Design Consultancy
Jones Knowles Ritchie
Andrew Knowles
020 7428 8000
andrewknowles@jkr.co.uk
www.jkr.co.uk
The Challenge
The London Tea Company produces gourmet teas for customers who desire something new, but its products were stuck in the ‘health food shop niche’ and its packaging was clichéd. The tea market is also experiencing decline. Driven by the rise of café culture and change in consumer behaviour towards chilled soft drinks, consumption has fallen from 1.82kg per head per annum in 1999 to 1.61kg in 2005. However, the value growth shown in the speciality tea segment, which now makes up one third of the market, offered an opportunity for the London Tea company to develop.
The Brief
Jones Knowles Ritchie was commissioned to create a modern mass-premium brand with an ecological stance for The London Tea Company. Packs needed to distinguish the company’s products from its competitors’ in a vibrant and engaging manner, but had to retain the original structure of the packaging.
The Design
The new design transforms the L and T of the company name into a graphic of a table and chair on which silhouettes of drinkers in various poses can be placed. Moving away from rustic shades, the packaging avoids the clichés of other speciality teas.
Different coloured packs facilitate product segmentation, helping consumers to navigate the range effectively, for example, brown packs contain Classic teas, bright colours represent the Gourmet range and white packs show the Caffeine Free products. The package is made from a single folded piece of card, requiring no glue or stitching, and unfolds to show the story of the brand’s ethical philosophy.
The Results
?The new packaging design launched in November 2006 and the £25,000 (Euro 36,700) design fee was recouped in just one month. Average monthly sales, up by 2400%, now run at 50,000 units. The product is commanding a premium price, selling at £2.29 (Euro 3.37) for 25 tea bags against competitors Twinings (£1.14 / Euro 1.67) and Clipper (£0.60 / Euro 0.88). From being stocked in seven Fresh and Wild Stores, three Planet Organics and a handful of independents, LT Co. is now listed in 750 Tesco stores and appears in 200 Pret a Manger stores nationally, taking the brand into the modern ‘out of home’ market.
Silver Packaging – Branded Food & Drink
