Elski
Naming a premium Danish ice creamery and developing a brand that captures the magic of ice cream moments.
Brand naming Brand voice and messaging
Agency: Juicebox
Creative Director: Anthony Nankervis
Designer: Michael Boag
The brief
Hospitality duo Steve and Anna, behind Dunsborough's beloved cafe Merchant & Maker, were ready for their next venture.
They were opening an ice creamery that sold gelato-style ice cream with a Danish influence and high-quality, artisanal flavours.
Steve and Anna had their product sorted and their fit-out done. The only problem? They couldn't think of a name for the business.
The couple wanted a name that captured the essence of their Danish heritage and could be shaped into a brand story that locals and holidaymakers would love.
The name
Naming a business is like searching for treasure. You need curiosity, commitment and faith that you’ll stumble upon the prize.
I structured my brainstorming into themes: ice cream-related words, experience-related words, Danish words, and location-based words.
Long, long lists of words!
Selling products goes beyond the product itself. It’s often the feeling the product provides.
So I was drawn to the emotive Danish words that captured the experience of ice cream… moments of connection… love…
Then I found ‘Elsk Is’, meaning ‘love ice cream’ in Danish.
Could we spell it differently, like ‘Elski’ (pronounced ‘Ell-Skee’) to appeal to an Australian’s tongue? Yes.
‘Elski’ is perfect because it…
Captures the feeling of ice cream (love)
Sounds like “eskie” which connotes ice and summer
Easy to spell and pronounce
Gives nod to Danish heritage
Was available to register on ASIC and there was a domain available
But more importantly, it felt right.
Derived from ‘Elsk Is’, meaning ‘love’ in Danish, ‘Elski’ (pronounced ‘Ell-Skee’) is a memorable and easy-to-pronounce name for a good-vibe ice cream shop.
The manifesto
The magic of licking your first ice cream cone as a kid, sharing a sundae with your high school crush, and cheeky treats you pick up on a whim.
We love ice cream with old friends, curling up on the couch and after an ocean swim.
Ice cream moments are happy ones.
Elski creates moments like these, moments of ‘ice cream love’ and infuses them with the essence of down south – great food, community spirit and holiday vibes.
We’re the local Danish ice creamery everyone knows and loves. South West’s favourite premium dessert. A must-stop destination for holiday-goers and a sweet refuge for Dunsborough locals.
Elski is down south happiness. Dreaming up moments of ice cream love for everyone.
The messaging
Ice cream isn’t just about the delicious, cold sugar hit. It’s the experiences we share when we eat it…
Ice cream on a first date, ice cream for a family treat, ice cream after the beach…
These are ice cream moments. And with Elski derived from a word meaning “love”, this naturally led me to…
Elski loves ice cream moments.
But who is “Elski”?
Elski, the ice cream scoop
We developed a character that embodied the spirit of the Danish ice creamery and the essence of the South West.
Elski loves ice cream (of course), good wine and premium local food.
You’re sure to bump into Elski at Merchant & Maker when he stops for his morning coffee before heading out for a surf.
But you can usually find Elski tasting the 12 flavours to make sure they’re extra delicious for the locals and holiday goers in Dunsborough.
Sometimes cheeky, other times sincere, Elski whispers to kids that tonight is the night for ice cream and tells the adults that today is the day for a treat.
Elski is all about making Dunsborough a fun and happy place, sharing moments of ice cream love with everyone.
The value
With several ice creameries in the Southwest, Elski needed a clear way to communicate their Danish heritage and artisan quality. This value proposition made their differentiation easy to share:
Elski is authentic Danish-style ice cream crafted with love in Dunsborough. We blend Danish culinary tradition with all-natural local ingredients to create small-batch, artisan flavours. A must-stop destination for holiday-goers and a sweet refuge for locals, Elski is all about creating ice cream moments everyone loves.
The tagline
A dynamic tagline allows Elski to convey ice cream moments and express different messages across various touchpoints. Here’s how it works:
Elski writes ‘Love ice cream’ before the experience they want to communicate. The last words are interchangeable.
Love ice cream on hot days
Love ice cream after a long drive
Love ice cream with old friends
Elski can pick words that tell the story they want to tell.
The tone
Elski shares good vibes, balancing a fun personality while communicating the quality of the ice cream.
FUN (Expressive & Uplifting): Infuses colour and light into your day with energetic and playful language.
PREMIUM (Descriptive & Knowledgeable): Takes the time to describe flavours and reference local South West ingredients.
SPIRITED (Warm & Enthusiastic): Just like Elski, the ice cream scoop, Elski is warm, friendly and always eager to help.
