Nerada tea is a reputable brand in Australia with over 50 years of expertise and celebrated for its premium tea and herbal infusions. The introduction of an English Breakfast blend called for a refresh that would not only introduce the new tea blend but re-establish Nerada expertise in the category.
Nerada reached out to Sydney-based strategic branding company Tweak Design for the refresh design.
But Tweak’s collaboration with Nerada goes back more than 10 years. Beginning in 2013, Tweak redesigned the Nerada core range, giving it a fresh, bold new look to better communicate the brand’s key attributes.
“Our history with the Nerada brand and our understanding of the tea category made us the right choice
in this collaboration,” Tweak Design senior graphic designer Shane King told ProPack.pro.
Key to Nerada’s brief was the emphasis of the brand’s long-standing craftsmanship and its alignment with Australia’s adventurous spirit. The new packaging needed to be more visible and appealing, while staying true to its heritage.
The process of creating the packaging involved multiple stages, from category reviews and initial concepts to final artwork and colour proofing.
“While the process is extensive, it can be summarised in two key phases: design and production,” King said.
“At the outset, during the design phase, a strategic response to the brief was essential to create a solution that resonated with consumer needs. This started with reviewing the category to understand the competitive landscape.
“Analysing competitors and identifying unique differentiators helped in shaping key communication points and determining how to convey them effectively. Design territories were then developed to establish a tone of voice that informed meaningful design choices.
“An important consideration in our design was to maximise brand presence and provide cut through on shelf. This was achieved using vibrant colour and a simple architecture that worked together to provide brand blocking on shelf. Inspired by the craftsman’s workbench, the deep green panel maximises contrast with the Nerada logotype and anchors all pack communication. The surrounding vibrant green leaf background connects to other packs on shelf, providing a brand blocking effect.
“Preserving this nostalgic brand quality was essential, while also adding depth to its legacy. Since taste and freshness matter to tea lovers, we incorporated a top-view photograph of a freshly brewed cup to heighten the appeal.
“In the production phase, digital artwork was adapted into a format suitable for printing. Knowledge of the substrate, printing process, and available inks was crucial to achieve a faithful reproduction. Colour accurate proofs were created and sent to the printer, along with the final artwork files, to ensure consistency in the printed result.”
Queensland’s Platypus Print Packaging was the chosen printer, that used its Koenig & Bauer 106X (year 2020) press to bring the design to life. Platypus Print Packaging used a matte aqueous ink with spot gloss UV, inline in a single pass. The stock used was 450um, Hi Q Greyback that is 100 per cent recyclable.
“Careful attention was given to selecting the right colour tone, with spot gloss applied to the liquid for a lifelike sheen that catches the light. Gloss was also added to the foreground tea leaves, enhancing their fresh, realistic, and tactile appearance,” King said.
But, as with all packaging design projects, the substrates, print process and colour options came with their tolerances and limitations in the early stages of the design.
“Understanding them was the first step to navigating towards the best possible outcome. The initial cardboard used did not offer a vibrant white, which influenced the brightness of the PMS colours chosen and their level of saturation to offset the dullness. The colours were also limited, so black was replaced with a dark green PMS, which provided versatility in other areas of the design and ensured a fresh, saturated green was achieved,” King said.
The recyclability of the package is also prominently displayed.
“The box’s 100 per cent recyclability is specified by the arl.org.au iconography on back of the pack. The teabag paper is also made from certified compostable material. Nerada is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, which is committed to looking after its workers and protecting natural resources. This logo is displayed on the front of pack as well as side of pack,” King added.
