Loose-leaf tea designer Bernadine Tay has been described as “a storyteller with tea as her medium.” Founder of U.K.’s Quinteassential Fine Teas, Tay combines tea leaves, fruits, flowers, and spices from around the world to create new taste experiences. So when it came time to redesign packaging for the Quinteassential line, the goal was to convey “The Art of Tea” through an amalgamation of art and science, providing consumers with a multisensory, highly inclusive, and interactive experience.
Among the highlights, the soft-to-the-touch, white carton for the tea uses gallery-worthy custom artwork from Italian illustrator and photographer Alberto Seveso for each of nine flavors and is printed with a QR code that both connects tea drinkers to music tailored to each variety and acts as a tea timer.
“Clean but striking, the simple box engages the consumer on a multisensory level,” says Tay. “Communicating the key concept ‘The Art of Tea’ in every aspect, innovation and technology were among the key drivers to ensure the packaging not only was attractive, but also brought the modern tea drinker on an imaginary voyage.”
- Sight: According to Quinteassential, research suggests that consumers taste with their eyes. “Our eyes tell our brain what it will taste like via a whole series of natural responses, and we taste what we think we should,” explains the company. Therefore, artwork for the tea line was carefully crafted by Seveso—under the direction of Quinteassential’s Creative Director James Wong—to convey the intensity of the flavors, using an ink and water technique. Vivid colors, in billowing, swirling designs, match colors for each blend: for example, red and yellow for Jewel of Africa, “inspired by the colors of the Serengeti.” The Quinteassential brand mark, displayed in gold on the front panel, and a gold “Q” on the top of the box, convey a sense of luxury.
- Sound: Setting the mood for both caffeinated and non-caffeinated tea-drinking moments, a QR code on the back of the carton allows consumers to connect via smartphone to a 24-hour music portal that offers specially tailored tunes for each tea variety—slow, soothing music for tea with lower caffeine levels, upbeat rhythms for higher caffeine levels. “A unique piece for each, each song mirrors its blend inspiration,” says Quinteassential. In addition, the music acts as a tea timer; when the music is done, so is the brew.
- Touch: Key to the carton design is its shape, texture, and weight, says Quinteassential. Supplied by Pollard Boxes, the carton has a telescoping design and is constructed of a 1200-micron white lined board for the box and lid, and a 610-micron white folding boxboard for the shoulder. The bright-white board stock is smooth and silky to the touch, delivering a sense of luxury, while the weight of the packaging material along with the tea inside communicates a feeling of abundance. The carton also features proportions—the box is approximately 3.5 in. wide, 5 in. high, and 2.5 in. deep— that differentiate it from other tea cartons on the shelf, attracting and intriguing consumers.
- Smell: While the telescoping design of the carton provides a tight fit to keep tea leaves fresh inside, upon sliding open the box, consumers are treated to the fragrance of the exotic tea leaves as the aroma is slowly released.
- Taste: While more a product feature than a packaging element, taste is what Quinteassential says sets its product apart. “All tea leaves, fruits, flowers, and spices used are the highest-quality naturals available,” says the company. “Bernadine’s goal is always to preserve their delicacy so they blend in harmony to create works of edible art.” The loose tea leaves are packaged in a clear pouch and come with an envelope of Quinteassential-branded tea filters with a handful of wooden stirrers.
New packaging for Quinteassential was introduced in April 2015, receiving positive feedback from both retailers and consumers.
Says Tay, “Engaging in a rebranding process has provided us with the opportunity to alter customer perceptions, while simultaneously allowing us to exploit the notorious creative instincts Britain possesses. Improving the imagery, introducing sounds, and creating a sleeker design has added significant weight, depth, and originality to our product. Evolving the true art of tea in such a way as to build personality and connection shows not only ingenuity, but also a willingness to add further value to what is an interesting period in the history of tea.”
