Typhoo, the third largest tea brand in the world, from the stable of Kolkata-headquartered Apeejay Tea, an arm of Apeejay Surrendra Group, is now coming up with a global audio-visual brand campaign with Nigella Lawson, the famed British journalist, gourmet and food writer and popular television personality as its brand ambassador.
The £5 million campaign designed and developed by McCann Manchester aims at bringing to life the fact that Typhoo is an iconic British brand and part of the UK’s social and cultural fabric in an interesting and memorable way, top company officials said.
“Typhoo has indulged tea enthusiasts and refined tea drinking experience the world over since its inception in the UK in 1903. With a portfolio of 12 brands and over 400 products, Typhoo is being enjoyed in more than 50 countries including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Defining the changing tastes and preferences of the urban Indian consumers, Typhoo brings this refreshing, rejuvenating experience to India with a variety of high quality specialty teas, and 100 per cent caffeine free organic and fruit infusions. Typhoo is available across Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Goa Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. The new campaign will re-establish and strengthen its position,” said a spokesperson of the company.

The new TVC, social media and YouTube campaign shows Nigella guiding viewers through a series of different and sometimes surprising scenes, discovering how a variety of Typhoo drinkers take their tea. Starting in the comfort of a kitchen, the scene quickly changes as Nigella enters the tent of two intrepid explores shocked to see her in a bright red dress, casually strolling through their snow-filled tent as she narrates ‘some like it strong’. Next is an unsuspecting London cabbie driver who is so surprised to see Nigella enter his cab he upends an entire sugar sachet into his flask of Typhoo on a rainy London evening. Nigella then quietly strolls through a suburban living room scene, being careful not to be spotted as a young couple disagree over a number of differing tea coloured decorating swatches. She quickly exits and finds herself in John Sumner’s tea shop in 1903, the year Typhoo began perfecting tea. It ends with Nigella in miniature form enjoying a tea party in a doll’s house. Alongside a robot and bunny, she is seen drinking her Typhoo out of a giant mug, on the search for a slice of cake.
“The British love affair with tea is a serious business and we have been perfecting ours since 1903, helping our tea drinkers enjoy their perfect cup of Typhoo. We’re so happy to have Nigella – a genuine Typhoo lover – working with us again. We all know the perfect cup of tea is a very personal thing and everyone’s taste is different. This campaign celebrates those subtle but significant preferences," said Somnath Saha, CEO, Typhoo.
Apeejay Surrendra Group, had acquired the UK-based leading tea brand Typhoo in 2005 and subsequently rolled out Typhoo in parts of northern and western India in 2008 through its own sales and distribution channel and then across other parts of the country.

ritwikmukherjee@mydigitalfc.com