Stash Tea

Stash is a Portland-based specialty and herbal tea company founded in 1972 that sells both bagged and loose leaf tea, with one brick and mortar store that offers tea tastings. The name “Stash” is derived from tea’s status as a once-valuable good that was frequently transported by ship, whose captain would be given a selection of the finest teas for his private reserve, or his stash.

The logo is inspired by imagery originally used in the logos of trading companies of the 17th and 18th centuries and is designed with the graphic simplicity of a brand (the wood burning type you might find on a shipping crate) in mind. The keys reference the idea of something being so wonderful that it must be locked up to protect it, an allusion to the company’s namesake.

To continue with the themes of travel, worldliness, and exoticism associated with the early tea trade, the key head designs in the logo are based on Tibetan keys and leave room for supplemental graphics of key designs from other cultures.

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Flavors of the premium line are presented in French to keep in line with the company’s existing packaging and to give the tea a high end feel. Each package is assigned a color that corresponds with the flavor.

 

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Right: Stash’s Mississippi Tea Bar, photo courtesy of Jason Quigley and the Mississippi Avenue Business Association.


Signs are kept to a mix of a rustic and industrial aesthetic to reflect the interior of the store and maintain the company’s Portland roots. The circle around the keys references a stain from a drippy tea cup or mug.

 
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High end tote bags with variations of the logo and a graphic Chinese-inspired key head.

 
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A refreshed website is kept minimal to focus on featured products.

 
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Brand Strategy Research | Brand Guidelines

 

 

Disclaimer: This is a student project and is in no way affiliated with Stash Tea – after some confusion stemming from a feature on the Dieline, they have asked me to make it clear that they are not rebranding!



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