In honour of Pride Week, the Pride Raket was developed in close collaboration with OLA and COC Netherlands - this year celebrating its 80th anniversary as the world’s oldest LGBTQ+ organisation. For decades, COC has created initiatives that promote equality, inclusion, and social acceptance. This OLA Raket edition pays tribute to that legacy, with proceeds supporting the organisation's ongoing work. A donation will also be made to RITA (“Report It Always”), an Amsterdam-based Centre dedicated to reporting discrimination, exclusion, and violence against the LGBTQ+ community. 

Pieter Olierook, General Manager Benelux of The Magnum Ice Cream Company, explains: “The idea behind the development of ‘Pride Raket’ was clear: an ice cream for the community, by the community. That is why this limited edition was created in close collaboration with COC Netherlands and our internal Rainbow Community, where LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies collaborate to foster a more inclusive workplace. Just as important, the proceeds from this edition will help support initiatives that make a real difference. The result is not only a refreshing ice cream, but one that carries a meaningful message.”  

A pink twist on a classic 

The bright pink ‘Pride Raket’ comes in a refreshing Pink Lemonade flavour - a vibrant blend of raspberry and lemon that makes the perfect summer day. It is created especially for ice cream lovers, Amsterdammers and visitors to the capital who want to celebrate Pride sweetly. 

The celebratory spirit continues with the packaging decorated with festive Pride colours. By scanning the QR code on the packaging, you can find more information about the donation and the broader impact of the initiative for the LGBTQ+ community. 

Across the city 

This summer, everyone will have the chance to taste the Pride Raket. The ice creams will be available from the end of May at various points of sale in Amsterdam before rolling out to Albert Heijn and Jumbo stores nationwide. During World Pride Amsterdam 2026, the Pride Raket will be hard to miss: popping up along canals, at Pride events, on the streets, in freezers, and in the hands of everyone coming together during Pride Week to celebrate. 

The range builds on Magnum’s recent growth momentum. In 2025, the brand delivered high single‑digit organic sales growth, supported by innovations such as Magnum Utopia. The new Signature range sits alongside the brand’s core products and aims to build on this premium innovation trajectory, reinforcing TMICC’s focus on scalable, market‑making growth.

“Signature brings a new angle to the innovation program of Magnum by introducing a more ingredient‑led and expressive approach to indulgence. It strengthens the brand’s ability to remain distinctive, culturally relevant, and premium,” says Göze İşcan, VP Global Magnum Brand

What defines Magnum Signature

Magnum’s ice creams have always been designed for pleasure and Signature is no exception. Now rolling out in Europe, Magnum La Pistache and Magnum La Pêche feature a completely new type of shell made with pistachio paste or dried peach juice, giving each ice cream a distinctive colour and flavour identity.

“Developing the Signature range was a true cross‑functional effort to evolve our most iconic feature, the shell,” says Göze. “Our teams collaborated with our R&D experts, technology leaders and gained insights from consumer panels, to create an ingredient‑led shell that still delivers the sharp, satisfying Magnum ‘crack’, while offering a fresh expression of flavour.”

A more expressive Magnum for today’s consumer

Younger generations, Gen Z in particular, gravitate towards richer sensory experiences, authentic ingredients and visually distinctive foods that feel intentional and crafted¹, and Signature answers that shift.

As Göze explains: “Signature is inspired by the elegance of patisserie and the expressive world of couture. It takes the famous Magnum experience and elevates it with an altogether new multi-layered experience combining ingredient-led shells and a gelato texture to further increase appeal to a new generation of pleasure seekers”

Both flavours also draw on global ingredient trends that strongly resonate with consumers. While pistachio has become a standout premium choice², peach is rapidly emerging as an on-trend contemporary partner to dairy, ice cream and frozen desserts³.

Global appeal, local twist

True to TMICC’s global-to-local philosophy, Magnum Signature combines global ambition and local relevance. Alongside its global creations, Magnum La Pistache and Magnum La Pêche, markets will bring local editions tailored to regional tastes and cultural inspiration - from Thai Tea in Southeast Asia, Pistachio‑Kadayıf in Türkiye, to Blueberry Cheesecake in Indonesia and Mint in China & Pistachio variations across select markets in Asia.

“This built‑globally, tailored‑locally approach makes Magnum Signature a scalable growth platform that can adapt to local flavour preferences and innovation needs” concludes Göze.

Couture-inspired design

A subtle design detail is the contrast between the shell and the classic Magnum tip nods to the ‘toe‑cap’ of a couture ballet flat, reflecting Magnum’s long history of collaborating with designers, models and cultural tastemakers.  

