These days, more and more people are seeking to break away from life’s mad rush to find clarity and respite in a relaxing environment.

A group of investors and tea aficionados came to Chemistry with a vision to establish a chain of tea cafés that offer customers a chance to discover and appreciate the healthful benefits of good food and great tea in a serene haven. The first outlet would be launched in Kuala Lumpur, with a yoga centre connected to the café.

Chemistry was tasked to run a full brand development programme, including brand positioning, naming and design.

Our strategy team kicked off the project with a consumer trend study to identify the target audience and their specific needs and drives.

Geert, who headed the research portion, explains, “At first the data didn’t seem to offer anything new under the sun. Many people consider coffee or tea houses as the third place, after home and office, that offers the opportunity to socialise with friends or to take a quiet moment for themselves”.

The ‘eureka’ moment only came after delving deeper into the findings. Geert reveals, “We found that people want to temporarily break away from stress and responsibilities, and recharge for a while in order to get the most out of their day. But what they really wanted was a café experience that offers a pure – almost spiritual – ambience that will stimulate them beyond just taste and smell. They wanted a multi-sensorial experience that would lift their minds, bodies and souls”.

Based on these findings, Chemistry developed a Brand Experience Platform based on the following brand attributes.

Sensorial purity.

Peace of mind, body and soul.

Enriching experience.

These core attributes formed the strategic drivers for the brand. From here, we created a name that is based loosely on the Japanese word for tea ceremony: Chanoyu – meaning the way of the tea. We then modified and combined it with the Indian 'chai' and Chinese 'cha' for tea with the first syllable of the word 'yoga'. And so, Chayo was born. A logical yet unique name that is comforting, familiar and easy to pronounce; almost like a friendly greeting.

Creative director, Marcel Heijnen, expounds, “With a strong name like Chayo, which is built from beautiful letter shapes and based on a solid brand strategy platform, the logo almost designed itself. It just felt right from the start. It expresses the holistic element of a circle, created by the curves of the mirrored 'h' and 'y'.”

The circular element that is suggested within the Chayo logo became an integral part of the secondary graphics for the brand. Earthy tones and black and white photographs completed the look and feel of the Chayo brand.

The first Chayo café and yoga studio is now open in Kuala Lumpur and there are plans for expansion to other outlets and kiosks.