A social-first campaign story built around the everyday moments, flavours and connections that make chai part of life.
bringing back positiv-tea
Project Overview
More than a cup of chai. A brand built around everyday connection.
Chai Days set out to reinvent the Indian tea café: open tearooms, signature blends, snacks and bakes, and a place where people meet, relax and connect. For a brand whose audience was young and already online, social media was where that idea could be seen first.
Ruckus worked on the brand’s digital communication — a campaign framework of four categories, and 17 social creatives that give each one its look. This case study walks through that documented work: the brand story, the brief, the thinking behind it and the campaigns themselves.
Brand details and audience figures describe Chai Days during the original project, not the business today.
Services
- Campaign concepts
- Social media strategy & posting
- Copy & design
- Brand positioning
Industry
- Food & beverage
- Café
- Tea
Platforms
Client Chai Days
Project Digital marketing & creative campaigns
Website chaidays.in (opens in a new tab)
The client, at the time
A Bengaluru tea company that wanted to reinvent the Indian tea café.
For the brand as it is today, see chaidays.in.
Started
2018, in Bengaluru
The idea
Cafés as a social platform for today’s youth, built around India’s favourite drink
The offer
Signature tea flavours and blends, with snacks and bakes
The ambition
A chai culture — Chai Days as everyone’s favourite hangout
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 3 and 8. Outlet count and expansion plans in the deck reflect that moment and are not repeated here.
Four chai lovers got together at a coffee shop to talk business. One of them asked, “Why not chai?” That open question unlocked a stream of ideas — and Chai Days was born.
The dream took the founders down uncharted alleys of India, and beyond, in search of different forms and flavours of tea. What they serve is the sum of brainstorming, research and development, uncompromising experimentation and an obsession with making something different — plus a wish to give back to a society that taught them to love what they do.
bringing back positiv-tea
- 01
A conversation
Four chai lovers, one coffee shop, one question.
- 02
A search
Different forms and flavours of tea, across India and beyond.
- 03
Something different
Research, experimentation and a menu built to be new.
Source: Brand story as told in the original Chai Days case study, p. 4. The story belongs to Chai Days; Ruckus’ work began from it.
The Brief
Six requirements shaped the work. Below, each one is marked by whether the original deck shows it — so what was asked for stays separate from what was documented.
- 01Shown in the work
Seasonal and monthly campaign concepts
Reflected in the special-days and summer creatives.
- 02Requested · not documented
Campaign-specific landing pages to track results
Listed in the brief. The deck does not show landing pages, so none are claimed here.
- 03Shown in the work
Strategy-based posting on social media
Reflected in the four campaign categories, each with its own objective, group and areas.
- 04Shown in the work
Copy and design to support campaigns
Reflected in the 17 creatives in this case study.
- 05Shown in the work
Launching and positioning the brand
Reflected in the brand-led creatives and the ‘bringing back positiv-tea’ sign-off.
- 06Requested · not documented
Tracking the response to each campaign
Listed in the brief. The deck contains no response or performance data.
Source: Original Chai Days case study, p. 5 (“What we were asked to do?”).
The values, vision and strengths below are Chai Days’ own, shared in the original deck. They were the raw material: the campaigns’ job was to let people feel them.
Brand photography
Chai, and the blends behind it
Cups of chai lined up with the leaf and spice blends behind them — the product side of the story.
Ethos
- 01
Honesty
Ethical sourcing practices for every ingredient used.
- 02
Respectfulness
Honouring the dignity, inclusion and diversity of employees.
- 03
Novelty
New and innovative products that appeal to the community’s taste buds.
- 04
Integrity
Say what you think and do what you say.
- 05
Responsibility
Be accountable to the community.
Vision
To create the most loved tea brand and brew a chai culture — Chai Days as everyone’s favourite hangout, keeping people sipping all year round.
Mission
Delicious, affordable and hygienic chai with timely, courteous service in modern stores, plus signature flavours and blends with snacks and bakes that earn deep loyalty from every visitor.
Strengths
- Freshness
- Variety
- Healthy
- Building relationships
- Affordable
- Location
- Timing
What sets it apart
- Product sourcing
- Brewing love
- Quality check
- Service
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 7–9. These are Chai Days’ values and operating strengths, not work created by Ruckus.
