Morinaga and Company is a Japanese brand known best for its variety of candies. If you're like me, you grew up knowing the strange commercial that went viral showing a bird followed by a bunch of walking heads singing about the new "choco-balls"! The company itself was headquartered in Ginza for some time, though the location has changed many times over the years. From the 1950s through the 1980s or so, each headquarters location was topped by a large neon globe. The globe was an icon and often featured in press materials showcasing Japan's redevelopment following the war. I was struck by the iconography and made a quick model and animation loop of the globe atop the old headquarters building. My version of the globe combines photos from different generations of its existence, but the building is the headquarters as it appeared in 1962. Below you can check out the video loop as well as some photos!
