Client
A leading ice cream and frozen dessert brand looking to refresh its Summer 2026 portfolio with differentiated, trend-forward formats capable of standing out in an increasingly experimental frozen dessert market.
Background / Challenge
The frozen dessert category has largely been predictable. Consumers were no longer looking only for familiarity – they were actively seeking novelty, texture, flavour mash-ups, and culturally inspired experiences.
From swicy and fricy flavour combinations to regional dessert inspirations crossing into frozen formats, the market was entering a new era of experimentation.
The client approached Thinking Forks with an open brief:
- Upgrade the Summer 2026 portfolio across formats including bars, cones, tubs, sandwiches, and ice cream cakes
- Create something genuinely unique and commercially relevant
- Deliver a concept that balanced trend appeal with operational feasibility
- Move quickly in time for peak summer demand
The challenge was about identifying an idea that could feel culturally exciting, sensorially memorable, and scalable within the client’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Approach
Thinking Forks partnered closely with the client to combine trend mapping, technical product development, and sensory design into a commercially ready frozen dessert concept.
1. Capability-Led Innovation Mapping
The engagement began with an on-site facility audit to understand:
- Existing manufacturing capabilities
- Technical constraints and scale possibilities
- Format flexibility across the frozen dessert portfolio
Based on these insights, the team mapped multiple innovation territories including:
- Cool-spicy and fricy formats
- Tangy and texture-forward experiences
- Indo-western crossover concepts
- Viral and culturally driven dessert trends
This process led to the creation of 13 concept directions across categories.
Among them, Kunafa-inspired ice cream quickly emerged as the strongest opportunity -notably, a concept that had already been sitting on the client’s internal wish list.
2. Flavour & Texture Engineering
The goal was to move away from the overly synthetic pistachio profiles common in the market.
Thinking Forks:
- Sourced and evaluated multiple pistachio pastes
- Benchmarked against competitor products
- Finalised a roasted pistachio profile that felt nutty, rounded, and premium
Two concept variants were developed:
Variant 1
Pistachio ice cream with chocolate coating and real pistachio inclusions – minimal, precise, and premium.
Variant 2 – “CrumbFusion”
A proprietary coating approach designed to recreate the crunch, texture, and layered sensory experience of authentic kunafa in every bite.
This became one of the project’s most technically and creatively distinctive elements.
3. Sensory-Led Product Design
Even colour development was treated as a strategic decision.
The team explored multiple visual directions before landing on a deep greenish- yellow tone that instantly communicated indulgence, pistachio richness, and premium quality at shelf level.
Every element – flavour, texture, coating, colour, and format – was designed to create immediate sensory recognition while remaining commercially viable.
4. Rapid Development & Launch Readiness
The final product was developed and delivered within two focused weeks.
To maximise accessibility and impulse purchase behaviour, the product launched in a compact, adaptable bar format rather than oversized or operationally complex formats.
The launch aligned perfectly with India’s peak summer season, allowing the brand to capitalise on seasonal demand with a culturally resonant innovation.
Results Delivered
- End-to-end development of a Kunafa-inspired premium ice cream bar for Summer
- Creation of 13 innovation concepts across frozen dessert formats
- Development of a proprietary CrumbFusion texture system
- Rapid product delivery within 2 weeks from concept finalisation
- Successful fusion of Middle Eastern nostalgia with Indian frozen dessert consumption trends
- Portfolio innovation aligned to emerging flavour, texture, and experience-led consumption behaviour
This project demonstrated how trend intelligence, technical precision, and sensory storytelling can transform a familiar frozen format into a culturally relevant summer experience.
At Thinking Forks, we build food experiences that consumers didn’t know they were waiting for – blending trend foresight, technical execution, and flavour obsession into products built for the next wave of consumption.
