Twinings plans rebrand

Speciality tea brand Twinings is thought to be mooting a bold restyle of branding and packaging across its tea ranges.

The Associated British Foods-owned brand, led by Twinings marketing director Claire Hodge, is understood to be considering an off-roster consultancy for a branding and packaging brief, after Williams Murray Hamm abandoned the original project in June. WMH, which redesigned premium tea brand Jacksons of Piccadilly and is best known for its more off-the-wall designs for Hovis, Wild Brew and Jaffa Cakes, is thought to have pulled out because of ‘incompatibility’ over the direction the project was to take.

The original three-strong pitch list is understood to have also included rostered consultancies Vibrandt and Springetts. Twinings tea ranges include its Everyday Tea, Speciality Tea, Green Tea and Infusions. Coffee, hot chocolate and iced tea also come under its remit.

Twinings launched revamped packaging for its Healthy Teas range (pictured) by Vibrandt in spring this year, in a bid to make the brand more appealing to health-conscious consumers.

Last month, the premium tea brand reportedly kicked off a review of its digital advertising account, and ended a five-month-long above-the-line advertising review in the summer by splitting its account between the final three pitching ad agencies.

Twinings is the sixth-most-popular hot beverage brand in the UK, according to TNS Worldpanel figures, with sales up 9 per cent year-on-year. No one was available for comment at the time of going to press.

Brewing up a rebrand

• March 2008 – Twinings launches new packaging for its Healthy Teas range, created by Vibrandt

• November 2001 – Twinings relaunches Black and Gold speciality teas range for the first time since 1983, with revamped packaging by Springetts

• Ranges include Everyday Tea, Speciality Tea, Green Tea, Infusions, Swiss Chocolate Drink and Iced Tea

• Twinings has a 12.9% share of the total tea market, and holds 57% of the non-mainstream tea sector