Shaping the future of Magnum

With Signature, Magnum introduces a more modern and expressive pleasure experience that strengthens its ability to lead in premium indulgence

Magnum Signature — Designed for Pleasure. Made to Crack.
 

¹Mintel, UK Consumer Snacking Market Report (2023)
²https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en/trends-insights/2025-ice-cream-trends-global-market-insights-innovation
³https://www.datainsightsmarket.com/reports/peach-flavor-390603?tab=summary
 

The Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest example of how Ben & Jerry’s reinvents a classic for contemporary routines. This new sandwich meets a rising consumer desire for portable, on-the-go indulgence. Already available in the UK and now rolling out across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the product pairs Fairtrade vanilla ice cream and cookie dough chunks with soft cocoa‑vanilla cookies. It brings Ben & Jerry’s signature playfulness into a hand-held format that fits busy lifestyles, addressing the growing consumer demand for snackable indulgence¹

Baked‑in creativity: strengthening Ben & Jerry’s premium pint portfolio

In pints, the brand continues to push creativity forward with new bakery‑inspired recipes. Churrifically Churros‑y blends caramel and sweet cream with churro‑style warmth, while Strawberry Doughnut‑eee brings jammy swirls and doughnut‑like chunks to a strawberry‑cream base. These flavours expand Ben & Jerry’s presence in the premium pint segment, where consumers increasingly seek richer textures and layered sensory experiences. These new flavours reinforce leadership in indulgence while meeting the demand for high-quality, "treat-at-home" moments.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream Bars: a milestone for US snacking

January marked the debut of Ben & Jerry’s biggest‑ever line of Ice Cream Bars in the United States, a major step into the fast-moving snacking aisle. Already earning love from fans on social media and in stores, the five bars deliver the same iconic chunks and swirls you would get in a Ben & Jerry’s pint, now wrapped in a delicious chocolatey coating – and served on a stick. Offered in flavours including Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and PB Pretzel, this innovation expands the brand into snacking and on‑the‑go occasions.

To support the introduction, Ben & Jerry’s has been “Droppin’ Bars” across the U.S., handing out more than 20,000 free bars in 150 Scoop Shops, sparking excitement and immediate trial in one of TMICC’s most strategically important markets.

A unique blend of joy, creativity and mission

Ben & Jerry’s stays close to culture through a social-first digital approach, showing up where conversations happen and where people spend their time online. This keeps the brand connected, relevant and part of everyday life. Its blend of joy, creativity and mission gives it a distinctive place in our global portfolio, while its growing range of snackable formats opens the door to more everyday moments. With flavours full of character and an iconic personality recognised around the world, Ben & Jerry’s brings colour, warmth and cultural energy to every market it touches.

Shaping the future with more Chunks, more Swirls and more Heart

With more ways to enjoy every bite, bar or spoonful, Ben & Jerry’s is helping shape the next era of global ice cream, one chunk‑filled moment at a time.

^{1 OG Analysis (2025). Ice Cream Market Analysis and Outlook Report: Industry Size, Share, Growth Trends and Forecast (2025–2034).}

"TMICC has set a mid-term growth target of 3–5%. Our Wall's refreshments brands have the ambition to deliver double that," says Leyal Eskin Yilmaz, Chief Marketing Officer for Europe and Australia and New Zealand at TMICC.

She explains how TMICC is leveraging consumer trends through Wall's refreshments and partnering with best-in-class brands to create connections that go beyond product and pack, delivering growth through cultural relevance.

Solero: Premium ‘permissible indulgence’ meets summer vibes

Solero soaring across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, but five years ago its only significant market was the UK. "It was a sleeping beauty," acknowledges Leyal. "In 2020, sales among 25–45-year-olds started to take off. It was as if they'd woken up to what it had to offer."

Solero delivers a premium indulgence with a refreshing twist. It's dipped in real fruit juice that's rapid-frozen to create a tangy, refreshing coating. At just 98 calories, it's premium indulgence without the ‘guilt’.

As consumers increasingly seek out ‘permissible’ treats, Solero has doubled in size in both volume and value sales and expanded from the UK into Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. The range has grown from one variant to four, with two new mini multipacks launched. 2026 will see even more Solero snacking options beyond the stick, plus expansion into new markets.

This year, the UK team trialled a brand partnership with Love Island, the No.1 reality TV show in the UK and Europe. "From Solero bikinis to floaties, we created content that placed Solero in the heart of culture," Leyal says. “We're working with TikTok and Meta to do even more.”

Twister and Calippo: Ice cream for everyone, everywhere

The refreshing mix of water, ice and fruit flavours makes Wall's refreshments naturally accessible to younger family members. But their thirst-quenching appeal is genuinely age-agnostic. "My kids love them, but so does my mum," Leyal says.

