Client
Saicho Tea
Category
Brand Identity, Packaging
Location
UK
Saicho are award-winning tea connoisseurs on a mission to bring their sparkling tea to the drinks receptions and dining tables of the world. Specialising in single-origin cold-brewed teas, their products deliver a palette of delicate and complex flavours that pair perfectly with food, making them a delicious alcohol-free alternative to wine.
Inspired by the History of Tea
The brand takes inspiration from the wooden crates that were used to transport loose-leaf tea around the world. These containers were adorned with stencil lock-ups, decorative borders and origin language typography, providing us with a rich source of authentic and relevant graphic references to build into the brand.
We worked with Ukrainian illustrator Yuliya Kalinichenko to create a series of decorative illustrations that reference the flora and fauna common to the areas where the tea is produced.
Taking cues from cultural references and tea culture, we configured a stitched effect to the illustrations inspired by fine silk embroidery common in the eastern art.
The resulting illustrations were used on key elements of the branding such as the neck labels and secondary packaging.
Brand Name Origin
SaichÅ (767 – 822) was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism based on the Chinese Tiantai school. He is also said to have been the first to bring tea to Japan.
Sixty Stone Mountain
Saicho’s Rare Tea Collection celebrates the origins and artistry of tea craftsmanship. Available exclusively at Harrods, their latest release is made using a rare black tea from a tiny parcel of land in Hualien County, Taiwan.
For this limited, ultra premium release we created a bespoke label system featuring sequential bottle numbering, a folded origami closure and exquisite secondary packaging with illustration and gold foil detailing.
