Pacific Chai

Pacific Beverage was a small but rapidly growing company when its principals began searching for a designer with packaging experience to re-design the identity and packaging for its main product, Pacific Chai. Chai is a tea latte made with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, first popularized in the far east. Pacific Beverage was ready to move to the next level, and it needed a unique, sophisticated look that reflected its higher profile in gourmet coffee shops and retail outlets across the U.S. I directed a team of packaging designers who began the project by re-creating the visual identity, hand-lettereing a bamboo brush wordmark that evoked a far-eastern look and feel. Warm tan striped packaging was then created and the label logo was color-coded to indicate the particular flavor. Result: Pacific Chai raised its profile in 2001-2002, expanding its market base and winning two gold medals from the American Tasting Institute, including "Best of Show" and "Gold Taste Award." The company continued to grow rapidly in 2003-2004, positioning the company for sale in 2004.

Agency: Riddick; Creative Director/Art Director: D. Payne; Designer: E. Zirkle; Illustrator: D. Payne