"We take great care that our products meet nutritional standards that make them allowable for everyone," she adds. "These brands are both delicious and permissible, and we make their calorie, sugar and fat content very clear."

Twister's iconic shape and contrasting milky-fruity flavours have made it the refreshments portfolio's most consistent growth engine. New flavours, a plant-based braid format, minis and multi-packs have transformed Twister into a €100 million brand globally. With a product architecture that's hard to imitate, it's the No.1 bestseller in the UK, Europe and Türkiye, and growing fast in India and Asia.

While Twister blends creamy and fruity elements in its signature swirl, Calippo stands apart as the portfolio's only pure water ice, offering an intensely refreshing experience.

"Calippo is sold in almost every country in Europe, which delivers consistent growth," Leyal adds. “But there's more to come in 2026, with work underway to leverage both brands' universal availability and family appeal.”

Haribo and Minecraft: Creating buzz through smart collaborations

TMICC has partnered with Haribo to create push-up ice creams with gummy bears in the stick since 2011. Until recently, production was limited to 1 million units per year for out-of-home sales. "But we've unlocked capacity that's allowed us to launch in 20+ markets and realise high double-digit growth," Leyal says.

This enabled TMICC to launch Haribo Push-up multi-packs for in-home consumption. The product ranked in Aldi's top five ice cream innovations for 2025, and sales of Haribo ice cream have grown 68% year to date.

The success of this collaboration, alongside TMICC's launch of Wall's Minecraft ice cream in July, signals more exciting partnerships to come.

"Ingredient-led collaborations like the one with Haribo, which saw us work together on an ice cream that included its gummy bears, have evergreen potential. But entertainment collaborations with games and movies that take control of the zeitgeist, are a great way to make our ice creams relevant to the next generation of consumers," Leyal says. "And there's lots of ways we can do that with our refreshment brands."

"In packaging, we can make sticks edible and print numbers and designs. We can add QR codes on wrappers or under lids that unlock experiences, connecting fans back to our partners' universes and creating whole new ways to generate demand."

Cool brands getting even cooler

Wall's refreshments is driving growth for TMICC. With strong brand performance, geographic expansion and innovation creating relevance across markets and formats, TMICC is unlocking significant new value.

"This summer's performance of our power brands Solero, Twister and Calippo proves that. Together, their combined sales achieved double-digit growth in Europe during June to August," Leyal says.

"Refreshments is an exciting, growing portfolio," she adds. "We're ready to unlock our power brands' potential, reaching up, down and wide to meet every need, at every price, in every format."

The new product features a chocolatey disc topping, a fusion of two ice creams, a crunchy cone and layers of luxurious sauces.

And with consumer insights showing trends for nut and fruit flavours, it launched in two new flavour variants – Hazelnut Chocolate and tropical Mango and Vanilla.

Meeting Gen Z demand for indulgence

'Cornetto is already one of Unilever’s most iconic ice cream brands. It’s a true heritage brand,' says Cornetto’s Global Brand Lead Hazal Kantman. 'But even icons need new news, especially to meet Gen Z’s evolving expectations.'

Cornetto Max was designed to appeal to Gen Z’s love for maximalism, a trend where excess is embraced. 'Indulgence is a core driver for one in five ice cream lovers globally,' adds Hazal. 'But for Gen Z, in particular, more is more, in lifestyle, fashion and food. Cornetto Max taps into that.'

For 59% of these young consumers, indulgence comes in the form of regular ‘little treats’ that spark joy and connection and make premium experiences affordable. However, 65% also feel brands aren’t delivering the excitement they’re looking for.

The global market for impulse ice cream sales including single-serve ice creams, cones, sticks and sandwiches is predicted to grow 5.7% to 2032.

'For Cornetto that’s an opportunity,' Hazal says. 'Our ambition is that Cornetto Max provides a different combination of textures and flavours in every bite and delivers the excitement Gen Z craves.'

The science behind a multi-sensory ice cream experience

Creating that multi-layered experience was a significant feat of engineering, especially as the team took the product from idea to a production line in less than a year. These timings also ensured Cornetto Max could be scaled and market-ready for this summer’s ice cream season.

'It was a technical challenge to deliver a product with such defined layers,' says Hazal. ‘Combining two distinct ice creams with a sauce centre and chocolatey layer on top requires a high level of precision, not just in terms of R&D formulation and specification but also in how it’s executed on the manufacturing line to ensure consistency in texture, flavour combination and visual appeal at scale.’ 

