Just in time for the hot weather! There’s no better association to summer than ice cream itself, and a pretty much universally beloved dessert and snack choice that people of all ages seem to gravitate towards from what feels like since the beginning of time itself!
A frozen treat that has a special place in all of our hearts, is bound to be the main interest of numerous international marketing and advertising campaigns, in order to capture people’s attention and give them a soothing relief. We’ve got the scoop that will leave you melting for more!
Check out the 5 international campaigns by ice cream brands that will make your heart melt!
Ben & Jerry’s - Free Cone Day
The tradition goes way back, but it still works as a popular marketing effort, because who doesn’t love free stuff, especially ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s has been a revolutionary ice cream manufacturer since 1978, right around the time their beloved ‘Free Cone Day’ began. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield kick-started this initiative in the spring of 1979 as an appreciation to their loyal customers, after a harsh winter.
Since then, the activation has taken on a life of its own as a yearly event that customers look forward to and the brand continues to promote as their way of saying ‘thank you’ and giving something back to their community. Ben & Jerry’s has a dedicated page to their ‘Free Cone Day’ mechanism, which allows users to add a reminder to their calendar, take a quiz to find the flavour that most suits them and find their closest local shop to get their free ice cream.
Magnum - Pleasure Hunt
Magnum launched a highly successful online campaign ‘Pleasure Hunt’ in developing a digital game, where users would go on a hunt to discover their new ice cream flavour. The brand completely gamified their activations in garnering a large audience and high engagement, by creating a dynamic and lively experience more than anything else.
The digital game was fully controllable by the users’ keyboard. The interactive structure of the game added to the storytelling mechanism in that users had control over the protagonist’s movements and decisions, and most of the enjoyment came out of that engaging interaction.
The huge success of the digital game propelled the brand to launch further versions of it, as well as mobile editions, showcasing their commitment in responding to their audience’s preferences, putting in the work to produce bigger and better activations of the digital game, and actively inviting users to participate in an engaging digital experience that they would immediately associate with the brand itself.
Haagen-Dazs - Haagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees
In 2007, Haagen-Dazs was looking to up their sales and re-captivate the interest of consumers as a viable, popular ice cream brand. They opted out of a big, loud ad campaign and instead focused on a cause to make their name part of the social conversation once again. For their campaign ‘HD Loves HB’, they decided to take on the issue of Colony Collapse Disorder that threatens the population and existence of bees, and by default, their role in the majority of the brand’s ingredients.
An important cause, which although it was a rather new concept for global consumers, who were uninformed of the complications of honey bees slowly becoming extinct, it was also one that they could easily jump on board with immediately.
Haagen-Dazs went all out with their support of the cause, with logos on their packaging that they were threatened by CCD, a consumer education website, print and TV ads, donations towards relevant research groups, and also sent out packets of seeds to be planted for creating a bee-friendly habitat. The brand jumped onto the opportunity to engage their audience with a new cause, provide valuable information and attach their name to a socially conscious issue, which still remains as relevant as ever.
Cornetto - Cupidity
Cornetto’s ‘Cupidity’ campaign was a series of online short films that targeted a younger demographic in celebrating teenage love and attaching their ice cream flavours as part of that experience. The series brought to life a number of different romantic stories that follow the same scenario of Cupid bringing two young people together and letting magic ensue. The audience became part of enticing, captivating tales that featured very little ice creams, yet the campaign managed to associate teenage love stories, and the authenticity, innocence and honesty that is attached to them, with the brand.
The campaign captured the essence of youthful romance and was launched globally to an immense success. Cornetto opted to put out content that would speak to their audience’s hearts and tap into their emotion in order to create a memorable connection with them.
Baskin-Robbins - 31 Flavours
Baskin-Robbins underwent a branding refresh to put an emphasis on their 31 flavours as a key selling point of the brand. They embraced the concept of ‘31 flavours’ and made it an integral part of their branding, from the logo and packaging to their print advertising and merchandising. The brand was adamant about promoting their unique selection of flavours and emphasising the extensive choice it was providing for its customers, in positioning itself as a go-to destination for all ice cream lovers and flavour enthusiasts.
The simplicity in figuring out that the initials BR were hiding the number 31 was a genius mechanism in their marketing strategy for putting out a rebranded version of Baskin-Robbins. The brand also paid homage to their history, with similar ‘circus-like’ typography elements in pink and brown and its original logo back in 1947. By playing on the nostalgia of its consumers and bringing in a modernised, smart and holistic upgrade to their all-around branding, the company was able to make some noise in the marketing world and captivate their audiences.
Heraclis Ice Cream - Lifestyle Production
With a long history in the Cypriot market and staple ice cream flavours beloved from one generation to the next, Heraclis Ice Cream was looking to re-establish their online presence and remind audiences of the brand’s relevance, character and values.
Enter our lifestyle production! We wanted to reintroduce the renowned brand to the public, but have it be even more approachable and relatable to the younger generation through fun, vibrant and catchy visuals that would inspire a good time. The intention was to infuse the history of Heraclis with a modern touch, by implementing 70s vibe elements with a fresh take. By tapping into the timeless appeal of nostalgia, we wanted to create a sense of familiarity that would resonate with people of all ages, along with a touch of modernity.
Our content creation production had the ice creams as the protagonists. We also wanted to incorporate some traditional and recognisable elements of the brand, such as its staple parrot logo, which would bring in that sentimental and nostalgic factor in capturing the sense of warmth that characterises the brand. With intimate close-ups, lifestyle moments and mid-shot captures, we were able to bring out the variety of life memories that can be created when one has an ice cream in hand. We placed a lot of attention on colour consistency and focus, in letting the ice cream products and flavours shine through and be the hero of the production.