- Client:
- Twinings
- What we did:
- Storytelling, Communications Design, Packaging & Brand Collateral, Campaigns & Art Direction, Interaction Design, User Experience & Interface Design, Retail Design, Customer Experience Strategy
- Where:
- London, UK
The Challenge
Originally opened by Thomas Twining in 1706, the Twinings flagship store is London’s oldest tea shop. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination and Twinings’ sole-owned direct-to-consumer store worldwide. But as a purely transactional retail space, an opportunity had been missed for the brand to tell their unique story. We needed to transform the flagship into the true spiritual home of the Twinings brand.
The Solution
The new experience invites customers to discover Twinings' unique story and products through communications, interactive displays and tasting areas, focussing not only on the brand's rich heritage but also on innovation, wellness, lifestyle and ethical sourcing. Whether a tea tourist or tea aficionado, there's something to spark curiosity and delight in every visitor.
Telling their unique story
It was vital that we kept the brand's rich heritage at the heart of the experience, but with a contemporary twist. Near the entrance of the store, the history of the brand has been mapped out through a collection of stories told through time, including how the Twinings family boldly led the way over the years and put quality at the heart of everything they did.
Moments of curiosity
Four ‘Moments of Curiosity' punctuate the customer journey, using interactive displays and storytelling to reveal more about the brand. Customers can discover the influences of the Master Blenders, diving into into the tastes and stories behind their favourite blends, before moving on to learn about wellbeing and ethical sourcing.
Interactive and immersive content
We created a range of digital content for the new store, from atmospheric shots of tea plantations and herb gardens where Twinings source their botanicals, through to animated content for the Moments of Curiosity interactive displays.
New communications
We also worked with Twinings to craft all-new communications for the store, defining an open, transparent and personal tone of voice. The new communications are classic in style with a modern twist, incorporating a typeface inspired by stencilled tea chests.
Fresh packaging
The ceremony of purchasing tea has been elevated through the gifting offer by new-look gift tags, wrapping and take-away cards with notes on wellness and lifestyle.
A multi-sensory tea-tasting experience
For a more in-depth immersion into the world of Twinings, the basement has been transformed into a private tea-tasting bar where customers can pre-book a masterclass or hold private events for a personlised experience. Customers are invited to touch, smell and taste the tea during the entire brewing process.
Art direction
We created warm-toned, natural photography to reinvigorate the brand, emphasising the richness of their products and the welcoming nature of their people.
