Linnar Viik
Co-founder of e-Governance Academy, founder of PoCo gallery.
Estonian technology expert, entrepreneur, and one of the key architects behind Estonia's digital society.
"Some people are more curious. Some notice what others walk past. Some dare to propose ideas you didn't dare yourself. EST concept is pure Peter — deceptively simple, heard without shouting, impossible to unsee once seen. What started a decade ago as a pro bono blog post became a natural part of national branding. That's not luck. That's a sharp mind, generous instincts, and the rare professional capacity to turn an elegant idea into lasting practice.
Linnar text
Madis Ots
Creative director and founding partner at Salama creative agency
Loovagentuur Salama loovjuht ja asutajapartner
"Estonishing is one of those ideas that, in its simplicity and expressiveness, hits you right between the eyes—the kind that probably made many people wonder why no one had thought of it long ago. When the concept was unveiled, the reception was quite remarkable in that the reaction was almost unanimously positive. Of course, there were also critics, because the good old saying “where there are two Estonians, there are three opinions” must be kept alive. But if you look at the portfolio of applications of the concept, you’ll see that the idea has been embraced at every level—from grassroots initiatives, where micro-enterprises have created their own solutions on a shoestring, all the way to national place branding. And it has been so for ten years now.
See on täpselt selline julge, väljastpoolt sisse vaatav mõtlemine, mida Eesti vajab. Peter Kentie nägi meis midagi, mida me ise mõnikord unustame näha. Eestlased on tuntud oma tagasihoidlikkuse poolest — me ehitame maailmatasemel tehnoloogiat, korraldame digitaalseid tippkohtumisi, juhime paberivabu valitsusi, ja ikka tutvustame end vabandusega väiksuse pärast. EST-kontseptsioon andis meile loa lõpetada vabandamine. See on täpselt selline julge, väljastpoolt sisse vaatav mõtlemine, mida Eesti vajab. Peter Kentie nägi meis midagi, mida me ise mõnikord unustame näha. Eestlased on tuntud oma tagasihoidlikkuse poolest — me ehitame maailmatasemel tehnoloogiat, korraldame digitaalseid tippkohtumisi, juhime paberivabu valitsusi, ja ikka tutvustame end vabandusega väiksuse pärast. EST-kontseptsioon andis meile loa lõpetada vabandamine. See on täpselt selline julge, väljastpoolt sisse vaatav mõtlemine, mida Eesti vajab. Peter Kentie nägi meis midagi, mida me ise mõnikord unustame näha. Eestlased on tuntud oma tagasihoidlikkuse poolest — me ehitame maailmatasemel tehnoloogiat, korraldame digitaalseid tippkohtumisi, juhime paberivabu valitsusi, ja ikka tutvustame end vabandusega väiksuse pärast. EST-kontseptsioon andis meile loa lõpetada vabandamine.
Doris Põld
CEO of the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications
CEO of the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications
"The EST-project is for me living proof that brilliant ideas are often simple. When Peter first introduced it, I was genuinely puzzled as to how we hadn’t seen it earlier. Today the e‑Estonia story relies heavily on the EST-project: 'SafeEST digital country', 'DigiEST country/people' etc. This simple play with letters has helped our organisation - Estonian ICT Cluster to spark discussions, build partnerships, and enter new markets. Whenever I introduce Estonian ICT Cluster I start with the words: "We gather the brightEST stars of e-Estonia". Thank you for giving us for empowering the 'EST'.
EST-projekt on minu jaoks elav tõestus sellest, et geniaalsed ideed on sageli lihtsad. Kui Peter seda esimest korda tutvustas ja Eestile tasuta kasutada pakkus, olin siiralt hämmingus, kuidas me seda ise varem polnud märganud. Tänapäeval tugineb meie e-Eesti turundus suuresti EST-projektile, kus me inglise keeles kasutame sloganeid nagu: 'BrightEST stars of e-Estonia', 'DigiEST nation' jne. See lihtne tähtedega mängimine on aidanud meie organisatsioonil - Eesti IKT klastril - algatada arutelusid, luua partnerlussuhteid ja siseneda uutele turgudele. Alati, kui ma Eesti IKT klastrit tutvustan, alustan sõnadega: "We gather the brightEST stars of e-Estonia". Tänan, et aitasid anda võimu lühendile 'EST'.
Margot Roose
Founder, Urban Exchange Alliance, ex-Deputy Mayor of the City of Tallinn
Asutaja, Urban Exchange Alliance, endine Tallinna abilinnapea
"Peter didn’t just gift Estonia a brand, but he gave us a conceptual mirror to see our own potential. Ten years later, the EST-impact remains a brilliant example for open-source nation branding. It turned modEST digital pioneers into the boldEST storytellers. While the project achieved global recognition, I often wonder if even more could have been achieved. Had we leaned more into Peter’s original vision. Thank you, Peter!
