For the love of tea
Reimagining Dilmah for its 40th anniversary
Background
Dilmah is a globally recognised tea brand, offering Single Origin Ceylon tea loved by consumers across more than 100 countries. In 2025, Dilmah celebrated 40 years since its founding by Merrill J. Fernando – a milestone moment to honour the brand’s heritage, people and enduring commitment to quality.
The challenge
Dilmah’s previous design did not convey the high quality of its tea, nor tell the brand’s story. We were briefed by the CEO, Merrill’s younger son, Dilhan. The task was to mark the upcoming milestone – 40 years of enduring commitment and quality – while reinforcing the brand’s values and relevance for today’s consumer. The identity needed to honour Dilmah’s heritage and craftsmanship, elevate shelf presence, and clearly communicate its unwavering promise to tea lovers everywhere.
The insight
Dilmah had a deeply humanistic approach to doing business. The values Merrill J. Fernando had put in place involved kindness, compassion and ethics – capturing them was just as important as delivering an excellent cup of tea.
Research confirmed the importance of Dilmah’s distinctive teal, together with the heritage and provenance story. We worked closely with Dilhan to define the brand’s core pillars and Merrill’s lasting legacy, together with the essential tea artisan – and used the insight to revitalise the Dilmah Crest. We also worked closely with Australian artist Cristina Re to create a bespoke teacup, elegantly capturing the beauty of Dilmah tea.
The work
We developed a refined brand strategy and voice centred on Dilmah’s core values of conservation, quality, artisanal tea making and humanity. A new Dilmah Crest was crafted to tell these stories, featuring Merrill J. Fernando alongside the artisanal tea picker, anchored by the enduring proposition For Lovers of Tea. The visual system draws on Dilmah’s iconic teal and gold, supported by a bespoke tea leaf pattern and a custom-designed teacup created in collaboration with Australian teaware designer Cristina Re. We used strong, bold, rich colours to emphasise the flavour of the tea, which also helps the brand stand out on the supermarket shelf.
The outcome
The new logo has been rolled out across various Dilmah touchpoints, including the website, packaging, styleguide and various internal comms.
Dilmah’s Head of Marketing in Australia and New Zealand, Shamil de Dodwell, said: “We don’t change logos lightly. It’s the first time in 40 years. But we have a noble vision – to make the world a better tea. And in pursuit of that vision, there are significant challenges. Competition is fierce. Deep discounting has eroded category value, commoditising the product. To align with the evolving tastes, values, beliefs and behaviours of today’s consumers, we needed to reposition and refresh our brand and packaging.”
