Luculus

Luculus is a well-established brand, recognized in the Slovak ice cream scene since 1954. A seventy-year history, a taste acquired over four generations, a place in the summer memories of Slovak consumers.

When the brand approached us in 2021, it was operating with two branches, carrying its own legacy, but its contemporary visual representation had not yet been established.
The request was clear. The identity needed to be renewed, the brand reintroduced to contemporary consumers, but the legacy from 1954 had to be preserved.

This was a delicate balance. Too little renewal leaves you in the past; too much alienates you from your roots. Both erode the brand's connection with its audience. This was the classic dilemma faced by established brands in the digital age. The older generation of Slovak consumers knew Luculus, loved it since childhood, and remained loyal.

The new generation, Gen Z and young millennials, however, positioned Luculus as 'where my grandmother goes' and did not consider it for their own choices. At the same time, this new generation valued the visual identity, social media aesthetic, and photographability of the ice cream brands they purchased.

Luculus's existing language did not resonate with this generation. The need was not for repositioning, but for renewal. The brand's essence did not need updating, but its presentation did.

There is only one correct path when renewing established brands: not to conflict with the legacy, but to reinterpret it. The Luculus of 1954 was a contemporary brand of its time. We needed to build the contemporary Luculus of 2021. With the same spirit, but in today's language.

This was not a trendy redesign. It meant expressing the brand's timeless essence in today's language. In the Slovak market, young consumers still value 'local and established.' Brands that connect with local heritage have regained value in recent years against global chains. Luculus's seventy-year history was its strongest asset. It needed to be framed correctly.

When renewing the brand identity, we established two principles: the warmth from 1954 and today's visual discipline.

We developed the logo not from scratch, but by refining its existing form. Recognizability was preserved for the older generation, while a modern counterpart was established for the new generation. In the color palette, we simplified the brand's classic tones. Instead of the old palette that oscillated between pastel and vibrant, we designed a clear, decisive, and photographable set.

We developed a standard for the store atmosphere. A visual system that ensures customers entering existing branches and any new branches in the future feel the same character. Typography, window display, visual hierarchy of the serving plate, menu design.

All would speak as different rooms of a single brand. On the digital side, we crafted a social media language aimed at the new generation. We blended the brand's archive from 1954—old photos, the first display, scenes from the founding era—with a new content language.

Every post showcasing the past entered the frame with today's aesthetic. We designed the website not as a catalog, but as a statement of identity. The seventy-year story was told, not as a document of longing, but as a notification that a flag still waves.

Today, Luculus still offers the same ice cream in Slovakia. But now it serves not just one generation, but two different generations simultaneously. While the older generation finds the brand in their memories, the younger generation embraces it on their social media, in their summer evenings, in their weekend routines. The brand has expanded from two branches in 2021, when it started working with us, to four branches today. The renewed identity served not only as a visual refreshment but also as a foundation for tangible growth. Two generations meet in the same store, standing before the same counter.