Peter ei kinkinud Eestile lihtsalt brändi, vaid andis meile kontseptuaalse peegli oma potentsiaali nägemiseks. Kümme aastat hiljem on 'EST' mõju endiselt hea näide avatud lähtekoodiga riigibrändingust. See muutis tagasihoidliku digirahva boldEST jutuvestjateks. Kuigi projekt pälvis ülemaailmse tähelepanu, mõtlen sageli, kas oleksime suutnud saavutada veelgi enam? Kui oleksime rohkem usaldanud Peteri algset visiooni.
Taavi Roivas
Chairman at Auve Tech, Former Prime Minister of Estonia.
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"Peter’s Just ESTonishing was a brilliant initiative and a truly smart creative solution – simple, bold and immediately usable. It gained more real-world traction than many official nation branding campaigns, because people and companies embraced it organically. It remains highly relevant today and deserves even wider use. During my time in government, our goal was to make Estonia bigger in the world, and Kentie’s tool clearly helped advance that ambition.
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Sten Tamkivi
Partner at Plural
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"There is a formula that can make civic engagement more successful: true grass root ideation, beautiful simplicity of a proposed solution and then most importantly persistent drive for years and ownership to see it actually happen. I have never seen this applied to country marketing, though. Especially looking at a country and the potential outside-in, and cheering for our continued success. Thank you for your generosity, Peter!
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Kaspar Korjus
Co-Founder and CEO Pactum, former CEO e-Residency (2014-2019)
"The e-Residency programme owes part of its global narrative to the EST concept. It helped the world understand that Estonia is a mindset, not just a geography. When we launched e-Residency, we were selling an idea that had never existed before. The EST concept had already prepared the ground — it told the world that Estonia thinks differently. That made our job considerably easier. Furthermore, Peter was helping the team behind the scenes to support other initiatives of the nation. Be it the Estcoin concept that got further attention due to Peter's design work.
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Robert Kitt
Former CEO of Swedbank,
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"Albert Einstein has said that the definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple. A complex task of marketing a country was made so brilliantly simple by Peter by simply using a superlative in English. Visually attractive brand praised shy Nordic nation of Estonia perhaps even more than Estonians themselves managed to acknowledge. So far, and by far, the best slogan Estonia has ever had in marketing. Looking at this now, 10 years later, it has not lost any of its novelty - ready to put in use right now, in 2026.
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Anna Kuulmann
Head of Strategy Dentsu Estonia
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"Estonishing shows what happens when talent, passion and generosity truly collide. What I find especially powerful is the outsider perspective, which brings external validation and allows me to see Estonia with clarity, free from groupthink. It gave Estonia a distinctive, ownable narrative, acted as a unifying idea across stakeholders, and was easy to apply. While leading e-Estonia, I leveraged this concept and remain grateful for Peter’s meaningful and lasting contribution.
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Marina Kaljerund
Member of the European Parliament for Estonia
Function
"When the band Queen and Adam Lambert came to Estonia in 2016, I went as a true fan — wearing their shirt. But I also brought something in return for them: shirts reading ‘Let's be honEST, ESTonia is the biggEST fan of the coolEST band.’ Peter Kentie had offered this brilliant, free branding concept, and right there, backstage, it felt like the perfect moment to launch it. Because honestly — it was. That moment said everything about what Peter had given us: a concept so natural, so confident, that I as a Foreign Minister couldn't resist using. Ten years on, EST still captures something true about who we are.
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Dan Mikkin
Sustainability Designer at Hiadvisory
Jätkusuutlikkuse disainer ettevõttes Hiadvisory
"Estonia has a turbulent history behind it, but we've come on top of it lately. After joining NATO and EU in 2004 the goal seemed to be lost a bit though. Peter Kentie’s “Estonishing“ concept focused on the can-do attitude of Estonians. Being small can be an asset, giving our nation the vigour to ride the volatile waves of modern times. So besides being a catchy way to get attention abroad, it also gave the mojo back to our own folks. That, I believe, was the reason for its instant traction here and elsewhere.
Me esitleme Eestit globaalsetele investoritele iga nädal. EST annab meile lühisõna, mida tehnikainimesed üle maailma kohe mõistavad ja mäletavad. Kapitali kaasamine seisneb osaliselt numbrites ja osaliselt narratiivis. Investorid toetavad inimesi ja kohti, millesse nad usuvad. EST-kontseptsioon muudab Eesti usutavaks — mitte kui mahajäänud riik, kes tahab järele jõuda, vaid kui edasijõudja, keda tasub jälgida.
Andres Sutt
Minister of Energy and Environment of Estonia
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister
"EST is the bEST! It’s simple, creative and powerful - that’s why the EST-brand/concept has been so well adopted and scaled in ESTonia and outside. Yes, scaled because you can find EST in so many words and there are limitless ways to present to the World ESTonia, a country where technology, innovation, creativity and aspiration for a better future meet. The brand continues to shine ten years on as does ESTonia. Thank you Peter for the nicEST gift!
