Firepot Tea

CASE STUDY

SCOPE OF WORK:
Creative Direction | Brand Design | Package Design | Website Design & Maintenance | Campaign Marketing Strategy

PROJECT BRIEF:
After a change in ownership, Firepot Tea needed a refreshed brand experience that maintained its vision & mission, but also allowed growth, brand clarity, and accessibility.

ABOUT THE BRAND:

“Guided by ritual, sustained by connection. We believe tea isn’t just a drink — it’s a pause, a memory, a breath between moments. Together, we can turn a simple sip into something meaningful.” Woman-owned & led, Firepot Tea has prioritized women’s health, wellness, and education since its founding in 2002. With proceeds benefitting women in Rwanda through 1% for the Planet, and black tea sourced from that same area of Rwanda, Firepot Tea values relationships with tea drinkers and tea growers around the world. Their product line includes: Masala Chai Concentrate, Matcha, Sachets, and Loose Leaf Tea.

THE CHALLENGE

After a change in ownership, Firepot Tea needed a refreshed brand experience that maintained its vision & mission, but also allowed growth, brand clarity, and accessibility.

New ownership wanted Firepot Tea to be accessible to a larger audience, which meant refining all aspects of the brand with intention and respect. Firepot is a small team, so the strategy and scope needed to be achievable but growth-minded.

OBJECTIVES

Increase brand visibility on shelves

Differentiate from other tea companies who promote wellness

Create avenues for growth without losing authenticity

Make quality tea accessible to busy people who want to feel like they’ve had a mindful moment

My Role & Team

As both Creative Director and Art Director, my mission was to give the brand a mature confidence balanced by the quiet ritual of drinking tea.
Through earthy jewel tones and soft surroundings, the packaging, website, photography, and social media presence, I wanted Firepot Tea to find its voice amongst the noise.

Social Media Management: Rachel Mackin

Photography: Aaron Johnson, Jonah Walker, Rachel Mackin

Customer Experience: Abby Spates, Haley Hofer

Check out the website

BRAND IDENTITY & evolution

From 2002 until 2023, Firepot Tea (formerly known as Firepot Nomadic Teas) produced small-batch tea, including microbrewing & bottling Masala Chai Concentrate. Ownership anticipated growth challenges with small-batch production and acknowledged a need for a brand shift.

BEFORE

The first iteration of the Firepot Tea logo featured a hot pink, patterned elephant with a girl and her parasol riding the elephant. The name of the company at the time was “Firepot Nomadic Teas.”
The next iteration, and the version of the logo passed down to me, removed the girl, the pattern, and the hot pink for a simplified elephant and typeface. The new ownership wanted to pair down the name to “Firepot Teas.”

NOW

For scalability, the elephant lost an eye (sorry!) and the line quality got slightly thicker to prevent bleeding on any printed applications of the logo.

“TEAS” felt slightly awkward and was mistaken for “tease” so the “s” was removed to become Firepot Tea. The use of two typefaces and the loose tracking between letters felt unnecessary and disconnected; by tightening up the type, the logo felt like one piece and one voice.

brand symbolism

The fire pot is an earthenware vessel used for centuries to keep travelers warm, cook their food and literally transport fire: a nomadic lifestyle.

The elephant represents wisdom, vitality, emotional intelligence and luxury - Indian and African elephants reflect the origins of our chai: we use a traditional Indian recipe and our black tea comes from Rwanda.

COLOR PALETTE

Firepot Tea's relationship with the earth is the driving force behind the colors chosen to portray the brand.

Luxurious orange-red tones inspired by mineral-rich soil represents luck, longevity and prosperity - the same symbolism as the elephant. Jewel-toned greens derived from plant life and stones with great cultural significance represent calm, mindful balance with a touch of wealth & wellness.