Nigiro Tea: Branding

Challenge The team that brought superior coffee to Cape Town in the form of Origin, briefed Kite to capture the essence of tea for their new venture. The brand needed to reflect an African spirit as well as the Eastern heritage of tea.

Solution The mark is a twist on an Eastern-style stamp, with the name separated into three distinct characters that are read vertically.

Result Nigiro has gone on to win contracts to supply tea to South Africa's most prestigious hotels, including the One&Only, the Mount Nelson and
the Hyatt.

Nigiro Tea: Business card

Challenge The quality of Nigiro's tea is far superior to that of the teabags used by the average South African. Kite needed to convey this through the business card, the brand's usual first point of contact with potential clients (e.g. hotels and restaurants).

Solution We designed the business card to give the receiver an opportunity to smell, touch and taste the superior product - it is literally a sachet of loose tea, with instructions on how to make the perfect cup.

Nigiro Tea: Letterhead

Challenge Convey the heritage of tea and the East through unexpected imagery.

Solution Tea plantation contours unite various elements of the Nigiro brand. The eastern concept of yin and yang is subtly suggested through the balance between land and sky.

Nigiro Tea: Display wall

Challenge Display the 100 plus teas in the Nigiro shop - without using the tins typical of most similar shops.

Solution Kite collaborated with the interior design specialist to create wall art reflecting the contour paths of tea plantations. Seen from the vibrant coffee room next door, the intriguing canister wall draws the viewer into the contrasting tea space.

Nigiro Tea: Packaging

Challenge Suggest a way to hold the tea without using the tins typical of most Asian and European tea houses.

Solution Kite commissioned a top South African ceramicist to make 100 plus clay tea canisters by hand, each slightly different from the other.

Nigiro Tea: Menu

Challenge Bring a suggestion of Africa through into the menu design.

Solution The menu covers are made of hand-bound vinyl. A piece of laser cut wood has been attached with wire and beads, to enhance the African connection.