From values to content
How the campaign categories gave those ideas somewhere to show up on social media.
Variety & novelty
Show the range, one drink at a time.
→ Product highlights
Building relationships
Ask, listen and invite people to share.
→ Brand engagement
Location & timing
Meet people on the days and in the neighbourhoods they’re already in.
→ Special days and trends
Affordability & service
Give regulars and new visitors a reason to come or order.
→ Special services & events
Audience · historical data
Chai Days’ online audience skewed young: more than nine in ten of the people the original deck profiles were under 35. That shaped the tone — playful, visual, quick to read in a feed — and the choice to anchor each category in something familiar: a festival, a cricket season, a hangout, a glass of iced tea.
- 3,587
- Facebook Likes
- 515
- Instagram Likes
How the deck profiles the customer
- Trendy
- Fun-seeking
- Brand loyal
- Quality conscious
- Price conscious
Age split of the audience
Historical figures from the original case study, shown as published.
- 18–2452%
- 25–3439%
- 35–446%
- 45+< 1%
Bars are scaled to the largest figure (52%). The deck gives the 45+ group only as “less than 1%”, so that bar is drawn at a minimum visible width, and the listed figures are not rescaled to 100%.
Source: Original Chai Days case study, p. 11 (“The online journey”). Historical data, not current audience metrics.
Chapter 01 · Special days and trends
Awareness days and cricket season are conversations that already exist. These creatives let Chai Days step into them — each one keeping the cup at the centre and a single idea in the headline.
- Objective
- Brand building and piggyback marketing
- Target group
- 18 – 40
- Target locations
- Indiranagar
- Benson Town
- Frazer Town
- Koramangala 8th Block
- Basavanagar Main Road
- Tippasandra Road
- Old Airport Road
- Domlur
Special days · World Water Day
Whether water or chai
An awareness day joined through the cup itself — half chai, half water.
Special days · Women’s Day
Everyone’s cup of tea
Special days · Pairing
The most talked about couple in town
Special days · Cricket
Get bowled over
A wide banner: the splash around the cup is drawn as a ring of cricket players.
Special days · IPL 2019
The kadak spirit
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 13–15. Creatives as supplied in the deck; dates in hashtags and headlines belong to the original posts.
Chapter 02 · Special services & events
Beyond the cup, Chai Days had things to offer: delivery, a spot at any hour, an evening with live music and a launch of new iced teas. These creatives each carry one of those reasons.
- Objective
- Promote special and new services exclusively offered by the brand
- Target group
- 18 – 40
- Target locations
- Frazer Town
- Mosque Road
- Banaswadi
- Dodda Banaswadi
- Kammanahalli
- Benson Town
- Cox Town
01Chai, deliveredJust a click awayA delivery offer drawn as a scooter running on two cups of chai. 
02Chai, any hourAM or PMA day/night city split with a map pin: chai at every hour, somewhere nearby. 03Chai, with a stageThe coolest party in townAn evening invitation that doubles as the launch of new iced tea flavours.
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 16–17. Offers shown in the artwork (such as the Swiggy discount) were part of the historical campaign and are not current offers.
Not every post sells. These three open a door instead — a hashtag, a feedback line, a prompt to share a memory — and say that the brand wants to hear back.
- Objective
- Engage the target audience — essential for a brand to connect with people
- Target group
- 18 – 40
- Target locations
- Frazer Town
- Mosque Road
- Banaswadi
- Dodda Banaswadi
- Kammanahalli
- Benson Town
- Cox Town
Engagement · Workplace
Sharing ideas over chai
The prompt#CreatingStoriesWithChai
The chai break placed inside the working day, with a hashtag to carry it.
Engagement · Feedback
We feed you, you feedback
The promptLeave your valuable feedback below or DM/inbox us!
A direct ask for feedback, with the cup wearing a customer-care headset.
Engagement · Memories
Chai breaks are always much more
The promptShare your chai time memories
A conversational prompt that invites people to share their own chai-time memories.
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 18–19. Prompts are quoted from the creatives; no engagement-rate figures are given in the source.
