When I saw the launch of Teavana® Oprah Chai at Starbucks, there were three immediate things I had to do: 1. Look at the packaging, inside and out. The textures, the colors, structure, and the collection as a whole; 2. Text my team and tell them about this packaging, which they had already seen and wanted to know more information about; 3. Try the tea itself. The tea was spectacular, and the packaging was as welll!

We later found out about our local Teavana® Fine Teas + Tea Bar in Beverly Hills and decided to attend the opening. We received more insight on Teavana® Tea, the new shops opening in major metropolitan cities across the country, and more information about this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Oprah. We did a Behind the Design article in the past with Daniele Monti, the VP of Creative – Teavana® and Emerging Brands at Starbucks Coffee Company, and reached out to him about this collaboration and the involvement he had creating the packaging with none other then Oprah herself. We all know Oprah is an unabashed chai tea lover, she swears by her Chai. If you ever watch OWN you know her rituals with chai tea, so it only made sense that a collaboration like this would emerge.

Like everything Oprah does it was important to have her signature look and feel. Daniele explains his involvement with the packaging, the details and how this is not simply a product endorsement. Oprah was really passionate about making this tea and making a difference in communities. Starbucks will make a donation for each Teavana® Oprah Chai Tea product sold in participating Starbucks and Teavana stores, to benefit educational opportunities for youth through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.