Green IslandJapan’s Pokémon collaboration illustrations: Hikaru Ichijo depicts baristas growing alongside their partners
12 sets of illustrations and five pairs of partners
Hikaru Ichijo created 12 sets of illustrations for this Japanese collaboration. The story follows five baristas meeting Pokémon, honing their coffee skills and entering a competition. Pikachu powers an espresso machine, Bulbasaur grows coffee trees on a farm and Eevee helps with customization.
Expression without drawing faces
She keeps her distinctive style of leaving faces undrawn so viewers are not constrained by fixed expressions and can project their own feelings and experiences. The baristas’ hairstyles and skin tones also echo their respective Pokémon, expressing their growth together.
Collaborative creation and applications
After discussion, the circular background in the group illustration of five Pokémon types and baristas was changed to Starbucks green. The illustrations appear on store decorations, tumblers, mugs and posters. The original article describes the collaboration as a process of discovering new forms of expression together with customers.
