ZX Ventures (the incubation arm of AB InBev) approached us to bring their idea for a sparkling, canned, hard tea product platform to life. We found that consumers are seeking lower – alcohol options to fuel their vice occasions. But when it came to tea, we found that the category was burdened with tired perceptions of tradition. Consumers felt that tea should be proper, slow and laden with rules. 

We developed a strategy anchored on inviting a younger generation to a new kind of tea party. The brand did this first through the name Wandering Whistler which both harkens back to the familiar whistle of a tea kettle while also drawing its meaning from the carefree whistle of a traveler. The brand then came to life through a series of location-based, landscape illustrations that tell the story of each varietal. 

Wandering Whistler placed second in an AB InBev internal pitch contest and recently launched in the Northeast as of July 2019.