Babingtons Blends' UK Strategy

Working closely with Marcello Minale on various projects for Babingtons Blends, the famous Victorian Tea Rooms in Rome, was exciting. Being Anglo-Italian, I felt complete synergy when creating graphics, illustrations, and animations for their marketing campaigns to launch their new platform in the UK. This project marked a slightly different journey from previous ones, targeting a new market outside Italy.

Our aim was to create material that was quirky and colourful, young and witty, rejuvenating the historical brand's image for the UK market. Over two years, I contributed to website UX/UI design, printed adverts for magazines, OOH, B2B/B2C stationery, and online content.

Moving away from the British-Italian essence that characterised our previous designs for Rome, we introduced wit for consumer interaction with the product and brand. We played with the word 'Tea', integrating it with Victorian illustrations across the branding assets and using a bold, condensed typeface for loud and indiscreet presence on all platforms. Naming products and bundles playfully, we maintained Babingtons' essence while adapting the new brand, Babingtons Blends, for better positioning in the UK market.

Constrained by small budgets for photo-shoots, we relied heavily on graphics, typography, and illustrations to build the online brand image. Launching a new brand in the UK's competitive market demanded a distinct approach, leading to the creation of "We don't just sell tea".