LONDON--The UK Tea Council has called in Threepipe to help it reverse a decline in tea-drinking among younger women.

The firm has been appointed to the industry body's £200K PR business, following a competitive review that included eight-year incumbent Nexus.

Nexus will continue to promote the health benefits of tea, in line with the Tea Council's existing support of the Tea Advisory Panel.

Threepipe's new brief, however, represents a shift in focus towards women between the ages of 18 and 25, who are less receptive to the health argument, and who prefer drinking bottled water to tea.

The three-year campaign will attempt to build a more fashion-friendly approach for the humble beverage, utilising digital and social media channels.

"We will be building on women’s interests in fashion, and finding ways to weave in stories about tea," Threepipe co-CEO Jim Hawker told the Holmes Report. "To date the Tea Council hasn’t focused on that at all, it has been the health benefits of tea. That doesn’t resonate with that age group."

The UK Tea Council is an independent body that represents all of the UK's major tea brands.

"We are excited about the prospect of working with Threepipe, who demonstrated a great understanding of our target market and how to engage with them," said Bill Gorman, chairman of the UK Tea Council, in a statement.