Chapter 04 · Product highlights
When the drink is the story, the creative gets out of its way: bold colour fields, splash and ice, and one line of copy. Each piece introduces a drink or a mood — iced teas, green tea, and a summer built around staying cool.
- Objective
- Brand awareness; promote the products and their properties
- Target group
- 18 – 40
- Target locations
- Frazer Town
- Mosque Road
- Banaswadi
- Dodda Banaswadi
- Kammanahalli
- Benson Town
- Cox Town
Product · Hibiscus Iced Tea
100% awe-thentic
The hero drink, shot in motion against its own colour.
Product · Green Tea
Breathe in the aroma
A quieter, steam-and-leaf treatment for the green tea.
Same brand, different mood
A loud, splashing red for the iced tea; a dark, slow frame for the green tea. The logo and sign-off stay put while the atmosphere changes.
Product · Iced Tea range
Introducing fresh & cool iced tea
Three tagged glasses introduce the range at a glance.
- Blueberry Iced Tea
- Hibiscus Iced Tea
- Lemon Iced Tea
Names as shown on the tags in the creative.
Summer series
A summer in three moves.
Heat wave, cool down, icy natural goodness: three posts that read as one short story when viewed in sequence.
Summer · 1 of 3
Are you prepared?
The problem: a skyline melting in the heat.
Summer · 2 of 3
Don’t meltdown
The turn: a single cold glass, ringed with fruit and flowers.
Summer · 3 of 3
Icy natural goodness
The answer: three glasses, ice and splash.
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 20–22. Promotional copy is historical and not a current offer; the source gives no recipes, pricing or availability.
Side by side, the creatives change colour, mood and format with the job they do. What holds them together is simple: the logo in a corner, the ‘bringing back positiv-tea’ sign-off on most, one idea per image and one colour field behind it.
Brand awareness
Introduce the drinks and the brand’s look
Seasonal relevance
Join the day, the festival, the season
Events & services
Give a reason to visit, order or stay a while
Audience engagement
Ask, listen, invite people to share
Product discovery
Show what’s in the glass
Six creatives, six colour worlds, one brand.
- 01
Special days and trends
Brand building and piggyback marketing
Target group 18 – 40
- 02
Special services & events
Promote special and new services exclusively offered by the brand
Target group 18 – 40
- 03
Brand engagement
Engage the target audience — essential for a brand to connect with people
Target group 18 – 40
- 04
Product highlights
Brand awareness; promote the products and their properties
Target group 18 – 40
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 13–22. Objectives as stated in the deck; no performance figures are attached to the categories.
Outcomes & evidence
The original deck documents the framework and the creative, not sales or conversion results — so this section sticks to what it can show.
- 4
- Campaign categories, each with its own objective
- 17
- Campaign creatives documented
- 6
- Requirements in the original brief
- 5
- Communication purposes covered
- 01
The range of concepts
Occasions, cricket, delivery, live music, feedback, hibiscus, green tea and a three-part summer series.
- 02
The audience in view
A young, trend-aware, quality- and price-conscious audience, with a documented age split and Facebook and Instagram Likes.
- 03
A repeatable framework
Four categories with clear objectives and target areas that a monthly posting plan can be built from.
Source: Counts are of items in the original Chai Days case study. It does not report sales, conversions, revenue, ROI or engagement rates, and none are implied.
The campaign gallery
- Special days and trends
- Special services & events
- Brand engagement
- Product highlights
Whether water or chai Everyone’s cup of tea The most talked about couple in town Get bowled over The kadak spirit Just a click away AM or PM The coolest party in town Sharing ideas over chai We feed you, you feedback Chai breaks are always much more 100% awe-thentic Breathe in the aroma Introducing fresh & cool iced tea Are you prepared? Don’t meltdown Icy natural goodness
Source: Original Chai Days case study, pp. 14–22. Every creative appears here exactly as supplied, with its original proportions.
Closing
Every great chai story starts with a conversation.
From seasonal moments to product-led storytelling, the Chai Days work shows how a campaign-led approach can give a food-and-beverage brand many ways to express its personality and connect with its audience.
