CHARLES LAI ©2025
Visual Identity, Art Direction,

Photography, Graphic Design

Worldwide brand-visual partner

hello@charleslai.jp
Behance, Instagram, Linkedln

CHARLES LAI ©2025
Visual Identity, Art Direction,

Photography, Graphic Design

Worldwide brand-visual partner

hello@charleslai.jp
Behance, Instagram, Linkedln

My Role:

Art Direction / Visual Design

Yamaha Corporate Print Ad

2021

Yamaha Corporate Print Ad

Yamaha Corporate Print Ad

2021
2021

Art Direction / Visual Design

Art Direction / Visual Design

Turning Yamaha’s “Make Waves” promise into two warm, playful print executions — all about “Play Your Sound.”

My Role:

Art Direction / Visual Design / Artwork Production

My role:

My role:

Art Direction / Visual Design / Artwork Production

Art Direction / Visual Design / Artwork Production

About the project
About the project

Yamaha’s brand promise, “Make Waves,” needed a clearer public face. We pitched “Play Your Sound あなたの音を鳴らそう” and produced two print executions:

Illustrated score. Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” becomes a staff of lively characters, each playing a note in their own style — a hidden wink for musicians and an instant smile for everyone else.

Logo-driven grid. A flexible layout system derived from the Yamaha tuning-fork emblem frames candid, film-like photos of creators making sound in real spaces. I led all visual design, illustration briefing and photographic art direction.

Result
Result

The campaign helped revitalize Yamaha’s brand image with a younger audience by focusing on authentic, individual expression. It was awarded at the 91st Mainichi Advertising Design Awards.

©
©
Yamaha Corporation & R/GA
Yamaha Corporation & R/GA
All Rights Reserved. 
All Rights Reserved. 
©
Yamaha Corporation & R/GA
All Rights Reserved. 
Client
Client
Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Corporation
Agency
Agency
R/GA
R/GA
Creative Director
Creative Director
Masaya Nakade
Masaya Nakade
Art Director
Art Director
Charles Lai
Charles Lai
Copywriter
Copywriter
Chihiro Sato
Chihiro Sato
Photographer
Photographer
Toshiaki Kitaoka
Toshiaki Kitaoka
Producer
Producer
Ethel Leung / Toshiki Aihara / Momoko Hamada
Ethel Leung / Toshiki Aihara / Momoko Hamada
Production Partner
Production Partner
BB Media
BB Media
Client
Yamaha Corporation
Agency
R/GA
Creative Director
Masaya Nakade
Art Director
Charles Lai
Copywriter
Chihiro Sato
Photographer
Toshiaki Kitaoka
Producer
Ethel Leung / Toshiki Aihara / Momoko Hamada
Production Partner
BB Media

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