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Liisa Mahlapuu
Hub Manager at LIFT99 and Operations Specialist at Estonian Startup Awards
Function
"Ten years ago, Peter gave Estonia a gift he simply couldn't resist giving — and that generosity is exactly the man I've come to know. At LIFT99, we named a room after him because some ideas deserve a permanent address. The EST concept didn't just brand a country; it reminded us that seeing clearly sometimes takes a loving outsider. Here's to ten more years of being simply the best, Peter. Just Estonishing!
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Lembit Loo
Founder, Portata.ai / Host, Estonian General Intelligence Podcast
Function
"Ten years on, I am still in awe. Peter gave Estonia something rare: a brand idea offered open-source, with love, asking nothing in return. The creativity is striking — a single wordplay that travels across languages and contexts. The generosity is what made it stick. Estonians, usually reserved, embraced "-est" within days and have kept building on it ever since. Few gifts age this well. Thank you, Peter, for the imagination and the spirit behind it.
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Siim Sikkut
Former Government CIO of Estonia / Managing Partner of Digital Nation
Function
"ESTonishing was a breath of fresh air to Estonian branding efforts that had gotten stuck, and very effectively captured the essence of what Estonia wanted to tell. Wherever I have used it in the world as part of my e-Estonia deck, it always has raised attention and praise - thanks for making us bigger with it, Peter.
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Andrus Kurvits
Tartu Science Park board member
Function
"When Peter took the stage at sTARTUp Day in Tartu in 2017, he brought a deceptively simple message: you only have to be better or different. Applied to Estonia, that became Just ESTonishing - a contrarian brand rooted in courage and salience. It resonated deeply with our startup community, which had always punched above its weight but rarely said so boldly. When Peter presented Just ESTonishing at sTARTUp Day in Tartu in 2017, Estonian businesses had already spontaneously embraced the concept. Message-first, witty, and unmistakably Estonian. The road wasn't always straight, but the best ideas have a way of prevailing. Ten years on, the EST concept has found its place - today you'll spot it at Michelin events, tourism campaigns, and far beyond. Peter even won the Dutch National Citymarketing Trophy that year, with his EST work for Estonia noted by the jury. What started as a grassroots spark quietly became part of how Estonia tells its story to the world. Just ESTonishing.
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Anneli Andersen
Founder & Owner of Export2Norway
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"Just ESTonishing feels like such a simple concept, yet it is so creative, full of possibilities and incredibly strong. It showed that Estonia’s story can be told through something as simple and small as EST, and still carry national pride and ambition. Whether in business, science, culture, sports, or everyday life, it gave Estonia a memorable voice — one that people noticed, remembered and smiled about.
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Hando Sinisalu
Publisher Bestmarketing.ee
Function
"Peter Kentie’s EST idea was perfect for building general awareness of Estonia around the world. Wordplay almost always works because it reinforces associations in the brain. Similar examples include sLOVEnia, “Malaysia – Truly Asia,” and sTARTUp Day. Simple, but memorable. But EAS wanted something else: a toolkit for trade shows and brochures. What eventually came out was visually nice, but somehow soulless. This is a good case study in how grassroots ideas get killed by corporate bureaucracy.
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Nicholas Hall
Founder and CEO Digital Tourism Think Tank
Function
"EST represents a bold initiative built on design principles aimed at building a distinct identity which transcends both communications and industry as a versatile and adaptive design system. The project was both foundational, pivotal and scaleable and the fact that today, ten years on, it lives on and is still very much defining the design language governing Estonia’s international image through its exports and its distinct identity through its creativity is a testament to how timeless and impactful the EST project has been.
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Kristjan Lepik
CEO & Co-Founder of Arbonics
CEO & Co-Founder of Arbonics
"While building our startup Teleport, I heard that Eindhoven marketing lead Peter Kentie was a big fan of Estonia. Not only that, but he had built a pro-bono marketing campaign for Estonia. Yet he had trouble getting this to be used in Estonia. I looked at this. It looked amazing. So I thought, why not give it a push and I published a story in the popular blog Memokraat.ee. The interest and attention after the post was crazy - and explosion of reactions, almost all positive. A product market fit! The rest is history, Peter's approach got widely used in Estonian marketing.
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Peep Ehasalu
Communications Specialist at Finnish Institute in Estonia
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"I made friendly criticism about Estonian brand building in my novel Roomaja, Romaan armastusest – in English: The Crawler, A Novel of Love – which was nominated for the 2018 Estonian literature prize.
The setting is quite similar. There is a proud working group trying to create a great brand system, and there is a violinist roaming around Estonia in protest of the closure of his small music school, trying to raise money with his protest action. The world media is picking up on the crawler’s desperate action, which is finally being taken into account by the builders of the Estonian brand:
“The Crawler. A Novel of Love” is a fun and at the same time sad story, where national identity, boulders and the famous hedgehog meet the most absurd and moving protest action ever seen in Estonian fiction. Saturated with pleasant metaphors, ‘The Crawler’ instantly captures the reader familiar with Estonia’s recent past.
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