The Grim Steeper: Warm Your Bones With This Killer Brew
Know-How: B2C | Brand Copywriting | Copyediting & Proofreading | Creative Direction | Cultural Research & Analysis | Naming | Verbal Brand Strategy
What happens when you blend a love of all things horror and tea? This project answers that question…and more.
A horror-themed project wouldn’t be complete without a scary soundtrack, so I’ve chosen some of my favorite haunting tunes for you to enjoy.
Just a Peek
Personal branding and naming project for a tea house that caters to lovers of strong steeps and jump scares.
The Skinny
Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, yet you don’t see it celebrated on Instagram like coffee. It comes in various colors that rival the rainbow—which usually makes content hella shareable on social media—but that doesn’t seem to apply to these fragrant leaves.
People love to indulge their inner ghoul on social media every October in honor of Halloween. So, why not create an identity that celebrates everyone’s favorite “spooky month” year round?
Exposing the Problem
America is chockful of Starbucks locations and neighborhood java joints, but you have to search far and wide to find a tea house.
A lack of online brew love correlates to an absence of tea culture, at least in the US, where we primarily consume hot tea at home, not in cafes. Or we drink it cold, which is the more popular version.
Tea is also associated with healing and calming vibes here—not caffeine and energy, like coffee—which is why people reach for their kettles when they’re sick or stressed.
I wanted to create a cool brand that turned this perception on its head.
Uncovering Inspiration
I love cuppas and creepy things, so a project that married brews and things that go bump in the night was inevitable.
I didn’t have to look much further than my cupboards and movie collection for inspiration!
In the Mood
I drew inspiration from recognizable monsters across my favorite horror genres.
Even though this cafe caters to a specific segment, I wanted the brand to have widespread appeal, so I concentrated on figures that even non- or casual horror fans would know.
Bare Essentials
I wanted the tea house’s name and copy to reflect its brewtal point of view and hint to steep and gore aficionados that this is a fun, unique stomping ground where they can chill out with other like-minded weirdos.
Below are the themes that I designed the naming and copy around:
Cool
Community
Spooky
Classy
Extraordinary Experience
Fleshed Out
Horror and tea both have distinct cultural meanings. I focused on an identity that would appeal to US and UK audiences, so I tapped into the cultural relevance of tea and horror, including idioms, common expressions, and puns, from both countries.
The Full Monty
The ominous elegance of blackletter* accentuated the central themes within this project: high-end teas and treats and horror. I aimed to make every aspect of The Grim Steeper’s messaging fresh yet familiar, so I put an evil twist on common expressions and tea fare.
Coffee culture may be all the rage on social media, but one day, a devilish brand of brews may be everyone’s cup of tea.
*Osgard Pro Font by Anthony James was used for the wordmark and messaging headlines below.
