Celestial Seasonings brand identity was given the most extensive update in 37 years by Sterling Brands. I am a long-time admirer of Sterling Brands' packaging design and branding work, both of which I find very inspiring.
Yet, I have to admit that when Celestial Seasonings new boxes of teas hit the shelves, I was strangely disappointed. Someone like me who mentally redesigns packaging when scanning a store aisle (dark secret confession of a packaging designer) should have been delighted to discover her favorite brand of teas with a beautiful new face.
As a consumer of Celestial Seasonings for several years, I'd come to love the busy packaging with quirky little quotes on every flap and surface of the box, along with the fascinatingly detailed illustrations. The densely adorned panels of the Celestial tea boxes were what defined the authentic style of the brand for me - rich, flavorful, eclectic and cluttered like a warm vibrant country kitchen with the fragrance of freshly brewing herb tea.
According to an article in BrandWeek, the "packaging was redesigned to create a
cleaner, modern look. What haven't changed are the inspirational quotes
on the packages, for which Celestial Seasonings is known."
Along came the new brand identity - shiny, restrained, balanced and very in-step current design sensibilities (cleaner and more modern indeed). Somehow, the polished and poised new look of Celestial Seasonings failed to satisfy me as a consumer. It was as if an old friend you've known for years shows up at your place with a nose job and a totally new wardrobe - familiar yet unsettling. Is this the same friend you've always known?
(continued...)
Certainly the new box is much prettier than the old version (shown above - note: a wider spread of the illustration is on the front face panel not shown here). The Celestial rebranding effort is an example of what commonly happens to revamped brands - as much as you retain, there will always be resistance to changes in the brand - especially a brand that consumers have become attached to.
There are many good reasons that a brand requires an update. For instance, an updated brand generates renewed consumer interest and boosts product sales. But rebranding isn't a foolproof recipe for success. A company can erode brand loyalty among its customer base if they tamper too much with the perceived 'flavor' of their brand and what consumers feel it stands for.
The bottom line is that I think Celestial did the logical thing - revitalized their brand to help the company boost sales levels and help it fix certain packaging inconsistencies that made it a bit confusing to shop for their teas. Did they sacrifice too much? Should the Country Girl have traded her identity for the City Girl?
