Founded by mother and daughter Inger Ellen Nicolaisen and Christinah Nicolaisen, IC Scandinavia’s inaugural range – the Eleni & Chris Salon Signature Collection – was launching into the salon professional haircare market. With just six products, their start-up was tiny in comparison to the major players dominating the market. Aiming to achieve distribution in 130 salons within three years, the Collection’s brand positioning, identity and packaging design would have to work hard to compete effectively and take market share. Establishing the brand’s expertise in haircare and creating a powerful platform for growth was key. ‘Beautifully Different’, as per its proposition, the design reflects the dual nature of Eleni & Chris and the Scandinavian environment; it works across every touch-point. With its strong on-shelf impact, Eleni & Chris has become the third largest distributor to salons in Sweden. In three years, it has become the fastest-growing brand within Scandinavian salons and has achieved distribution in 151 salons; 16% up on target. This success has enabled the brand to extend into other product sectors such as skincare, and globally as well, with listings in the US.