Love You Oolong Time
Ocean-Teabag began with a simple idea: how to stem the new generation of Japanese Millennials’ fading interest in tea as a beverage. The founders attacked the problem from a number of different and differing angles. For one thing, the tea itself had to be interesting… consider the burgeoning appeal of craft beers versus mass-market standardized brews. Complementary to that, the packaging had to tantalize the eyes and the imagination. Not to mention, it had to be ready for prime time on Instagram and at Pinterest.
All That Jasmine
The prototype was a dolphin-shaped tea bag with a die-cut tag in the form of an anchor. Two types of tea were offered in sample packs: refreshingly-sweet green Yabe tea from Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, and ethereal Blue Mallow (aka “Surprise”) herbal tea that turns pink when lemon juice is added.
Fund-amental Things Apply
In 2015 the concept was listed at Makuake – a Japanese version of the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform – with a target of 500,000 yen or roughly $6,000. By the time funding closed at the end of November, the target had been shattered five times over!
Can cold soft drinks go green as well? Check out Product Pedaling: Green Cola’s Cool Bike Trailer!
