Introduction
Creative evolution and development of PG Tips, an iconic
national brand.
Challenge
Although joint number one in UK, PG Tips suffered when an army
of fruit and herbal products invaded the tea market, trailing a
host of confusing product claims in their wake. Unilever asked us
to emphasise their iconic brand's natural qualities in order to
build a stronger positioning for the future. We saw an opportunity
to establish PG Tips as a pioneer in the rejuvenation of the black
tea category.
Solution
The answer was in the name: by concentrating on the brand's
lifelong use of only the choicest tips of the plant and on the
health-promoting properties of theanine, we switched to a
benefit-led brand positioning whilst still respecting PG Tips'
heritage. We communicated tea's natural goodness with clarity and
simplicity, replacing scenic illustration with honest, close-up
photography, taken on location in the plantations. This refreshed
brand identity and new positioning stimulated new sales growth
after more than four years of stagnation and we are still
sensitively developing the brand and its personality more than 15
years later. As part of PG's inter-agency team, we used in-depth
brand and market analysis to build an early brand strategy and to
plan ahead for range differentiation, allowing for the special and
limited edition packs that help to maintain interest in a commodity
brand. By building inter-agency relationships over many years, we
have also been able to maximise the brand's down to earth
personality by integrating advertising campaigns on-pack -
particularly successful for the Monkey campaign with its special
Christmas pack. Our strong, consistent and honest branding has made
sure that PG Tips remains, as ever, The Nation's Favourite.