Waking up Sleepytime

Celestial Seasonings is a local brand with a fantastic product and a rich, authentic heritage in natural foods. As the company itself says, “we were natural before the natural aisle existed.” With flavorful, fancifully named herbal teas, Celestial Seasonings invented new occasions and experiences—and created a collection of loving fans along the way. 

But over the last decade or so, this cherished, beloved brand has faced some issues with aging. Not just established, not just endeared, but just old. Celestial Seasonings has built its brand around whimsy, a tone and a style of artwork that was successful in building a story, but has since locked them into a time period stylistically. Therefore, as much as people connect this look and tone with the brand, it didn’t help the brand’s efforts to remain relevant among a sea of new, contemporary competitors. 

That’s why I am thrilled to see a solution that appears to be dead on. Our friends at TDA advertising (also here in Boulder) have recently produced new communications that reveal a new and fresh Celestial Seasonings with a reverent nod to all that the brand has brought to the world in its rich past.

The new packaging still features the beloved art equities, but it’s now corralled with a simple, clean border, which reflects a design sensibility that is much more contemporary. Further, the headlines do two things: (1) they tell us a story about Celestial’s authentic place in the market, and (2) at the same time, do so with a bit of edge that the brand was missing.  

In case you can't read off the image, the headline reads: Hiking Boots, a Botany Textbook and a Pick-up Truck. That was venture capital for a tea company in 1969.

I hope to hear positive results soon.