Clipper Teas, the world’s biggest Fairtrade tea brand, has appointed Who Wot Why to develop a new global brand platform, designed to propel Clipper from an eco-friendly choice with conscious consumers to a mainstream favourite in the global tea market.
The brief is to radically shake up the tea category, taking on the ‘establishment’ and to provide fresh direction for modern standout and appeal in a category steeped in convention. Who Wot Why’s task is to deliver strategy, creative and production of a new brand platform, re-igniting the tea brand from screens to shelf.
Part of the plant-based food business Ecotone, Clipper has championed ethical and sustainable principles since its inception in 1984, and is Europe’s biggest organic tea brand. Clipper pioneered the way as the first and biggest fair-trade tea brand, and the first plastic-free, too.
The win comes hot on the heels of Who Wot Why launching new brand work for Ella’s Kitchen, and the awarding of Hartley’s Jam without a pitch, both part of the Hain Celestial portfolio of brands.
Who Wot Why is a leader in the FMCG category, creating work that makes food brands culturally relevant to modern-day consumers. The new appointment builds on that expertise, adding to the success stories of Pip&Nut, which is now the number-one peanut butter brand in the UK, The Tofoo Company, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, Rude Health, Ella’s Kitchen and the 2026 Hartley’s win.
Sean Thompson, Who Wot Why’s Founder and CCO, said: “Off the back of winning Hartley’s, we now have a cuppa to go with our jam on toast. We’re all about challenging and provoking with results-driven creativity, and we can’t wait to wake up a category that has been literally stewing. Tea needs to be kicked into the 21st century.”
Ali Kirk, Head of Brand, Ecotone, said “With Who Wot Why we have found partners who are creative provocateurs, always challenging the norms of category or comms. We’ve hit the ground running and their pedigree is evident across the FMCG category creating work that makes brands relevant to the consumers of today and placing them at the centre of culture.”
