Newly-Packaged Kao Soap (新装花王石鹸)

Hiroshi Hara was a graphic designer during the Showa era in Japan. He designed numerous works including posters, book covers, and product packaging, making him a pioneer in Japanese graphic design. He mentored many successors and contributed significantly to the development of commercial design. The packaging design for "Newly-Packaged Kao Soap" was groundbreaking, featuring innovative packaging paper design. At that time, a prototype contest, which was still rare, was conducted. Prominent designers participated, and the design chosen among the 28 prototypes was by Hiroshi Hara, who was the youngest and relatively unknown at the time. The color used for this packaging became known as "Kao Red," serving as a symbol color and remaining popular for approximately 20 years.