JKR

Here’s a little story which demonstrates how even the smallest piece of pack graphics can be turned into a very big deal indeed. Honest Tea is an American brand in the Innocent Drinks mold. Coca-Cola has a major stake in them. The New York Times ran a piece wondering how they would retain their culture now that Coca-Cola is their major investor.

A crunch moment came over Honest Tea’s on pack claim to be free of high fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola were concerned this could be seen as a pejorative comment on their own sugary drinks which do contain the ingredient. According to the article Coke suggested removing the line, or amending it to “sweetened with organic cane sugar” (sounds too processed said Honest Tea) or “no fake stuff” (too vague said Honest Tea).

With a total sale to Coke on the horizon, the article wondered how things would play out. A week later, another article informed us that Honest Tea had held its ground, and Coke had accepted its decision. The article was accompanied by an interview where the brand’s founder explained how the relationship with Coke had enabled more Fairtrade lines, more sustainable packaging, and noted that it “was unfortunate” the previous article focussed on one small bump in the relationship.

All fair enough, but if one was a cynic or conspiracy theorist one might wonder, was there ever really an issue? From one perspective, Honest Tea have given the paper two juicy stories which highlight their product USP and indie credentials. Nothing nefarious in that – in fact, following this line of thinking, the brand has brilliantly spun a dreary on-pack claim into some effective PR. As noted at the top, even the smallest piece of design can become a powerfully sweated asset if a little savviness is employed.