OAKLAND, Calif., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Turning scoops into smiles for a second year, Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream announced today the launch of the "A Reason to Smile" campaign.  Building off the success of last year's initiative, the brand is once again partnering with Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity, to make possible 500 reconstructive surgeries for children around the globe suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. Beginning today, Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream will post content on its Facebook page every two weeks encouraging fans to help the brand donate to Operation Smile. Each uniquely stamped "A Reason to Smile" post will feature different methods of participation – from liking and sharing to commenting – creating personalized opportunities for fans to engage with the cause and help Dreyer's/Edy's  ice cream reach its goal. 

"For nearly a century, our brand has been on a simple mission to inspire a smile. Our Slow Churned Light Ice Cream is an example of this – with all the taste, half the fat and 1/3 fewer calories than regular ice cream, it's a great reason to smile!," said Steve Pratt, Marketing Director -- Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream.  "This summer is no exception as we continue our partnership with Operation Smile to inspire smiles with the help of our consumers.  From too good to do good, this summer ice cream lovers really can have it all!"

"Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft — often, they are unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile.  At Operation Smile, we are dedicated to restoring the gift of a smile by providing free healthcare evaluations and free surgeries around the world for children in need," Lisa Jardanhazy, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Cause Marketing at Operation Smile, said.  "We are so thrilled that Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream will be supporting us for a second year.  Its brand mission could not be more in line with what we do every single day- talk about a reason to smile!"

This summer, Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream is giving fans another reason to smile by stocking store shelves with a fan-favorite flavor -- Slow Churned "Take the Cake."  Voted back into the freezer aisle by fans in 2012, this special limited-edition flavor features on-pack messaging about the "A Reason to Smile" campaign and includes a picture of one lucky consumer who submitted her "reason to smile" photo as part of last year's campaign.

Dreyer's will donate up to $125,000 to Operation Smile this year. The campaign will run through September 31, 2013.

"A Reason to Smile" History
To kick off the campaign in 2012, Dreyer's/Edy'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," being introduced on store shelves beginning May 1, 2013.

About Dreyer's/Edy's Ice Cream
Dreyer's/Edy'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.

This summer, Dreyer's/Edy's is releasing four exciting limited-edition flavors available in the freezer aisle beginning May 1, 2013:

• "Take the Cake":  Yellow cake-flavored light ice cream with a frosting swirl and multi-colored sprinkles. It's the classic combination of cake and ice cream in one convenient carton. Available in Slow Churned Light Ice Cream.
• NEW "German Chocolate Cake Spectacular!":  If you froze a German Chocolate Cake and then exploded it into a carton of chocolate ice cream, you'd end up with this amazing limited edition flavor. Chocolate ice cream with a caramel coconut swirl and brownie pieces. Available in Grand Ice Cream and Slow Churned Light Ice Cream.
• NEW "Sunny Salted Caramel Pretzel": Salty, sweet and oh so scrumptious. Vanilla ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and pretzel pieces. It's probably the greatest flavor combination in the history of the world. Available in Grand Ice Cream and Slow Churned Light Ice Cream.
• "3 Stripes You're Out": America's Favorite Pastime has a new favorite flavor! Vanilla Ice Cream with Mixed Blueberry and Strawberry Swirls. This Limited Edition flavor will leave your home crowd on its feet cheering! Available in Grand Ice Cream.

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

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

About Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream
Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company is part of Nestle USA, and is owned by Nestle S.A. of Vevey, Switzerland, the world's largest nutrition, health and wellness company.  Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company manufactures, markets and distributes a full spectrum of ice cream and frozen snacks.  The company's premium products are marketed under the Dreyer's brand name throughout the Western states and Texas, and under the Edy's^® brand name throughout the remainder of the United States.  Brands manufactured or distributed in the United States include Dreyer's/Edy's^® Grand, Slow Churned^®, Dibs^®, MAXX, Outshine®, Nestle Crunch^®, Drumstick^®, Butterfinger^®, Toll House^®, Push-Up^®, Frosty Paws^®, Eskimo Pie^®, Skinny Cow^® and Haagen-Dazs^®.  Internationally, the Dreyer's brand extends to select markets in the Far East and the Edy's brand extends to the Caribbean and South America.  For more information on the company, please visit www.nestleusa.com.

In the U.S., the Haagen-Dazs trademark is licensed to Nestle by General Mills.

About Operation Smile
About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is an international children's medical charity that works in more than 60 countries, whose network of more than 5,000 medical volunteers from over 80 countries is dedicated to improving the health and lives of children. Since it was founded in 1982, Operation Smile has provided more than 3.5 million healthcare evaluations and has been a major catalyst to introducing cleft care surgery and training programs in countries around the world in addition to directly conducting over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities, as well as patients suffering from burns. To build long-term self-sufficiency in developing countries, Operation Smile establishes a local presence in country, trains local doctors and medical professionals so they are empowered to treat their own local communities, donates medical equipment and supplies, and provides year-round medical treatment through over 20 Operation Smile worldwide Comprehensive Care, Training & Treatment Centers.

SOURCE Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream