SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING UPDATE

Tazo Tea's Sustainable Goals Lead to Very Functional Ideas

By Steve Sandstrom

One of the biggest misconceptions about Sustainable Design is that for it to BE eco, the thing has to LOOK like bark. But if we've done our job right, sustainable design is simply great design. Sometimes sustainability concerns are the primary creative-driver, sometimes it's just a part of the creative mix.

In 1994, tea master Steve Smith and tea entrepreneur Steve Lee wanted to do something fresh in the category. They had created Stash Tea years before, but this time they wanted to change the way Americans thought about tea. Steve Sandoz, a friend of Smith's and a creative director at one of the top creative ad agencies, Wieden+Kennedy, had convinced the other Steves that Sandstrom Design was the place to help launch this brand.

Sandoz came up with the name "Tazo" and the brand voice for this unique concept of tea. I (yes, the fourth Steve) created the graphic identity, its various eclectic elements, and all of the packaging based on the inspiration provided by Smith. The brand character boiled down to: "Marco Polo meets Merlin." The humor, character, and depth of the brand became an extension of Sandoz's wit, Smith's knowledge and talent for creating interesting tea blends and tea products, and my design sensibilities.

Going to another level

As the line established itself in the market, Smith wanted to do something even more inspired for Tazo full leaf teas. He's a very creative guy and a delightful client because he has great taste and an eye for detail. In addition, Smith learned quickly that branding was something more than an interesting package or a beautiful label.

Smith had shown me a stainless steel camping kit, much like the Army style mess kit I used as a Boy Scout. He liked the idea of creating a package that was self-contained, because the problem with full leaf teas is that you need some type of infuser to brew them. He wondered if the lid of a tin could also serve as an infuser. Like the mess kit, he thought, everything you needed could be locked together.

The final design featured a tall canister with a flat drop-in lid that created a tight seal for freshness. Over that fit a stainless steel cap that was designed in a stepped conical shape. This cap had a series of small holes in the shape of a Tazo symbol on top to serve as an infuser. Another smaller cap with the Tazo symbol embossed on it fit over the inner infuser cap, covering and protecting the infuser's holes and also serving as a drip cup. Thin wire wings were hinged to the sides of the infuser lid to allow the lid to be inverted and set into a teacup with the wings resting on the edges of the cup. A teaspoon of tea could then be placed into the infuser and hot water poured through the tea and into the cup for steeping.

Quickly, the Tazo infuser tin made it to market and a patent for its functional design was filed. The labels were color-coordinated into three basic background colors to indicate black teas, green teas, and herbal infusions. A later version featured three smaller interlocking tins with an infuser lid. This interlocking version offered consumers the opportunity to sample a variety of full leaf teas without having to invest in one larger package. Plus, the packaging offered the option of refilling tins with tea sold in paper bulk bags, and the consumer was welcomed to participate in a total tea experience. Finally, both the larger tin and smaller versions are recyclable in nearly every Tazo market.

There are always a number of concerns to confront when designing packaging for food products. Shelf life, freshness, sanitation, manufacturing, printing, labeling, manufacturing processes, and the costs for each can often force compromises when trying to create a totally green packaging solution. It is a rewarding experience to develop a package like the Tazo Infuser Tin. The entire package could be used, reused, and was entirely recyclable if one decided not to keep it for other purposes. Further uses for the tin too are suggested on the labels, such as using the tins to make party favors, or a tiny—but festive—hat.

Steve Sandstrom is creative director and partner at Sandstrom Design, a firm excelling in design, typography, and advertising, and can be reached at www.sandstromdesign.com.

Wendy Jedlicka, coordinator of the Sustainability Update, is president of Jedlicka Design Ltd. (www.jedlicka.com), is chapter chair for o2-USA/Upper Midwest and liaison for the o2 Global Green Design Network (www.o2.org), and on the faculty for Minneapolis College of Art and Design's ground breaking Sustainable Design Certificate Program (www.online.mcad.edu).