'Many parts of the Cornetto family made it happen,' she adds. 'We worked with specialist chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut to create bespoke chocolatey discs to give Cornetto Max’s top layer a premium mouthfeel.

'Engineers at Colworth’s Advanced Prototype Engineering Centre used AI to test and finesse new processes and 3D printers to make nozzles that create the new layers of ingredients in Cornetto Max’s new design. Even the factory teams in Caivano, who produced the original Cornetto ice cream, and Çorlu contributed to the development of the new production line that makes Cornetto Max today,' she says.

Unwrapping summer with shareable social moments

'For the first time, we’re also rolling out a series of experiential and social-first assets across Instagram and TikTok tailored to Gen Z’s content preferences,' says Hazal.

'In a collaboration with Ray-Ban and Meta we’re providing content creators in Italy and Spain with their own set of AI glasses. It’s a great way of ensuring they have a hands-free way to capture and share summer moments while still being able enjoying a Cornetto Max ice cream.'

To further support the launch, the team shot a new commercial called ‘Unwrapping Summer to the Max’, which builds on last summer’s iconic unwrap campaign which won a Silver and two Bronze Cannes Lions.

It sees the unwrap of a Mango and Vanilla Cornetto Max ice cream bringing people running outside to enjoy the start of summer. It was filmed on a beach in Sicily which was made famous by the hit TV show, White Lotus.

Out-of-home sales success

The new cones are available in ice cream’s key markets, including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Greece and Turkiye.

Cornetto Max is already achieving amazing out-of-home sales and Mango and Vanilla is proving so popular it’s almost out of stock.

This success and last year’s relaunch of Classic Cornetto with an enhanced formulation and new packaging contributed to the Power Brand achieving strong single-digit growth in Unilever’s H1 results.

'The true blue of Classic Cornetto is still the core of the Power Brand’s portfolio, but 'we’re confident this premium innovation is going to be a key growth engine for us,' says Hazal. 'If you thought this summer launch was exciting, you haven’t seen anything yet.'

Gen Z is reshaping the ice cream industry with its demand for variety, innovation and authenticity. Magnum – one of Unilever’s Power Brands – is leveraging these three traits to ensure it delivers sales of more than one billion ice creams a year.

'The difference now is Gen Z adults have been born into a world of abundance, options, copycats and different propositions,'says Tugce Aksoy, Global Brand Director of Magnum for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the ice cream business that will separate from Unilever by the end of 2025.

To keep their attention and share of wallet, engagement with brand fans on social channels and through experiences is key. 'We listen to our community to understand where people might want to have a Magnum ice cream on a different occasion or in a different flavour and we act on it,' she says.

Trend-setting flavours and formats

In Q1 FY25, this approach saw Magnum leverage trending nut and fruit flavours with Double Hazelnut and Double Cherry ice cream sticks that are already enjoying mid-single digit growth.

Shareable pots of Magnum Bon Bons are also expanding into new markets, thanks to Gen Z’s interest in snack-size portions and 34% of adults looking to indulge in a little something sweet every day.

AI insights reveal the crack made by Magnum chocolate has premium appeal

Social listening also led to the discovery that shaped Magnum’s new ‘Nothing Cracks Like Magnum’ global campaign which leverages the distinct sound of the ice cream’s cracking chocolate.

'That crack has been a core part of our campaigns since launch, but we were taking it for granted,' says Tugce. 'Our fans refocused our attention on the connection.'

The team used AI to analyse grocery reviews to see if this social insight resonated at points of purchase. 'The cracking chocolate is a key reason people are adding Magnum ice cream to their baskets,' she says.

‘We tested it further with some lo-fi social posts using ASMR. They got more than 150 million organic views. The crack was an indication of Magnum’s premium quality.’

Cannes: Reinventing brand engagement

‘Nothing Cracks Like Magnum’ was launched at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 'We used to use social to amplify big campaigns. Now it’s the opposite: we get the insights from social and design the campaigns and assets with social-first in mind. We then share it with the fans and have a two-way dialogue,' Tugce says.

'For Cannes, we brought representatives from ten markets, each with their own content creators. With insights and inspiration from our social platform partners TikTok and Meta and fan accounts, we turned our event spaces into content creation hubs. This meant influencers could livestream Magnum’s universe to their followers, to be their eyes and ears and provide them with exclusive experiences they couldn’t find anywhere else.'

Magnum also works to find the most relevant icon for this Gen Z audience, like British singer-songwriter Charli xcx, who combines bold self-expression with strong digital reach.

Alongside a brand party attended by the pop icon and 250+ influencers, experiential pop-ups offered fans the chance to create their own Magnum remix, enjoy xcx matcha milkshakes, Charli xcx’s Brat-green ice cream sticks and visit an on-site Magnum bakery for a TikTok-inspired Magnum ice cream-filled croissant.

