Hitting shelves later this month, Chicago Town has announced the launch of two frozen desserts in a move to elevate big nights in for family and friends.
Expanding its premium tiered Ultimate range, both the Cookie Bars and Chocolate Brownies are suitable for cooking in the oven and microwave and directly target those looking to go to town on the Ultimate Pizza Night In.
With meal deals continuing to prove popular amongst takeout, retail chilled and food-to-go offerings, Chicago Town’s Pizza Night-in meal deal brings added convenience coming straight-from-the-freezer, with the desserts sitting alongside its Pizzas and Garlic Bread offerings.
Chicago Town’s Cookie Bars, 234g, MRRSP £3.95
The all-new Cookie Bars elevate a takeaway favourite, with four individual bars oozing with chocolate goodness. Combining milk and dark chocolate chunks and topped with milk chocolate chunks and pink and white marshmallows, Chicago Town’s new Cookie Bars serve up optimum gooey indulgence.
Chicago Town’s Chocolate Brownies, 260g, MRRSP £3.95
Topped with a caramelised cookie crumb and inspired by rumour and legend that Brownies originate from Chicago, Chicago Town has put an indulgent spin on an American classic. With four brownies per pack, there are plenty to go round.
“It’s an exciting year for us at Chicago Town,” said Marketing Manager Rachel Bradshaw. “Not only have we unveiled our £4.5m brand campaign but we’ve launched four new products across pizzas and sides and we’re now launching desserts.
“Knowing that our customers love a pizza night in, we’ve gone to town on the occasion, launching our two Ultimate sweet treats. With meal deals continuing to be a fan favourite, this gave us the opportunity to create an epic £10 bundle for those getting together to go to town on Pizza Night. After all, every Pizza Night In is worthy of a sweet dessert!”
The campaign will be supported by a two-week Meta campaign later this month.
Unilever has announced the launch of a new innovative snacking format, Magnum bonbon, available now in the convenience channel.
The range comes in three luxurious flavours: White Chocolate & Cookie, Salted Caramel & Almond and Gold Caramel Billionaire.
Offering the ultimate bite-size ice cream indulgence, each bite is the perfect balance of Magnum’s signature cracking chocolate, creamy dairy ice cream, ribbons of sauce, and crunchy inclusions.
Expertly crafted and perfect for sharing, the brand is setting out to lead the growth of the ice cream snacking segment and continue leading the ice cream category in innovation. Magnum is encouraging consumers to enjoy bonbon as part of new ice cream occasions, such as big nights in and the sofa snacking moment.
“Ice cream continues to have huge growth potential and new formats are key to driving this further within the category,” Jennifer Dyne, head of Unilever Ice Cream UK and Ireland, said.
“Over the past few years, we have continued to see consumers shifting from dessert tubs into smaller formats - whether that be portioned tubs, handheld or bite size. More consumers are looking for a small, sweet treat in the evening, or for other snacking occasions such as on the go or at their desk.
“With in-home snacking occasions having grown by 10 per cent since 2019, our new range of Magnum bonbons aims to help drive category growth in line with these growing trends - allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite brands with friends and family in a convenient snacking format no matter the occasion.”
Häagen-Dazs ice cream has unveiled its latest Limited Edition Festive Collection, designed to cater to shoppers looking for the perfect, seasonal treat. The collection is launching in grocery throughout October, helping retailers tap into the "big night in" occasion, which is expected to ramp up across the month with longer evenings and increased at-home entertaining.
The range features two indulgent SKUs: the return of fan-favourite Red Velvet Cheesecake, and new Mint Chocolate, a luxurious version of a much-loved classic. The collection is well positioned to meet demand for familiar tastes: two thirds of UK adults say they look for high-quality ice cream in well-known and classic flavours , with nostalgic and premium ice cream driving category growth.
