Challenge
CHACHI'S CHAI BAR is a small chai shop They opened with the intention of introducing the feeling of sipping warm tea back home in India, to the busy, city streets of Toronto. In India, whether its' a wedding, a work meeting, or a meetup between friends - there will be tea presented as a symbol of good intention and hospiltality. India competes with China as being the world's largest prodcuer of tea - despite 70% of the tea being consumed within the country (reference: techatea.com). That makes finding this specialty tea a treat to find in other parts of the world. Chai tea generally includes a rich black tea, heavy milk, a combination of spices as well as a sweetener. CHACHI wanted to capture the feeling back in India, of the times you go over to the house of family or friends and they instantly serve you tea and lights snacks. These are feelings of closeness, appreciation and engagement. These are the ways that tea can be used to connect and build relationships with others within the community.
Solution
They chose the name CHACHI as it translates to 'Aunty' in Hindi. And who makes the best cup of tea? Quite often, it's your Aunt. Furthermore, the name "chai" is the Hindi word for "tea" which comes from the word "cha" - the Chinese word for "tea". Colours: The colours (grey, white & shaffron) come from the Indian flag. While the front colour is interchangeable throughout the different branding options, it's intended to be a dark green with a white "speckled" effect. A dark, orange circle is used in contrast to highlight the text "CHAI BAR" - a slogan that further elaborates on the CHACHI name. Gold represents quality and richness of flavour Grey represents the timeless culture that surrounds chai Orange represents honesty, purity and peace Design: The design chosen throughout the CHACHI branding comes from the Indian culture and heritage. These are designs you see across all of India. We wanted to respect the heritage while giving a beautiful Mehndi, floral design a more modern appearance. Mehndi, the art or practice of applying temporary henna tattoos. This art form is especially used as part of a bride and groom's preparation for a wedding. We branded a few items for CHACHI, including: Coffee Cups Tea Bags (combining branding and quality by offering a cool, dark place. That's the proper way to preserve tea) Takeout Bags Iconography: We designed these simple icons to use apart of their branding. This includes the CHAICHI cups, pacakaging, and tea bags. Font: There were many "Chai Fonts" available but we decided to have this whimsical/freehand font, custom made. It's intended to pay homage to the street vendor in India with their own, authentic, Chai shops.
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