Page 26 - Sphere No.15 (Nov 2005)

herbs are combined together with each
herb performing a specific role. Some
assist the action of the primary herb,
while others target secondary symptoms
or focus the action of the formula on a
specific organ or part of the body.
These concepts are completely foreign
to western consumers and can be quite
confusing. While most accept herbs are
beneficial due to their natural qualities
and others believe in their efficacy
because of the long history of usage in
Asia, almost none understands how or
why these products work. Sen’s mission
is to simplify the concepts of Chinese
medicine and inform western con-
sumers in “their own language” about
the advantages of this treasure of China.
One simple example is explaining the
complex concept of “Qi” more simply
as “body heat and energy.” Most west-
erners understand that the temperature
changes when the body is sick and that
“rebalancing of Qi” is simply the use of
herbs to regulate the temperature. To
explain these simplified concepts to
consumers, Sen employs a team of high-
energy staff, many of whom are main-
land Chinese who have studied in the
UK. Western consumers thoroughly
enjoy engaging with these bright young
people to try to learn more about China
and the wonders of TCM.
Sen prepares these herbal remedies in
a variety of convenient forms including
tasteless tablets and blended juices. As
Sen states proudly on its website
(www.senhealth.com): “Sen is a brand
new approach to health. We’ve taken
over 5,000 years of Chinese expertise
and made it easy to swallow.”
Considering that so many people dis-
PERFECT PITCH
SEN is putting Chinese medicine
in front of western consumers
in an accessible yet sophisticat-
ed way and this approach is reflect-
ed in the branding. The warm, red
shade of the Sen logo conjures up
images of festivals and celebrations
in China. Products are displayed in
packaging that combines unbleached
surfaces overlaid with Chinese
motifs in warm earthy shades. This
strategy has not gone unnoticed.
Wolff Olins, the agency that
worked with Hutchison on the Sen
launch, received a coveted nomina-
tion in the 2003 Design and Art
Direction Awards. Sen also won two
awards in the 2003 London Inter-
national Advertising Awards which
attracted 13,000 entries from 71
countries.
“I love this shop and the friendly staff. I have
had acupuncture many times for stress and detox.”
Maureen, London
Burdock
Seed
Corydalis
Pueraria
Flower
Ginseng
Dang Gui
Poria
Angelica Platycodon
Zizyphus