Red Velvet Cheesecake (460ml, RRP from £5.40) Red Velvet Cheesecake combines two beloved desserts – the luxurious taste of red velvet cake with the creamy tang of cheesecake. The fresh cream cheese ice cream, enriched with thick red velvet cocoa swirls and cakey crumble pieces, offers a decadent experience that consumers will find perfect for concluding any festive dinner.
Mint Chocolate (460ml, RRP from £5.40) Tapping into festive nostalgia, Häagen-Dazs introduces Mint Chocolate, a flavour that encapsulates the essence of winter. The combination of refreshing mint and rich chocolate is elevated by adding crunchy chocolate pieces and swirls of chocolate mint sauce, transforming a household favourite into a luxurious dessert experience. This limited edition promises to appeal to consumers looking for a classic flavour with a premium twist.
"Every year we delight in treating lovers of Häagen-Dazs to seasonal scoops that add a bit of sparkle to the festive period," said Nicole Whelan, Head of Brand at Häagen-Dazs UK. "Our 2024 collection has been carefully curated to tap into demand for indulgent yet classic flavours and is therefore perfectly placed to help our retailer partners drive sales.
“With the exclusivity of a seasonal launch combined with our signature quality, unparalleled taste and stunning shelf appeal, we’re confident the flavours will be a feature in festive baskets throughout the limited run.”
The Häagen-Dazs Festive Collection will be available across key grocery accounts nationally and supported with in-store activity to drive engagement across the season. A social media campaign will also run in unison to maximise shopper visibility and sales potential for retailers.
Magnum has launched its first ever bite-sized product, Bon Bons, responding to the gaining popularity of micro-formats, especially among Gen Z.
The ice cream brand joins Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s and Yasso in leveraging micro-formats, as consumers seek to have smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.
The ice cream category is no exception, with one-third of ice cream consumers in the UK interested in trying bite-sized portions [Mintel: UK Ice Cream Market Report 2024].
Designed to offer the unmissable taste of a full-sized Magnum ice cream, the new range of Magnum Bon Bons come in 12-piece tubs that are both shareable and snackable.
The Bon Bons are available in three of brand’s most successful flavours – White Chocolate & Cookies, Gold Caramel Billionaire and Salted Caramel & Almond – and will be available in-store and online in the UK, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, France, Ireland and Spain, and other European markets soon.
“We’re building the micro-bite ice cream category by tapping into how this change in behaviour has created new consumption occasions,” Rosie Festus, global brand manager, Magnum, said.
Snacking significantly increased during the pandemic, with many of us turning to comfort foods. And the habit hasn’t gone away, especially among younger consumers. In fact, it continues to gain momentum.
“Gen Z are switched on when it comes to snacking,” Rosie added. “They’re paying attention to portion size, how it makes them feel and what the experience is like.”
From studying recent bite-size launches, Nielsen data shows that the bite-sized format drives ice cream sales.
What’s more, Kantar data shows that bites are helping to premiumise the ice cream category. Their research shows that bites are often purchased in addition to other ice cream formats. And those consumers who buy bites alongside traditional ice cream products spend 76 per cent more on average.
The Magnum Bon Bon range joins Unilever’s growing ice cream snacking portfolio. This includes Ben & Jerry’s ‘Peaces’ pouches and ‘Poppables’ from its US Greek yoghurt brand, Yasso.
Yasso is already a market leader in frozen novelties in the US, and Poppables, which are 35 calories per portion, are proving to be in high demand. In the past year, they’ve seen increasing dollar and unit sales, and now account for roughly a quarter of the brand’s growth.
Ben & Jerry’s has also expanded its bite-sized ice cream offering, introducing a new Salted Caramel Brownie flavour to its Peaces range. The new flavour will sit alongside its Cookie Dough Peaces. Both flavours come in a resealable zip lock bag, making them the perfect snack for sharing, anywhere, anytime.
Chicago Town has announced the launch of its new Masterbrand campaign, challenging perceptions that frozen pizza is for back-up and emergencies, showcasing its unique from-the-freezer deliciousness.
