The breakthrough idea of using the unassuming tea tag, a signature Lipton property, came about when searching for a surprising, yet personal communication channel. Over 30 clever riddles and visual illusions, in both English and Arabic, were created and printed on the tea tags. Each one required the drinker to spend some time solving the riddle or the puzzle while enjoying the cup of tea, an exercise that required a certain clarity of thought, which was exactly what the tea offered them.

Over 4 billion tea tags were printed and distributed - which is equivalent to sending 4,000,000,000 direct marketing pieces across the region! With each tag measuring 2.8 cm in height that’s a whopping 112,000 km of advertising space at no incremental cost. All with the clever use of an overlooked space that for 4 decades was only used for basic branding. As part of an integrated campaign, the Lipton tea tags contributed immensely to the brand’s growth of over 14% in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Egypt regions last year. They also became a collector’s items and a triumph of ingenuity in communication.