'These interactions created an incredible amplification that goes way beyond Cannes, with key markets such as Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands also bringing these experiences to life with local pop-ups,' Tugce adds.

With thousands of pieces of engaging social content created and organic coverage of the event reaching 50 countries, the ‘Nothing Cracks Like Magnum’ campaign is one of the brand’s best-tested assets and Magnum’s year-on-year social coverage at Cannes has tripled.

All of which is good news for engaging social-first Gen Z consumers, 44% of whom make their purchase decisions based on influencer recommends.

Finding and winning Gen Z consumers

Current data indicates that Magnum is in the top three in terms of coverage for Cannes’ activating brands. This gives an indication of the engagement and growth Magnum can achieve by meeting consumers and sharing brand passion in new cultural spaces.

An activation at Europe’s Primavera festival followed hot on the heels of Cannes, again with Charli xcx, where fans had the chance to try Brat Magnum ice cream sticks. And there are further innovative activations in the pipeline.

Moving beyond the freezer to meet consumers in new spaces

'Our journey is all about putting Magnum at the centre of culture and finding the right partners that can elevate and premiumise the brand,' says Tugce.

‘These activations indicate our ambition to bring ice cream out of the freezer and into fashion and lifestyle. By taking the ice cream category premium, our goal is to position Magnum as a Power Brand which enjoys double-digit growth as the pinnacle of that.’

[a] Gen Z relies on influencers for purchase decisions, Kantar says | Marketing Dive

Around 79% of the world’s online population now play online games in some form. [a] Of this group – which includes more than three billion people worldwide – 80% regularly consume food and drinks while gaming.

This launch is a strategic move to bring cultural relevance and even more joy and flavour to the freezer aisle. An approach that is being seen across brands in The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the name of the Unilever Ice Cream division due to separate from the business by the end of this year.

Tapping into the gaming demographic through pop culture partnerships

Being ‘on trend’ is a major driver for Gen Z consumers and the new product was developed in response to Minecraft’s surging cultural relevance.

Already the bestselling game in history, Minecraft received a further boost in popularity in March this year with the release of A Minecraft Movie. The film took $300 million [b] in its first week at the box office. Since the movie’s release, Minecraft’s player base has grown by 30%, adding to its already 170 million users.

From concept to freezer in four months

To tap into the buzz around the game, Wall’s moved quickly to bring the Minecraft ice cream from concept to shelf in just four months – a testament to the brand’s agility and innovation.

'By working with a culturally active IP like Minecraft, our goal was for Wall’s to create the must-try ice cream of the year,' says Leyal Eskin Yilmaz, Chief Marketing Officer for The Magnum Ice Cream Company across the UK & Ireland, Europe and Australia & New Zealand and Head of Global Brands Wall’s, Cornetto and Twister.

Connecting virtual worlds to consumer experiences

In homage to the game, Wall’s new ice cream stick comprises three different coloured ice cream blocks to replicate the layers you dig through in the Minecraft universe and is just 73 calories per stick.

The ice cream launched in the UK market on 1 July, the peak month of Europe’s ice cream season, and is available to buy exclusively in the Morrisons chain of supermarkets.

'We know scarcity and collectability are valued by the gaming community,' says Leyal, 'and our launch strategy leans into that.' Much like the game, fans will have to hunt it down in-store, adding to a sense of discovery and collectability.

Wall’s Minecraft ice cream has three blocks which pay homage to the layers players mine in the game.

Using influencer marketing to build community and engagement

'Every new launch, whether it’s a movie or a new ice cream, needs to connect with the right consumer demographic in a way that speaks to them,' acknowledges Leyal. 'For gamers and our ice cream audience, the channels where they connect and build communities are TikTok and Twitch.'

Leveraging this social-first approach, the launch will be supported by a TikTok-first influencer campaign, designed to drive natural engagement and desirability. Some 63% of Gen Z trust their recommendations; 45% are more likely to buy influencer items than items they’ve seen celebrities or friends use.

'Peer recommendations have always had sway in purchasing decisions,' says Leyal. 'By speaking to Minecraft fans in their own language and sparking conversation around the film, the game and the product.'

Roll-out to key gaming markets

Alongside Morrisons in the UK, from this month, Minecraft ice cream is also available in Jumbo and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. It will be launched in Italy, Poland and Spain later this year. All of these markets have significant numbers of Minecraft gamers and provide strong opportunities for ice cream sales.

'There’s something special about the way people connect with this game,' says Leyal. 'We hope our Minecraft ice cream will capture some of that fun and creativity that gamers appreciate and make it an engaging and rewarding product experience.'

