Reimagining an icon: behind Cornetto’s new ‘Unwrap It’ campaign

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.

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.”