Glue Day: Fueki-kun's Golden Gluebilee

The idea for Glue Day started as a joke. When I learned that Fueki-kun—the iconic glue mascot from the Japanese brand Fueki—was turning 50, I suggested we throw him a birthday party. As a store that never shies away from a niche celebration, we ran with it and created Glue Day: Fueki-kun’s Golden Gluebilee.

I led much of the concept development, brainstorming ways to make the experience both educational and delightfully weird. I researched glue types and designed elements for our in-store “Glue-seum,” an interactive display where visitors could learn about different adhesives and even test them on sample sheets. I also spearheaded research for our Glue Zine, contributing copy, proofing, and design support. Throughout planning, we leaned into the quirky spirit of the event and intentionally crafted something that felt one-of-a-kind.

Glue Day exceeded all expectations. We were busy from open to close, with families, friends, and couples cycling through the Glue-seum and posing for photos at the picture station set up outside. Visitors raved about how unique the event was, and several asked if it would become an annual tradition. A few self-proclaimed glue connoisseurs even told us our adhesive selection included products they’d never encountered before. The event also brought well-deserved attention to our often-overlooked Fueki glues—we almost completely sold out of stock that day.

Glue Day was fun from start to finish, and getting to lean fully into absurd, imaginative ideas made it one of my favorite events to work on. People still ask whether we plan to bring it back, and our answer is always the same: we hope so.