This ice cream innovation and partnership is a bold new step for Wall’s and a clear path for The Magnum Ice Cream Company’s ambition to lead culture with speed, relevance and impact.

[a] - All Forms of Gaming Engagement Continue to Spike in 2022

[b] - A Minecraft Movie breaks records with $300 million box office haul

What first excited you about becoming a Ben & Jerry's Flavour Guru?

I had grown up eating Ben & Jerry's as a kid and was excited to be part of such a fun, joyful, high-quality company. Then I learned more about the social mission and became even more excited to be able to contribute to something so meaningful.

What is your favourite type of flavour to work on?

I'm a chocolate girl ... as long as there are some salty crunchy chunks or swirls involved. My favourite projects involve trying to replicate the experience of a favourite dessert. A few years ago, we launched dirt cake (in the US) and got to spend a lot of time making and tasting different versions of dirt cake. There were a lot of debates over what kind of pudding should be used, what the crumble should be like and whether or not to include gummy worms.

How do you incorporate fan suggestions and feedback into your work?

We are always trying to create experiences which will delight our fans, so we listen to our Scoop Shop teams about what guests have been asking for and we collect ideas from our Consumer Affairs team to get input directly from our fans. We also work with a wonderful Consumer Insights Team which tracks trends and consumer behaviour to help us understand what fans might not even know they want yet.

Do you spend all day eating ice cream?

Yes. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

What's your favourite chunk?

Chocolate covered almonds. I can't stop myself from snacking on them.

How do you find inspiration for new flavours?

The Flavour Gurus are always searching for new foods and flavours and sharing our experiences with each other. We eat a lot of sweets but also find inspiration from savory foods, beverages and general food experiences. When we share these discoveries, we often find inspiration from each other.

What's an ingredient you've always wanted to incorporate into a new flavour, but haven't been able to yet?

Gummies have been a tough one to crack. As they are now, most gummies get really really hard when frozen. We'd love to be able to achieve the chewy, gummy texture in frozen ice cream.

If you had to make either a flavour with all chunks or all swirls, which would you pick and why?

That's a tough call, I'm glad this is just theoretical. I would choose swirls. We have some amazing crunchy swirls (pretzel, graham, chocolate cookie), our fluffy marshmallow and indulgent brownie batter. With swirls like that, you can make a chunk-less flavour with dynamic textures and flavours.

What's the hardest part of making new ice cream flavours?

Finding the balance between exciting and approachable can be challenging. Our team is always excited to make super wacky, out there flavours, but we want to make sure our fans will be equally excited to try anything we make.

What's the most fun part of making a new flavour?

Working as a team to unlock the fan experience. Figuring out how to re-create the s'mores experience in a frozen product or how to make a vegan ice cream taste like strawberry cheesecake is so satisfying and fun.

Sunny days are good news for ice cream sales.

In the UK, between July and October, nine in ten consumers will buy an ice cream. In Italy, which accounts for 28% of Europe’s total ice cream sales, strong volumes this spring have seen the industry predict 2024’s sales increasing by 6%. [a] And in India, which enjoys an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, [b] the Economic Times is forecasting 2024’s sales will increase 30–40% above ice cream purchases made in 2023.

Moreover, the demand for branded handheld ice creams like Cornetto is growing 2.5 times faster than the total branded ice cream market, [c] according to Nielsen. And impulse ice cream purchases are expected to reach $43 billion (€39.7 billion) in 2024. [d]

So how do our ice cream brands make sure they’re unmissable for consumers?

For Cornetto it’s about consumer experience, which is at the heart of its new ‘Unwrap It’ summer campaign.

Cornetto Classico: leveraging an icon

'Cornetto is an ice cream icon that delivers a delicious multisensory experience. Its creamy ice cream crown, crunchy cone and chocolate tip have been around for more than 60 years,' says Barbara Scala, Global Brand Lead for Wall’s and Cornetto.

Many consumers associate Cornetto with the Cornetto Classico. It’s a global bestseller. And the brand has made the ice cream, with its distinctive white logo on a blue background, the star of its campaigns across all markets.

The unwrap ritual and irresistibility of the product are core elements too. 'This campaign is all about driving anticipation and going back to the foundations of a Cornetto’s desirability, where the product unwraps the key moment and nothing else matters,' Barbara says.

Focusing on the product unwrap and reveal on pack

New pack designs have also been rolled out across 80 of Cornetto’s key SKUs. These feature the product being unwrapped, with the imagery shot in the same style as the campaign.

Point-of-sale materials for supermarket freezer cabinets also leverage the blue and white visual identity of the Cornetto Classico, as well as the wrapping ritual.

