Allergen free, but personality packed ice cream brand developed

Once a frozen wasteland for those with dietary requirements, London’s streets boasted innumerable gelato and ice cream shops. However, the presence of nuts, dairy, gluten, soy and eggs in most frozen treats meant many were left out.

Since 2016, that has no longer been the case as Yorica! opened its doors in London’s Soho. Now, its free-from presence is being expanded for the retail trade with the branding help of consultancy Brandon.

Yorica! has always blended a retro look with a modern experience, offering a bubbly, ’60s-inspired typeface with a clean, light blue and white colour palette. Brandon didn’t eschew this, but highlighted it in its development of the packaging for the brand’s new pints. The agency says this was done to ensure the brand retained its familiarity and trust, noting that is, “essential in the allergen-free and vegan sectors.” Recently, many other free-from brands have undergone rebrands – from Genius to Cauldron to Quorn – and most have retained a similar feel, while updating their looks for a more vibrant – and more competitive – marketplace.

Brandon went beyond the original brand, though, by adding further trust and quality graphic cues, like gold halos around the wordmark and displaying the widely recognisable Vegan Society symbol proudly on the front of the pack design. The brand’s strapline, ’14 Allergen Free’ appears on the lids of the new packs. In addition to the messaging, though, the visual design has a premium feel, aligning it squarely alongside Ben & Jerry’s dairy free range and Booja’s luxurious looking packaging.

Managing partner at Brandon, Richard Taylor says, “Yorica! has a devoted following that love it, and we were extremely careful to respect that. We’ve taken the brand on a journey, while elevating the product for the retail trade, driving stronger premium cues and disrupting with a patter than stands out like a sore thumb. It was critical that we disrupt in such a competitive and noisy ice cream aisle.”

MD of Yorica!, Simon Foster, adds that the new brand will help Yorica! achieve the next stages of its develop, while reaching an audience outside London, without losing the identity that made it a favourite in the first place.