Dreyer's Ice Cream Sweetens Up Your Summer with the Return of "A Reason to Smile" Campaign in Partnership with Operation Smile

OAKLAND, Calif., June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Dreyer's Ice Cream, from Nestlé, announced the return of its "A Reason to Smile" campaign. Dedicated to turning scoops into smiles, the brand continues to build off of the success of the past two years where over 1,000 reconstructive surgeries for children around the globe suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities have been gifted in partnership with Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity. To celebrate this milestone, Dreyer's Ice Cream has re-launched the "A Reason to Smile" campaign in time for National Smile Month -- for its third consecutive year and will aim to gift another 500 life changing reconstructive facial surgeries to children in need around the globe.

Life's smallest actions and in-between moments can inspire the biggest smiles. Dreyer's is giving fans "A Reason to Smile" this summer through small actions they can take on Facebook to help a child in need. A simple upload or share of an existing image of a fan's reason to smile -- from grilling in the backyard to the summer camp pool party -- on the Dreyer's Ice Cream Facebook page with the hashtag #ReasonToSmile will go toward a donation to Operation Smile.  Additionally, fans can help the brand donate to Operation Smile through the Dreyer's Ice Cream Facebook page, where uniquely stamped "A Reason to Smile" content will be posted every two weeks. Each post will feature different methods of participation – from liking and sharing to commenting – creating various opportunities for fans to engage with the cause and help the Dreyer's brand reach its goal.

"Life isn't about the big moments, it's about the joy in between; having a scoop of your favorite ice cream on the first hot day of summer – that's our "Reason to Smile"" said Steve Pratt, Marketing Director – Dreyer's Ice Cream.  "We are excited for our fans to show us their "Reason to Smile" and ultimately help our mission to spread smiles through our partnership with Operation Smile."

"We are committed to giving children in need around the globe with facial deformities life changing surgeries. A cleft lip or cleft palate often leaves a child unable to eat or speak," Lisa Jardanhazy, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, at Operation Smile, said.  "We are so overjoyed that Nestlé Dreyer's Ice Cream recognizes the importance of a smile and shares our passion to spread smiles to those in need. It is very exciting the brand will be supporting us for a third year and bringing back the "A Reason to Smile" campaign in time for National Smile Month."

Giving fans another reason to smile, Dreyer's Ice Cream is rolling out two NEW limited edition flavors for summer in both Grand and Slow Churned: Fun n' the Sun Banana Split and Summer in the City Cheesecake. Both flavors are available nationwide through August at a suggested retail price of $5.99 - $6.49 per 1.5 quart carton.

The Dreyer's brand will donate up to 500 surgeries to Operation Smile this year and the campaign will run through September 1, 2014.

"A Reason to Smile" History
To kick off the campaign in 2012, Dreyer's Slow Churned handed out scoops of ice cream and captured the first ice cream smiles at The Grove, in Los Angeles.  From there, the brand traveled across the country, stopping by festivals, fairs and favorite family hang outs, giving away scoops of Slow Churned light ice cream and capturing the smiles that appear when people take their very first bite. With a goal of giving away 25,000 scoops of Slow Churned product, capturing 25,000 ice cream smiles and gifting more than 500 surgeries to children in need, the brand invited consumers to "give a smile" on the Facebook page. For every photo submitted, $5 was donated to Operation Smile.  Ten lucky smiles were featured in a Slow Churned print ad in 2012, and one lucky picture won a coveted spot on the cartons of Slow Churned limited-edition flavor "Take the Cake," introduced on store shelves May 1, 2013.

About Dreyer's Ice Cream

Nestlé Dreyer's Ice Cream Company consists of Grand ice cream and Slow Churned light ice cream respectively. This summer, Dreyer's is releasing three exciting limited-edition flavors available in the freezer aisle, all available in Grand Ice Cream and Slow Churned Light Ice Cream:

• "German Chocolate Cake Spectacular!":  chocolate ice cream with a caramel coconut swirl and brownie pieces.
• NEW "Fun n' the Sun Banana Split": banana ice cream with fudge and "cherry on-top" swirls.
• NEW "Summer in the City Cheesecake": vanilla ice cream with a graham cracker swirl and cheesecake pieces.  

Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream has all the creamy taste of regular ice cream, but with half the fat and 1/3 fewer calories.  Available in more than 20 iconic ice cream flavors – from Mint Chocolate Chip to Rocky Road – the Slow Churned brand is quickly becoming a better-for-you, family favorite, found in freezers across the country.

For more information about "A Reason to Smile" or Dreyer's Ice Cream, please visit http://www.facebook.com/dreyersicecream or http://www.facebook.com/edysicecream.  Are you ready to smile?  Join the conversation with #ReasontoSmile  

Nestlé Dreyer's Ice Cream Company, the Dreyer's brand and the "Reason to Smile" campaign are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook^®.   

About Nestlé 
Named one of "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" in Fortune magazine for seventeen consecutive years, Nestlé provides quality brands that bring flavor to life every day.  From nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine^® to baking traditions with Nestlé^® Toll House^®, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverages that make good living possible.  That's what "Nestlé. Good Food, Good Life" is all about.  Nestlé USA, with 2013 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world's largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2013 sales of $99 billion.  For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

About Operation Smile
Operation Smile, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is an international children's medical charity with a presence in more than 60 countries, whose network of more than 5,400 medical volunteers from over 80 countries is dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children. Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has provided more than 220,000 free surgical procedures for children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. To build long-term self-sufficiency in resource poor environments, Operation Smile trains doctors and local medical professionals in its partner countries so they are empowered to treat their local communities. Operation Smile also donates medical equipment, supplies and provides year-round medical treatment through its worldwide centers.

SOURCE Nestle USA