The simpler the visual identity, the better.

If you are from my generation, you probably think that 1986 was a veeery long time ago. If not, it means you were already a teenager or even in your 20s. In this case, you can attest that, back then, tea was not as democratized as it is now [1].

Since Palais des Thés’ first launched onto the French market more than 35 years ago, the competitive landscape has considerably rose, enabling an easier access to tea consumption by the greatest number. Its elitist association slowly began to evaporate, like hot steam.

This explains why the brand considered revisiting and clarifying its visual identity to stand out from competitors such as Mariage Frères, which is rooted in tradition, or even Kusmi Tea, inscribed in a more playful approach [2].

This change is also motivated by 2 other factors. The first one being the important sales generated from the website, representing over 16% of total sales [3]. Therefore, it is essential to have a visually pleasing and ergonomic platform for customers.

The second is the internationalization of the brand and consequently, the need for a simple name and logo to read, pronounce and most importantly, remember. It implies proposing a visual appealing to the eye in order to catch people’s attention, in markets were Palais des Thés is still unknown. In other words, its visual identity needed to convey a clear message to the audience and avoid any type of confusion.

Can you find the 4 differences ?

First things first, it was decided to remove the “Le” before “Palais des thés” which basically no longer translates to “The Palace of teas” but “Palace of teas”. This is inscribed in the interest of simplification, notably for the pronunciation by foreign customers.

Concerning the typography, one can notice that it is more rounded, thinner, and modern. We went from a reddish color to a green one, echoing the color of tea, thus more natural and authentic.

Though the difference might only be visible by the most fastidious of you, the new version of the logo has less stems which gives the impression of a close-up.

The tumultuous story of the slogan

The slogan has known several changes throughout the years. The original one, “A la découverte des cultures du monde” (“to the discovery of the cultures of the world”), perfectly translated the international and cultural aspect of tea but also the personal implication of the founder in the research of special teas directly on the field. Moreover, it expressed the willingness to present French customers a wide range of tea from all over the world. In other words, the goal was to share their know-how and expertise to those who did not know much about tea.

Then, in 2013, Palais des Thés came up with a much shorter one ; “Vivons le thé” (let’s live the tea), demonstrating a minimalist approach to make it more easily readable and more rememberable [3]. This conveyed a message of sharing and conviviality.

Finally, the current slogan is more focused on the expertise of Palais des Thés but also appeal to the sense of taste ; “Déguster le meilleur des thés” (« Savor the best tea »). It makes perfectly sense for a tea brand and is consistent with the in-store experience that Palais des Thés offers through tastings. It also reflects the quality and excellence of their products. By literally claiming they are one of the best in this industry, they assert their strong position among competitors.

Daphnée KORKMAZ

[1] Beaulieu, P. (2013, 22 avril). Le Palais des Thés change d’image. Franchise Magazine. https://www.franchise-magazine.com/news-franchise/le-palais-des-thes-change-dimage

[2] Bedandy, A. (2013, 11 février). Du changement au Palais. Logo news. http://logonews.fr/2013/02/11/du-changement-au-palais/

[3] Briard, C. (2013, 25 janvier). Palais des Thés revisite sa maison. Les Echos.

https://www.lesechos.fr/2013/01/palais-des-thes-revisite-sa-maison-316296