Tata Cha

Design: Icarus Design Pvt Ltd
Project Type: Produced
Client: Tata Global Beverages ltd. (TGBL)
Location: Bengaluru, India
Packaging Contents: Tea, Snacks, Branded Merchandise

Tata Cha was a landmark project that saw Icarus combine its Service Design and Brand Design capabilities, to craft a game changing out-of-home tea experience that is defining this emerging space. Tata Global Beverages Ltd. (TGBL), the world’s second largest tea company wanted a strategy to launch a quick service restaurant chain for Chai, across the country.

Icarus formulated all parts of the service strategy, in addition to the design for this new business venture – which includes Design Research, Brand Definition, Brand Identity, Tone of Voice, Visual Language & Iconography, In-Store Visuals and Store Merchandise.

To create a brand that was truly chai, team Icarus had to get to the heart (and soul!) of chai. They visited hundreds of places, met hundreds of people and drank hundreds of cups. The team understood that at its core, chai was everything coffee wasn’t – warm, authentic and Indian. It broke barriers, brought people together and was full of noise – it wasn’t intimate, sophisticated and exclusive like coffee. This ‘chai warmth’ formed the core of the brand.

For decades Tata Global Beverages has built its expertise in understanding the nuances of tea drinking in India and are well aware that Indians love boiled tea. Backed with this insight, Tata Cha specialises in serving freshly boiled tea, just like the corner tea shop, served one perfect cup at a time. An aim to optimise the ‘out of home’ tea drinking experience coupled with snacks, a visit to Tata Cha will bring back fond, nostalgic moments.

Inspiration to craft the visual language of the brand came from many textures you encounter on the streets – posters peeling off walls, old wooden doors and so on. These textures were layered upon a range of visuals that were created to capture the visual moods of chai – resulting in a look that was pathbreaking and new; yet oddly familiar and comforting. Inspired by the outdoors, it’s redefined the way indoor spaces can feel.

Tata Cha is designed to reflect the heritage of Tata Global Beverages while embracing local culture. The store space created is warm and nurtures a renewed love for tea. The interior décor, hence, brings together a mix of warm soft wood, bright colours, colourful and patterned fabrics to create a charming, youthful ambience.