully conveying the essence of Fukuoka in a way that was both accessible and compelling.