Vintage Tea Trips Dublin
Illustrations: Rachel Corcoran
The Mission
When Vintage Tea Trips reached out to us, they were at a turning point for their business. They’d already gained traction, achieved proof of concept and were confident in their offering.
They had something unique: afternoon tea, served on a vintage bus, accompanied by an unconventional tour of Dublin city. What they didn’t have was a clear picture of their brand. So they called on Neworld to lead an in-depth workshop, consultation and design project to help them build a brand that was more reflective of who they actually are.
The question
If afternoon tea isn’t posh, what is it?
Afternoon tea and a historical city tour. At first glance, it seems like a fun way to while away an hour or two. The bus is a whimsical twist, more than just tea and buns to keep the out-of-town aunties amused on a long weekend.
The Vintage Tea team needed a new brand that would dispel any notions of a quiet, posh drawing-room tea party, display their vibrant, cheeky sense of humour and nurture a sense of time-travelling nostalgia and warmth. So we rolled up our sleeves, poured a round of tea, and got down to business.
The process
This isn’t your traditional formal tea, or your traditional Dublin tour. It’s a funny, bumpy, rollicking bus journey around the city’s lesser-known historical haunts, with a side of tea and handmade treats. The guides tell sweet and unsavoury stories, evoking old Dublin’s underbelly and the many shady characters who have stalked its streets down the decades. It’s irreverent, earthy, and even a little bit gritty. Pinkies down.
We helped the team narrow down and define their values, so that we could bring them to the forefront. Tenacious, playful and nostalgic. Each one had a role to play as we worked together to focus the design choices. This is how you begin to create a brand that is vintage but not traditional. Sumptuous but not stuffy. Lavish but not la-di-da.
The transformation
The first thing to change was the name, from Vintage Tea Tours to Vintage Tea Trips. The new name was more evocative of the journey that guests would undertake, while also offering more scope and elbow room for the brand to expand.
We created an entire new visual identity for them. The design inspiration began with vintage biscuits and tea tins. From there we developed a visual language of colours, typography, and design flourishes to use on menus, merch, brochures and bus wraps, as well as a compelling cast of illustrated characters, bursting with humour and personality.
Just like Vintage Tea Trips themselves.
