Frankie & Jo’s
As a first of its kind, plant-based ice cream shop, Frankie & Jo’s mission is to radically shift the way you think about ice cream. Founded by Autumn Martin and Kari Brunson, this Seattle based brand is an earth driven sweet treat. Since it’s launch in 2011 Frankie & Jo’s has grown a cult like following and expanded to multiple scoop shops across the west coast.
Branding: Teresa Grasseschi, Packaging Design: Aaron Bloom / Hum Creative, Photography: Reva Keller
THe Build
Working in tandem with interior designer Katie Leclercq, I developed a core brand identity for Frankie & Jo’s that reflected clean, mid-century styling juxtaposed with the bright coloring of the Palm Springs desert. The primary challenge was to find a way to settle the brand aesthetic in a place that felt entirely new and playful while remaining accessible.
Named after founder Autumn Martin’s late grandmothers, Frankie & Jo’s primary wordmark features a clean, sweeping san serif that cleverly joins together. This visual balance of punchy to smooth is repeated across every aspect of the brand positioning it as a modern classic -as relevant now as it was ten years ago.
Sundae Shop Merch
In 2023 Frankie & Jo’s launched a new side of their business, Sundae Shop - the plant based take on soft serve. With this launch they asked me back to design a corresponding merch drop aimed specifically towards their youngest customers- (kids). For this work I was asked to bottle the childhood magic of summer -with a Frankie & Jo’s twist.
Approach:
Arguably our first and most universal human language is the image. For this work I wanted the message of magic to be accessible to all children, regardless of age and ability to read. I wanted them to be able to look down and agree that what was depicted was not only magical but associated with their own summer experience. Frankie & Jo’s as a brand highlights our relationship with the earth. This work is a sneaky backdoor meant to foster joy in that relationship for children - I am magical, as is the sky, as is the ocean, as are plants and animals.
