Elephant Tea: The birth of a century-old tea brand
- Yilan Lan
- 29 nov. 2021
- 2 min de lecture
What do you associate with the elephant logo when you see it? Is it a simple, steady, down-to-earth image or an exotic and mysterious feeling? Actually, elephant is an animal that conveys many images, and has a powerful symbolism. Without being excessively used by the brands, it remains however very present, over time, and in very different fields. Here I would like to introduce a very typical classic brand with a long history of using elephants as its brand image - Elephant Tea
Elephant Tea was founded in 1892 in Marseille by brothers Pétrus and Lazare Digonnet. It merged with Compagnie Commerciale Unité in 1967, and then was taken over by Unilever in 1975. The brand is based on a story about a polo player who grew up in India and preferred to ride elephants rather than horses. This story is a little bit strange, isn't it? But that's how they got the customers' attention at that time. All the way to the present day, they have followed this core brand icon and given it a new contemporary meaning. In the past, they rely on elephant-this exotic aspect to name themselves because tea in the far East was something as valuable as gold. Their use of the elephant, a very Indian image, was a great way to add value to the brand. Nowadays, elephants represent the freedom of wildlife and convey the desire of humans for nature. This makes for a more natural and green brand image.
In France, herbal tea and scented tea are particularly popular among the locals. There is a wide range of choices, including caffeinated black/green teas, or caffeine-free bedtime teas. French people used to drink a cup of bedtime tea in the evening to relieve the fatigue and stress of a full day at work. Despite so many different options, Elephant Tea still has a high market share and has always been an expert in the field of herbal teas. No matter how big or small the supermarket is, you can always find Elephant in the tea section. After more than 100 years of development and continuous deep work, elephant tea has become one of the very important national brands in the hearts of the French.
LAN Yilan
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