'That’s a real pivot for the brand,' Barbara acknowledges.

We’re building back desirability for a well-loved product. For us, that’s the consumer’s experience of unwrapping a Cornetto. It’s a distinct brand asset.'

Barbara Scala, Global Brand Lead for Wall’s and Cornetto

Tailoring Cornetto moments for local markets

'We also looked at what an "unforgettable Cornetto moment" could look like to different markets. This has helped ensure the campaign is tailored and locally relevant and ultimately works to drive consumer engagement,' Barbara says.

'In Europe, for example, the ‘Cornetto Unwrap’ moment signals the start of summer,' she says. 'It’s that feeling of walking on the beach to the sea for the first time. So, in markets like Italy and Turkey, our tagline is "Unwrap your summer".'

'In Asia, Cornetto is associated with a moment of connection with friends. To reach out to Gen Z consumers, we collaborated with K-pop superstar Cha Eun-Woo to launch the campaign with the tagline "Once you Unwrap, you can’t go back".

‘In India, another core market, Cornetto is famous for being the original ice cream brand that came in a cone, so in this market we kept our tagline fun and simple. It’s ’ Unwrap the OG',' Barbara adds.

Future-proofing Cornetto’s appeal

'In pre-testing, TV commercials for our ‘Cornetto Unwrap’ campaign received the best scores we’ve ever seen for Cornetto in all our key markets, Indonesia, India, Turkey and Italy. We really believe we’ve stepped up the brand’s appeal,' Barbara says.

'In Q1 of this year Cornetto has been enjoying single-digit growth and positive volumes. With strong consumer engagement and by making our products truly unmissable, our aim is not only to ensure Cornetto has a good summer – we’re also future-proofing an ice cream icon.'

[a] - Lagondola.it - Sigep Observatory Summer 24: Ice Cream, Data and Trends for the Season

[b] - Power Technology - Solar power: India lets the sunshine in 

[c] - Grocery Trader : Brand bonanza – Big names are driving ice cream growth 

[d] - Barry Callebaut - Top Ice Cream Trends for 2024 and Beyond

When it comes to energy usage, ice cream’s cold chain is a hot topic. It takes a lot of power to make, distribute and keep our brands stored in refrigerated cabinets – factors which have seen up to 20% of Unilever’s greenhouse gas emissions come from ice cream.

Until now.

Discover how our Ice Cream teams are helping us lower our emissions and make financial savings by harnessing the power of the sun.

Using solar power to run our warehouses

In Turkey, the average day sees 6.37 hours of sunshine and our ice cream facility in Izmir is harnessing that energy and putting it to good use.

Our temperature-controlled warehouse, where our ice cream brands are weighed, sorted and packed, consumes 2 million kWh of electricity/year.

Now, thanks to an on-site solar power plant, 42% (980,000 kWh/year) of that energy is provided by the power of the sun.

And that’s not the only benefit. This renewable source also saves €190,000/year on energy costs.

Driving down emissions with electric refrigerated vehicles

Across Brazil, Turkey and Mexico, our brands are distributed using commercial electric vans specifically designed for urban ice cream deliveries. Pilots are also being run throughout the US, China, Thailand, Chile and Uruguay.

Most vans provide end-to-end green transportation, charged by electricity generated from solar panels on our warehouses which cuts the fleet’s CO₂ emissions too.

Larger scale, fully electric, zero-emission refrigerated trucks are being trialled too. In the Benelux, they make up 60% of our ice cream fleet with the potential to save up to 25 tonnes of CO₂ per truck per year.

Using innovative points of sale to combat power outages

In countries with daily power outages, the chances of stock spoilage are high. Once again, the power of the sun provides an innovative energy solution.

As part of wider sustainable initiatives, which include energy-efficient cabinets, solar ice cream carts and solar energy farms, Wall’s has developed dual usage price boards.

As well as advertising ice creams outside stores, these boards are also solar storage units. Each one is equipped with double solar panels, an internal battery and an automatic switcher. If the retailer’s power goes off, its battery automatically switches on.

Prototype price boards have been trialled in Pakistan. These can power an ice cream freezer for around six hours per charge and offer shopkeepers a sustainable source of clean energy and reassurance that stock and sales won’t melt away.

Future-forward retail units powered by renewable energy

In Turkey, the Wall’s team has designed, built and successfully opened five retail units completely powered by the sun.

Each kiosk, known as a Happiness Station, runs two freezers and two drink cabinets using six solar panels, one inverter and a selection of lithium batteries.

These retail units generate an average of 20,000 kW of energy per point/year and provide retailers with an annual saving of up to 16% on energy costs.

