Naming Oishii's Koyo Berry

This one is pretty sweet.

I was the lead copywriter for Oishii, the world's largest indoor vertical strawberry farm. The brand started with a single berry, the Omakase Berry, a rare varietal from the Japanese Alps, grown vertically in Jersey City.

Initially, this berry broke the internet, costing $50. Yes, you read that right.

As we expanded into retail, we wanted to launch a second, more accessible berry. When it came time, this delicious fruit needed a name. My team and I had the task of positioning this new product as something more attainable but still premium.

I presented a plethora of different Japanese names, each with distinct storytelling, and we settled on the Koyo Berry, meaning elated in Japanese.

We found that the taste of this berry was more similar to a farmer's market strawberry as compared to our Omakase Berry, and because of this, we positioned this fruit as the sweetest summer berry available all year long, evoking elements of nostalgia and longing.