Chatu is a concept tea brand with packaging that draws inspiration from the plantations of Fujian, Henan, and Sichuan, China, the source of the brand’s teas. The purely fictional company uses environmentally-friendly packaging throughout; the concept elegantly and sustainably tells the story of the premium tea inside, from growing to brewing.
Rounded, two-piece outer packaging, designed to resemble the shape of a traditional teapot, is made from molded fiber and dyed to represent the kind of tea inside. Black tea Zao Bei Jian features a dark, reddish hue, white tea Shou Mei is dyed a light grey, and Xin Yang Mao is dyed a vegetal green. Swirls on the packaging mimic the hilly landscape of the Chinese tea plantations.
Inside, a breathable textile bag holds the tea, a sustainable alternative to plastic sachets that are reusable and easy to repurpose in the home. A paper band with more information about Chatu’s teas, including optimal brewing temperature, holds the entire packaging safely together. Typography adds warmth and humanity, and the wordmark replaces the accent over the a with a leaf. Chatu’s secondary logo swirls also recall the hilly plantations, and the use of red is reminiscent of seals made by Chinese chop stamps.
Designer Xenia Alexandrova was the art director for the Chatu project, with 3D visualization by Dmitriy Saveliev.
