Client: Tazo Tea

In a category where European tradition and clipper ships defined most Western tea brands, Tazo redefined tea as a multi-cultural symbol of a “new world” movement of health, wellness and creativity. The brief from our entrepreneurial clients Steve Smith and Steve Lee was “Marco Polo meets Merlin.” From this we created a visual and verbal language that borrowed from ancient history, philosophy, lore, alchemy and mysticism. We rewrote history to serve our purpose using humor, poetry and intellectual silliness while referencing actual places, events and mythology. Borrowing and mixing imagery and lore from the great tea cultures, we suggested Tazo and its artifacts were evidence of a great, ancient tea civilization. By using historical imagery in a modern way, Tazo “floated time,” suggesting both old and new at the same time, lending it unique authenticity and credibility. Sandstrom was instrumental in the entire Tazo brand, from the name and packaging to product designs like tea infusers and stackable packaging, even sales materials that felt more like relics than standard marketing. After four years, Tazo was acquired by Starbucks. That’s another story.