Archive · 2021

Tea fit for an emperor, a brand for the world.

Overview

A brand identity built on Gong cha Tea Red.

Gong cha is a Chinese term for offering the best tea to the Emperor — teas and beverages of the highest and finest quality, fit for royalty. Today the company is dedicated to the same principle of providing premium products to customers around the globe, promising to inspire the human spirit and create happiness with a perfect cup of tea. To increase brand awareness and promote tea culture, Gong cha created a series of brand materials.

The brand identification program quickly revealed that the identity had to be modern, natural, and comfortable — conveying variety, harmony, and smoothness. The color system plays a key role: the primary color is “Gong cha Tea Red”, with Pearl Brown, Milk Beige, Leaf Green and Water Blue as secondary colors.

Company
Gong cha
Platform
Brand identity
Year
2021
Team
In-house brand team
Role
Brand identity
Visual design
Award
Bronze A’ Design Award
Graphics & Visual Communication
2021–2022
Bronze A' Design Award winner laurel logo

Recognized with the Bronze A’ Design Award in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design, 2021–2022 — awarded to the top 10% of entries worldwide. Official winner page ↗

Identity

From color system to brand materials.

The color system, Pantone-specified in the Y2022 brand guideline — one primary, four secondaries, governing print, signage and interiors.
Full brand stationery suite in Tea Red
The stationery suite — Tea Red and the tea-leaf pattern carried across letterhead, cards, envelopes and cups.
Collateral cards with the tea-leaf pattern
Collateral cards — the tea-leaf pattern gives the identity its texture at hand scale.
In-store menu boards and cup-size cards
The in-store menu system — menu, How to Order, and cup-size cards in one visual language.
Brand book spread — Brewing Happiness
The brand book — “Brewing Happiness”, the promise told through lifestyle photography.
Brand book spread — mission and values
Mission and values — quality, integrity, innovation, respect and empathy.
Brand book spread — product benefits
“All the benefits in your hands” — product story set in the secondary palette.
Brand book spread — quality standards
“Standing out comes second nature” — the quality standards spread.

In the Wild

The identity, in stores.

Storefront exterior at night with Tea Red awning
Street scale — Tea Red awning and signage after dark.
Interior brand wall with the Gong cha seal in warm wood
The 貢茶 seal and wordmark in warm wood — the brand wall inside the store.
Store counter and seating area
The counter — the identity carried into interior materials.
Dining area with Tea Red banquettes and tea-field artwork
The dining room — Tea Red banquettes under tea-field artwork.
Branded straw boxes at the counter
Down to the smallest object — branded straw boxes at the counter.

Recognition

Bronze A’ Design Award.

Bronze A’ Design Award (2021–2022) in the Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design category.

Publication

  • A’ Design Award — Award Winning Designs Yearbook 2022, digital edition (co-author) · DesignerPress, Italy, 52/X · ISBN 978-88-97977-54-4
A’ Design Award entry ↗ Design Interview ↗

Next

All projects