The new design looks like a Lipton product. Nothing special about it.

Proof positive that new is not synonymous with better. The "before" was so unique and the pattern so intricate it felt like you were drinking/buying something rare and exotic. The redesign is so bland and expected it just doesn't have that oomph to it anymore.

I agree. I thought of the Lipton Red Tea (Harvest Strawberry). Even the font on the new packaging seems at odds with the "world market" feel of the brand. Some times one should not mess with a good thing. A better update to this packaging would have been simply using a brighter color palette against the brown shades.

i miss the oversize graphics on the before! not every tea needs a cup of tea on it, makes it more mass! type is easier to read and shop but thats it!

sorry i take that back i like the old type!!

I remember when I noticed the first redesign on the shelves and thought that it was a terrific update. When looking at the redesign, I wonder what caused them to make these changes.

A couple things that might have influenced this redesign are probably related to the company's desire to increase sell-through (in other words, getting more product sold). Here are a few possible considerations:1- The product description/name were raised up to the center of the package and 'linked' to the logo. This is probably due to readability since it was much lower before. Some shelves have a 'lip', which could block the descriptors.2- The logo was probably reduced to say only 'Yogi' because the company now offers non-tea products under the same brand name. They wanted to unify their range.3- The images were added because there must have been feedback on some level that consumers might not be 'getting' what was inside the teas.

If the treatments actually were a working a solution is another story. Aesthetically, the previous version is stronger, sexier and definitely more 'boutique-like'. The new version inevitably moves into the 'mass/CPG' category by explaining everything so plainly. It's mainly because of the photos, though.

One way they could have gotten around the image-as-description-at-a-glance agenda, is to use custom illustration that matched the henna pattern style. Photo-realism takes the packaging into CPG-land.

(Sorry for the long-ish critique...)

terrible!! the old design was so great, and stood out from other teas very well. not so much anymore. i almost don't want to buy yogi tea anymore.

Yael, don't be sorry – comments like yours really enhance the overall post in my eyes as an interested reader. Thanks!

I'm really disappointed, as I loved the old packaging. The new packaging blends together too much without the brown shapes at the bottom, and the fade is annoying. The purple logo bugs me to no end as it makes absolutely no sense in that color scheme. The tea cups aren't needed as they all look the same anyway and I already know what it is I'm buying, and if anything they really need more distinguishing factors instead of all the tops being yellow. This is almost as bad as Tropicana's crap.

I'm really really disappointed! I took so much pleasure in the previous packaging, and the new one is boring and upleasant. No no no no.

I am a big tea drinker, and of Yogi Tea in particular! I saw this the other day whilst doing my weekly shopping and did a double take. I was a little saddened by the new packaging and feel most of the earthy mystique of the product has been completely overridden by the new design.

I agree with Yael: a custom illustration that pays homage to the henna pattern style would have been much better than the photorealistic cups of tea currently featured.

I say "boo" for this one.

Just something I had to point out...

I had to keep going back to the images while reading to make sure which was 'before' and which was 'after' as I kept getting them wrong. This is from a non-tea drinker and someone unfamiliar with the brand.

Really feel like Yogi just lost what made them difference. The new packaging looks too much like packaging that already exists. I bought them purposely becuase I thought they were very different and "exotic" and thus, hoped they would be better than say Lipton. I wonder if they removed the henna on the inside of the box as well? I always liked that extra little touch.

I couldn't believe that the before and after weren't mixed up. So so nicely designed and appealing before... now it looks more generic and bland.

i agree. i drink yogi tea all the time and i prefer the old packaging, the new designs are generic & blah.

A step backward. I like the original 'Yogi' wordmark and the purple shape of the new package but everything else is no good. The cup of tea photography with ingredients looks like low end Walgreen's packaging.

Agreed. What a misdirection on their part. The original design was so strong, clean and poignant. They have ended up with something now that is going to simply blend in with everything else on the shelves.

I agree with Jonathan. I like the simplification of the mark, removing the element "tea" from the name and reducing the width of the containing "bubble," but other than that, I think it's a step backwards.

That being said, I think both are successful, but the first iteration (minus the now improved mark) is more successful.

So sorry to bring this up, but I can't get past the cup of tea that looks so much like a steaming urine sample, it's hard to believe that got approved.

The older one is better.

I agree w/ everyone here.In this case, a new design is not necessarily a better design.

While browsing my local deli recently, I actually picked up a box of Yogi tea after admiring the unique & eye-catching packaging.

The company definitely lost the effective 'exotic' feeling- in exchange for a more mainstream look.

Definitely not an improvement....

i was so disappointed when i saw this. the old design used to stand out against all the other generic and commercial looking teas. this reminds me of lipton teas when i look at it now. i actually saved a few of the old boxes because i liked the designs...glad i did.

this only needs one word:

fail

Nice to hear the support for the 'before' design. I was the CD on this packaging system and the full rebranding project. I obviously agree, 'after' is not an improvement. It's heartbreaking.

A great effort from a great team created something distinctive and beautiful for a brand that we loved. The major league CPG world does not allow many designs like this one to be born. Unfortunately, it was short lived.

YT always had aggressive goals--they envisioned themselves a significant mainstream player. It was our charge to take them there, but not overnight.

We certainly did not want to alienate their loyal customer base from the natural channel. Strong consumer insights and very solid strategic thinking led the way. The identity was refined and a deep exploration yielded the winning design. No less rigorous, the implementation process involved creating well over a hundred works of henna art using traditional methods and materials.

In 2007, the tea category was on fire. New brands seemed to appear on every store visit and the big guys were adapting. The 'Kraftization' of Tazo was evidenced by their watered-down new pack--and our favorite at Sterling-Rice Group, the Celestial redesign last year. We're flattered by the coincidental similarity.

YT was a unique company. During our project, their entire senior management team resembled Yogi Bhajan, the beloved founder and guy on our box (he's since been deleted). For reasons that are not completely clear, the marketing director and the VP of marketing up and quit shortly after the launch. One of the senior players showed up for the unveiling at the Expo West Natural Foods Show with no beard and no turban. Soon after, the 'suits' appeared.

It was clear in meeting the new marketing director that he had his own idea of what constituted successful packaging. His main concern at the time was that the sku names were too small. Clearly he had a larger agenda.

As others have noted, with ‘after,’ they've surrendered the unique character and authenticity we worked hard to create. I don’t who they’re taking to with this new design--perhaps it’s the Lipton customer.

In the end I believe they got impatient and sold out. Fail is right. Celestial wins.

Jeff Curry, thanks for your behind the scenes.



The *new* packaging looks old - not what I want to face in a sea of sameness at the grocery store. I find it unusual that a company would consciously opt to strip its visual uniqueness and branding character. That's some kind of disconnect.