Do you have trouble remembering faces? How about all these masked faces amid the coronavirus pandemic?
It's not easy, but one Japanese company has got you covered, with masks emblazoned with personal meishi (business cards).
The Meishi Mask was developed by Nagaya Printing Co., Ltd., a printing firm founded in 1919 and based in Nagoya.
While the company mainly prints catalogs, calendars and ad inserts for newspapers, it was about to make its foray into textile printing when the pandemic hit. Wondering what to do with its custom textile printer, the company first started producing bespoke masks.
Nagaya received print orders for such things as QR codes or social media handles to promote companies or upcoming events, but it was a request to reproduce a customer's business card that provided the eureka moment.
Company spokesperson Mayuko Suzumura said the response to the idea was unexpected. “After the mask was launched, our website attracted 650 times more visits than the previous period,” she said.
The 100% cotton, three-layer Meishi Masks are available via the company website for ¥1,500 ($14) and come in three different models: “reception mask,” “sales mask” and “business activity mask.”
The next target for Nagaya are masks for campaigning politicians. “Having your face hidden during an election campaign can be a huge disadvantage,” Suzumura said.
“We believe that masks printed with a party’s name, logo or slogan could make the candidate more appealing and trustworthy."