Mighty Leaf Tea Co. Taps Be Design for Entry into 5-Star Properties and Grocers

The ultra-premium "ML" line of Mighty Leaf teas achieves a blend of Asian and European sophistication.

The Mighty Leaf Tea Company knew the quality and potential of its own premium line of Asian teas, wrapped in "silken whole leaf pouches," but didn't necessarily know how to get it into all the markets where it deservedly belonged. They envisioned their brand as inhabiting an exclusive place in the category, so they approached Be Design for the first step toward that goal.

The owners of Mighty Leaf decided it was high time to introduce an entirely new line of exclusive high-end teas - called "ML" - targeted specifically at luxury hotels, resorts, and spas with a requisite sense and identity of exclusivity. This bold move would require an innovative identity and package system to reflect the unique high quality and full flavor of the new teas, which would be made with even more premium ingredients than their already premium teas.

Tea bags for luxury hotels

Be Design first focused solely on redefining the brand to be able to convey elegant simplicity on single tea bags. This brand was to appeal to the highest expectations of product quality and sophistication, highlighting the contributing product elements - the pure leaves and delicate, stitched silken pouches.

Be Design created the script "ML" with the existing Mighty Leaf dark nut brown over a single, abstracted sage green tea leaf. It was an original identity, but one that bore a resemblance to the existing Mighty Leaf product line. Be design also refined and deepened the colors of Mighty Leaf's caffeine color-coding system of yellow, green, and purple (highest caffeine content).

The scripted ML and single tea leaf communicate purity and simple pleasures, with a crisp and clean design framing the logo that achieves super-premium appeal and international sophistication. The frame recalls both oriental screen walls and Mondrian square patterns. The color fields have a printed "texture" of lighter hues that might symbolize the hot water and tea mixing in the consumer's subconscious.

Finding the right printing technique for this project was a tricky matter. It seemed that the familiar glossy foil had a "mass-manufactured" association when tested with consumers, so semi-gloss and matte versions were experimented with before deciding to go completely with a matte print effect. The tea bag containers are still foil, but a special mix employed at Label Technology in Merced, CA, allows a full flat coating.

Boxes creating an 'experience'

The previous boxes of the retail Mighty Leaf teas had little more than a simple two-color sticker on a craft brown box. Be Design modified the trademark "genie" and other identity equities to achieve an abstract, highly stylized look that evokes the soothing steam and appealing flavor of the teas. Eric Read, Be Design principal and creative director on the Mighty Leaf projects, explains that the new design has "a kind of proud, quiet quality to the brand."

Once the basic architecture and positioning of key elements was mapped out, Mighty Leaf brought in renowned food photographer Deborah Jones, known for her work in the French Laundry Cookbook, which has inspired the highest praise from chefs and photography buffs alike.

Gary Shinner, CEO of Mighty Leaf, knew Jones because their children attend school together. Shinner was glad Jones became excited about the project quickly, because her vision was in line with his. With the new

packaging of ML and Mighty Leaf, Shinner saw his goal take shape: "Having an artist's vision, inside and out."

Mighty Leaf and Be Design allowed Jones to have a great deal of input on the content of each beautifully composed image, and how to elicit appetite appeal for each flavor. Read rationalizes the artsy impact of the box: "It was appropriate to the target audience, but higher end than people expected."

One of the telltale signs that Mighty Leaf is a premium product is the delicate stitching that holds the tea bag together. To leverage this element to greatest advantage, a looped stitching line runs through the color "band" on the box, and an actual-size photo of the bag adorns the top of the box, giving Mighty Leaf neophytes a "Wow, look at that!" moment.