Iloleipuri
Reimagining 40 years of baking heritage
Leading the transformation of a 40-year-old Finnish baking brand — from positioning and portfolio architecture to identity, packaging and a brand system for the whole organization.
My role
- Brand positioning
- Target customer definition
- Product & portfolio strategy
- Creative direction
- Visual identity & packaging direction
- Tone of voice (with marketing)
- Brand system development
- Stakeholder alignment
- AI-assisted creative exploration
Collaboration
Developed with the brand designer, marketing and internal stakeholders. Graphic design execution by the designer.
Status
In progress — rollout 2027
Context
A brand Finnish households have baked with for four decades.
Iloleipuri has significant heritage and real recognition. What it had lost was a clear contemporary position and the connection between its products, its identity and the original idea behind it: joyful home baking.
The problem
Protecting the recognition of an established brand, without letting its history weigh it down.
The name stayed. Deliberately.
Rather than starting over, the brand name was retained to carry forward decades of trust. The task was to make it recognizable and new at once — more modern, more playful, more expressive.
Positioning
Back to joy.
I defined the brand's position and target customer, returning to the brand's founding idea: baking at home as something joyful, stress-free and playful. This became the guiding light and the filter for every decision that followed.
Brand architecture
Three product families. Each with its own concept. One brand world.
PRODUCT FAMILY 1
NONPAREIL
Durable essentials for every household. Bright colors. Simply fun.
PRODUCT FAMILY 2
SORBET
Flexible forms with silicone in focus. Lively colors. Easy to use.
PRODUCT FAMILY 3
PRALINE
Distinctive forms with an elevated twist. Highly durable and playfully elegant.
Most of the previous assortment is being reconsidered or replaced, so that the products themselves express the new brand identity and positioning.
Creative direction
Directing, not decorating.
I worked closely with the designer and shaped color, visual direction, packaging ideas and brand expression. The designer led graphic design execution. Tone of voice was developed together with marketing.
Generative AI, used as a thinking tool
- Moodboards
- Color exploration
- Product ideation
- Communicating concepts to designers
From identity to product
The transformation goes far beyond a logo.
- Philosophy
- Positioning
- Identity
- Product
- Packaging
- Retail
- Digital
- Communication
- Execution
Building the system
A brand system people can use.
A brand book is in development so marketing, sales, designers and partners can execute the brand consistently, without needing consultation.
Getting the organization behind it
Changing a 40-year-old brand creates friction. That is part of the work.
A large part of my role has been building support for the new direction: making the case, translating strategy into concrete choices, and keeping the work coherent as more people contribute to it.
Aligned across
- Leadership
- Sales
- Marketing
- Designers
- Photographers
- Retail
Rollout
Preparing for 2027.
The website, social presence, campaign system and retail materials are currently being prepared for rollout in 2027. This case study will be updated as the work goes to market.
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