This energy self-sufficiency also means locations which don’t have electricity access, such as national parks, can now host a kiosk. They’ve been so successful with retailers and consumers that five more units are planned for this year.

Making energy and sales while the sun shines

Ice cream consumption is at its highest when the sun is shining. By creating and using solar energy in our storage facilities, transport and retail spaces, we aim to move closer to syncing demand and usage to become energy self-sufficient and emission-free.

Because dairy ingredients account for more than 50% of Ben & Jerry’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the brand is focusing on dairy farms as the best opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint through a new pilot project.

Creating a combination of solutions

Through regenerative agriculture, We are empowering and supporting farmers around the world in the switch to farming practices that help lower carbon emissions, enhance soil health, improve water resilience and increase biodiversity.

It’s clear that one mitigation option alone won’t help tackle dairy farming emissions, but a package of options could. Ben & Jerry’s pilot project will combine three key potential solutions:

1. Banishing bovine burps

A cow’s stomach has four chambers. The largest of these is called the rumen. Microbes in the rumen work to break down food. This process produces up to 50 quarts (50 l) of climate-warming carbon dioxide and methane gas every hour, which the cow then releases, mainly by belching1.

Researchers have been developing feed additives, including seaweed, that can inhibit micro-organisms in the rumen. According to recent studies, mixing just three ounces (85 g) of seaweed into their feed can result in cows belching 82% less methane into the atmosphere2. The pilot will provide a mixture of these ‘rumen modifying’ food stuffs along with a high-quality forage diet to help aid the cow’s digestion.

2. Manure-munching micro-organisms

Manure is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases on a dairy farm. A typical cow produces about 80 lb (36 kg)3 of manure each day. Multiply that by an entire dairy herd and you’re looking at a lot of dung. Manure has two major impacts on the environment. It can create algal blooms that reduce oxygen in rivers, stream and lakes, creating dead zones, and it produces methane as it decomposes.

Manure digesters can break down cow dung using micro-organisms. Acting like a huge industrial version of a cow’s stomach, the digester heats manure in an air-tight tank to encourage bacteria to break it down. When the process is done, the methane is destroyed, renewable energy is created and the leftover solids are used as fertiliser.

3. Letting the grass grow greener

The world's soils act as the planet’s largest terrestrial carbon sink4, playing a key role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, a third of the world’s soil is now moderately to highly degraded and agriculture has played a part in this. So looking after the soil is one of the most important jobs a farmer can do.

Growing more grass and other feed crops using regenerative agriculture methods will maintain healthy soils, improve the use of grassland, lower synthetic inputs, promote biodiversity and raise the percentage of homegrown feed on farms. But perhaps most importantly, the plants will also capture carbon from the air and feed it into the soil, where microbes will use it for energy and keep it underground instead of releasing it back into the atmosphere.

Scaling the project up

The pilot will help Ben & Jerry’s learn what works from a technical standpoint and how the different practices might impact other parts of the farm, for example operating expenses or milk production.

'This approach to dairy farming could be a game changer,' said Jenna Evans, Global Sustainability Manager for Ben & Jerry’s. 'It has the potential to make a meaningful reduction in emissions on dairy farms and help fight the worst effects of climate change. All of us, especially businesses, must take action before it’s too late and the climate crisis makes our world uninhabitable.'

The 15 participating farms will be split between members of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative in the US and CONO Kaasmakers in the Netherlands. Once proven, there are plans to scale successful practices and technologies from the project across the brand’s dairy supply chain and possibly throughout Unilever’s dairy network. The practices will also be made public so the entire dairy industry can benefit.

'Too often, corporations buy up carbon offsets from somewhere else to claim they are "carbon neutral",' said Taylor Ricketts of the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. 'Ben & Jerry’s is taking a more meaningful and direct approach: attacking the systemic causes of climate change in its own supply chain to achieve measurable, science-based targets.'

Along with Ben & Jerry’s commitment to dairy farm worker rights, the pilot project is expected to help the company meet the emerging demand for delicious ice cream that is climate friendly and socially just.

Sources

¹Ben & Jerry's | Reducing Enteric Emissions: How Putting Our Cows on a New Diet Can Help Fight Climate Change

²Ibid.

³ Fact Sheet | Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy | White Papers | EESI

⁴ FAO Maps Carbon Stocks in Soil | UNFCCC

*We decided to move the completion date of our low carbon dairy pilot from 2024 to 2025, as a delay in the recruitment process meant we were too late for the 2022 growing season for critical elements of the pilot (crops were already in the ground). The full project has now begun in 2023. A positive outcome of the delay is that we have been able to increase the number of farms involved to 17.