The new campaign, premiering on 3 October, encourages pizza lovers to ‘Feed Your Urge; Go To Town’, based on the insight that a can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head craving for a truly satisfying pizza is impossible to ignore – and how only Chicago Town can feed that urge, because they truly “Go To Town” on their pizzas.
Throughout the campaign, the ‘Freezer’ plays a central role, showcasing that oven-bubbling deliciousness can come from the freezer, demonstrating that consumers don’t need to fork out for take-out to feed their urge.
The new multi-media campaign includes major investment across TV, cinema, VOD, YouTube, social media, and a national outdoor campaign covering large format, rail, and bus placements. It is expected to reach over 90 per cent of pizza lovers across the U.K.
Already the category leader in grocery retail pizza, with a market value of £155 million and volume growth at 3.5 per cent, over twice that of the category (+1.6%), Chicago Town’s latest moves signal its determination to continue this upward trajectory.
The brand has also announced the launch of four new products, including Tear ‘n’ Share doughballs, Ultimate BBQ Stuffed Crust with Pulled Pork, Bacon Ham & Pineapple for the Tiger Crust range and a change to their Magnificent Meat Feast to include a BBQ stuffed crust.
The line-up benefits from a bold packaging refresh which clearly differentiates its premium, “Ultimate” tier from its core range – making it easier for pizza lovers to navigate the range and find solutions for different occasions.
The new packaging will also feature NaviLens, a unique code that aids those with visual impairments making pack information clearer and easier to read.
“Over the past few years we’ve successfully unified the brand under our real of taste of Chicago positioning, developing the range and campaign platform to showcase our Chicago inspired, indulgent pizzas. We are excited to now take this to the next level, demonstrating to all pizza lovers that satisfying that all out craving for delicious indulgent pizza comes from having it always to hand in the freezer,” Paula Wyatt, head of marketing – pizza at Dr. Oetker UK, commented.
“With four new pizzas launching, we’ve gone to town on our range ensuring we meet the needs of all pizza lovers. It’s no secret that frozen offers great value for consumers, what is surprising to some is the standout quality that competes with the high street take-out brands too. Our new campaign aims to be loud and proud that our home is in the freezer, that’s where you can really go to town on delicious satisfying pizza.”
The NPD rollout has now begun, with Tear ‘n’ Share launching in September, with the full range becoming available in coming months.
Ice cream of ice creams, Häagen-Dazs has launched a limited-edition Emily in Paris ice cream collection and on-pack promotion to celebrate the hit show’s fourth season return.
Uniting two icons in the world of luxury and style, the new and exclusive collaboration gives best-selling Häagen-Dazs flavour, Salted Caramel a chic Emily in Paris-inspired packaging redesign across its Pints and Stick Bars, as well as a glamorous on-pack competition consumers can enter by scanning a QR code. Prizes include up to £1,000 worth of new clothes and accessories with a Harvey Nichols wardrobe refresh, a Harrods Pamper Hamper and an entire year’s supply of Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
The exclusive Salted Caramel Pints and Stick Bar collection will be available to purchase in key grocery channels, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda.
Nicole Whelan, Head of Brand at Häagen-Dazs UK, said: “The Emily in Paris collection embodies the spirit of embracing life's sweet moments with the hero flavour Häagen-Dazs is known and loved for, Salted Caramel.
“Our latest campaign invites fans to enjoy their favourite flavour with the chance to win from an exclusive range of chic and trendy prizes that is sure to turn heads and drive demand for an indulgent, ice cream occasion; what better treat is there to enjoy on the sofa with your feet up enjoying the brand new season of Emily in Paris?”
Häagen-Dazs has a passion for creating the finest ice cream, using only the best ingredients to deliver a luxurious and indulgent taste experience in every scoop. Best-selling flavour Salted Caramel features velvety caramel ice cream laced with rivers of salted caramel sauce, and craters of crunchy caramel pieces.
The campaign will be further supported through social activity, driving a renewed consumer buzz for premium ice cream flavours around the new season launch.