Guayaki Lemon Elation

Guayaki’s Lemon Elation was not only the company’s first product to be packaged in aluminum, but it was also the first ready-to-drink yerba mate to go into this format. And it’s a knockout hit.

While moving to a can isn’t by itself reason for an award, it’s a heck of a can. The design is complex, but not visually overwhelming and far from cluttered: two adjectives which, sadly, can be ascribed to a large number of products in the RTD tea cooler. There’s an obvious attention to the information heirarchy on the can, with each element properly sized and placed so that the consumer can easily understand the product. With Guayaki’s commitment to sustainability, they claim a vast number of certifications (USDA Organic, Fair Trade certified, Certified B Corporation, CCOF, Kosher, Fair for Life) each of which has a logo of its own to display. Guayaki incorporated each nicely, with the most well known logos subtly displayed on the front of the packaging. The illustrated graphics are a bold and fresh look for RTD teas. The can commands the attention of passers by and could easily attract a new set of consumers to yerbe mate.

Inside the package, Guayaki’s Lemon Elation is truly a special product. From a taste point of view, it’s extremely enjoyable and hits the low calorie (54 calories per serving) but great taste edge mainstream potential. The can design is eye catching and appealing. Plus, there’s some potential for crossover into the energy category, thanks to the formulation’s 150 mg of natural caffeine per can. Ultimately, this is Guayaki’s best product to date, as well as the best can design for any tea entry that we’ve seen in a long time. That could be a game-changer for both Guayaki, who has previously only been in glass and utilized earthier rainforest imagery, and the tea category, which has seen a vanguard of premium can entries this year.

In both cases, Guayaki’s Lemon Elation sets the bar extremely high, with visuals and flavor – as well as functionality – creating something that we can see helping yerba mate enter the mainstream in a big way.