The Real Deal
Heineken Aluminum Bottle
Ito's unsolicited fake designs caused such a media storm that companies soon started jumping at the chance of working with him. In 2001, Heineken became the first business to ask Ito, then 24, to create a real product.
The late 1990s saw a sharp rise in the popularity of cocktails and alcopops such as the Bacardi Breezer among young people. With it came Heineken's realization that it had to appeal to this new youth market or face dwindling sales. The Dutch brewer took a risk and gave Ito his first "real" project: to turn the Heineken bottle into a chic accessory for a night on the town.
His answer was this sleek molded aluminum design. Within months of the bottle's launch, Heineken doubled the number of French outlets that carried its aluminum bottles, which included some of Paris' most fashionable shops, bars, and clubs. It has since launched worldwide.
Today, Ito's portfolio is crammed with an eclectic mix of interior designs, album covers, packaging studies, and furniture creations.