Charatan London: Bringing British Taste to the World

How do you reposition a legacy cigar brand for global expansion? That was the challenge TOR Imports brought forward with Charatan, a heritage-rich cigar brand with more than 160 years of history.

This project was a unique collaboration. Carlos Zúñiga, Co-founder of MADRE and Strategic Development and Marketing Director at TOR, led the strategic repositioning from inside TOR.

MADRE partnered to bring that vision to life, aligning strategy with creative execution to prepare Charatan for its next chapter of growth.

With a history spanning more than a century, Charatan is a name every tobacconist in the UK knows. But while beloved at home, the brand was still underleveraged on the international stage. The brief was clear: help Charatan grow globally without losing the essence that made it so respected locally.

Client
Industry
Services

The Challenge

Charatan’s story begins in 1863 with Frederick Charatan’s boutique near the Tower of London, where he hand-crafted pipes to discerning clientele. Over the next century, the brand shifted hands several times, eventually being acquired by Dunhill, where it was sidelined.

By the time TOR acquired Charatan in 2017, the brand was still recognized among UK tobacconists but lacked clarity, focus, and storytelling. It needed a stronger identity to solidify its leadership in the UK and support international growth.

Our shared approach

This was never about chasing trends or superficial redesigns. TOR defined the strategic vision: elevate Charatan into a global icon of Britishness, while maintaining authenticity and leadership at home.

MADRE’s role was to translate that strategy into a flexible, scalable, and sophisticated brand identity and packaging system. Together, we framed the brand around a simple yet powerful big idea:

A taste of British taste.

We didn’t soften its identity for international audiences; instead, we fully embraced it. Britishness is aspirational around the world, and Charatan had the opportunity to own that narrative authentically.

This positioning gave Charatan an edge. It’s not just a British cigar. It’s the British cigar: steeped in tradition, refined in design, and crafted to appeal to global markets.

Manifesto

We believe dreams aren’t merely envisioned but meticulously crafted with patience, passion, and perseverance.

Crafted by hand, that is, just like our cigars.

We believe in working hard to forge dreams into reality, just as Frederick Charatan did in 1863, when he opened a modest shop with the vision of delighting the most discerning tobacco enthusiasts.

Nestled in Mansell Street, near where the iconic Tower Bridge would rise decades later, Charatan became a steward of fine pipes, proper tobacco, rich flavours and enchanting smoke.

As guardians of his legacy, spanning over 160 years, we proudly present you with the quintessential British tobacco brand.

And along with it, we share Charatan’s timeless credo:
PROVE DOUBTERS WRONG. YET, ABOVE ALL, PROVE YOURSELF RIGHT.

The brand identity

We developed a flexible identity system to support Charatan’s full portfolio, from handmade cigars and pipe tobacco to future limited editions.

  • Refining the unicorn: The longstanding unicorn symbol was revitalised to relink its British origin, as it’s unknown to many that it stands as part of the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom. Now nicknamed Sparkles, it acts as a unifying symbol across packaging, communication, and merchandising, creating instant recognition and a distinctive brand personality.
  • Typography with character: We developed a custom wordmark with classicist touches, paired with a neo-grotesque sans-serif that balances sharp strokes with softened features. The type system blends British editorial elegance with modern clarity.
  • Color system: We introduced a deepblue, a “London blue”, as the brand’s anchor. It feels timeless and sophisticated, yet distinct from typical cigar industry browns and golds. Supporting tones like warm creams and rich metallics add depth, while limited editions feature expanded palettes and custom finishes.

Impact

Charatan’s new brand identity has transformed its presence and perception:

  • Strengthened UK leadership: Retailers and tobacconists now see Charatan as confident, sophisticated, and contemporary, elevating its premium positioning.
  • Enabled global readiness: The design system provides consistency and adaptability for international rollout, supporting future market expansion.
  • Enhanced brand storytelling: Sparkle, typography, and color communicate heritage, craft, and refinement without sacrificing modern relevance.
  • Delivered client-ready systems: MADRE provided logos, type hierarchy, color palette, packaging templates, and brand guidelines, enabling teams to maintain design consistency across all touchpoints.

From Nicaragua to the world

As a Nicaraguan-led consultancy, it’s been especially meaningful for us to help reposition a British cigar brand handcrafted in Nicaragua, one of the world’s leading producers of premium tobacco. Our connection to this industry runs deep, and we take pride in the quality and storytelling behind every brand we touch.

This project reinforced our belief that great brands are built on craft, heritage, and strategy-driven collaboration.

Let’s craft your brand’s next chapter

Whether you’re a heritage brand preparing for international growth or a new player looking to break through in a competitive space, MADRE brings strategy, design, and communications together to help brands grow with purpose and authenticity.