Ajinomoto

Background

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (味の素株式会社) is a Japanese multinational food and biotechnology corporation.

1st Tag (1986-1999)

Visuals: On a white background, the 1986-1999 Ajinomoto logo is seen forming in different ways. The logo consists of "AJINOMOTO" in Optima, with a red isosceles triangle seen to the right of it and a custom-designed "A". The animation differs over the years:

1986-1987: Starting off on a red background, it quickly transitions to showing the triangle zooming out while twirling around as a triangular prism while the text scrolls on the right at an extreme close up side angle. The text flattens itself onto the background, with the first half scrolling into place, as the triangle turns 2D.
1987: The logo is shown at an extreme close up, tinted cyan and rippling like water. The logo then becomes normal and zooms out into its usual place, while the tagline "生活のごちそうは、きっと笑顔だ。" appears at the top.
1987-1989: 2 white/red discs, with one of them smaller, fly in quickly from the left to wipe in the name and tagline, slowing down and spinning a bit during the middle of the their path.
1989-1991: 2 halves of the Ajinomoto wordmark meet up in the middle of a red line, one from the bottom left and the other from the top, from a invisible barrier. Upon meeting, the line wipes away and forms the triangle on the right. The tagline comes in from the bottom left as well.
1991-1999: The triangle is already seen in place as a red line waves about, causing the Ajinomoto wordmark to appear one-by-one, spinning for a bit as they do. The tagline wipes in above as well.

Variants:

Sometimes, on the later variants, the tagline doesn't appear, or is replaced with a different tagline, like "ちゃんと、ちゃんと。" (which replaced the regular tagline around 1995).
At the end of commercials with Riho Makise, the logo is superimposed at the bottom of the screen with the new tagline "ちゃんと、ちゃんと。" above it. Riho Makise says the company name and tagline as well.
- Later commercials with her have the logo still on the white background, while a selection of products being promoted from the commercial rises up from the bottom.
In 1995, to promote their new internet page, the logo is moved up to make room for a stylized computer drawing with a blinking screen, as well as the text "ホームページ START!" below and the URL as well.
On commercials for products made from vegetables, the logo is seen at the bottom of the screen as a green vegetable shape zooms in with a burst effect, and white Japanese kanji "野菜応援団" appear vertically over it.
A few special variants were used for their other divisions.
- Ajinomoto Gift: See the 2nd tag.
- Ajinomoto Drinks: The Ajinomoto logo is seen in a red ring, with the logo poking through the sides of it. A red oblong, meant to resemble a pull tab, pops into existence with a burst of bubbles, and "DRINKS" slides down from the bottom of the logo. A hissing sound is added to the music to simulate the pull tab being opened.
- Ajinomoto Frozen Foods: A few variants have been recorded over the years.
  - 1992: The Ajinomoto logo is seen on a plate, with the text "fresh! FOODS" seen below in a icy letters, with "fresh!" being larger and in a completely different font from "FOODS". It then morphs into the text "FROZEN", forming "FROZEN FOODS", and the text flashes orange, changing it to a solid red color. A different woman whispers "Fresh..." before a shortened version of the music plays.
  - 1995-1997: The Ajinomoto logo and tagline are set higher than usual as a red metallic cloth waves down from the top of the screen, with an end that's cut like a wave. The Japanese kanji "冷凍食品" pops in thick white characters, before zooming out onto the now-flat cloth. A different, more childish voice says "冷凍食品! Ajinomoto."
  - 1997-1999: The Ajinomoto logo is seen as the cloth from before, but smaller, slides down and encases it inside the top border. The Japanese kanji "冷凍食品" appear below the logo, and a part of it gains a metallic sheen, to represent folded cloth. A different voice says the full company name now.

Technique: CGI/2D computer effects, depending on the year.

Audio: A woman saying the company name in an echoing fashion, while a dreamy 5-note piano tune plays in the background with the last note held out.

Availability: Seen on Ajinomoto commercials of the time, including those of their soup and mayonnaise products and the Light Fruit Soda Castle in the Sky commercial. This was briefly used in tandem with their 1973-1986 Saul Bass-designed logo, which was only used in the corner at the beginning of their commercials.

2nd Tag (1987-1999)

Visuals: On a white background, the Ajinomoto logo is seen above the text "GIFT". The animation and how the logo looks depends on the year of use:

1988-1989: The text "GIFT", which is small, slides down from the Ajinomoto logo while Japanese characters can be seen above.
1989-1991: A red bar is seen as the rest of the letters in black slide out of it, forming "GIFT". The logo is smaller here.
1990-1997: The same as before, but all colored white and contained inside of a red box with serrated top and bottom edges. Sometimes, "New" in a script font appears in the upper left.
1997-1999: The logo is now contained in a white box with a red border, with squares dotting the corners. At the top half, the text "GIFT" wipes in below in a different font from before. At the bottom half, the following phrase is seen in red: "An enriching gift with food for the family with a high appreciation of their life style from Ajinomoto". It is flanked with lines on the top and bottom.

Technique: 2D computer effects.

Audio: Same as before, but the woman says "Ajinomoto Gift."

Availability: Seen on Ajinomoto Gift commercials.