Good Humor and The RZA Collaborate on a New Ice Cream Truck Jingle for a New Era
The new jingle is available now to all U.S. ice cream trucks
Aug 13, 2020, 09:08 ET
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- We know ice cream trucks are one of the joys of summer, but did you know that the origins of a familiar ice cream truck tune are actually not joyful at all? 'Turkey in the Straw' is a 200-year-old song with surprisingly racist roots -- it first became popular in minstrel shows and can still be heard in ice cream trucks today.
Good Humor learned about this melody's history and decided to take action. The ice cream maker has teamed up with legendary music producer and founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, The RZA, to create a new ice cream truck jingle for a new era, available to ice cream trucks nationwide starting this month.
While Good Humor did not create 'Turkey in the Straw' or other ice cream truck jingles, the brand is using its influence to acknowledge the song's history, educate drivers and fans, and help the ice cream truck industry remove it from use.
"Good Humor invented the ice cream truck and is the maker of some of today's most iconic ice cream truck treats. And while we have not owned ice cream trucks since 1976, we wanted to be part of the solution and offer ice cream truck drivers a jingle that can bring joy to every community," said Russel Lilly, Senior Director, U.S. Ice Cream at Unilever. "So, to create a new jingle, we knew we had to team up with the mastermind behind some of the most memorable melodies of our time."
To create an original jingle, The RZA drew inspiration from his own childhood memories of chasing after the ice cream truck in his neighborhood. The track borrows from traditional ice cream truck music and adds jazz and hip-hop elements. Expect trap drumbeats, some old-school bells that reference Good Humor's original ice cream trucks, and a distinct RZA hook that you will not be able to get out of your head.
"I remember the days when I would hear that iconic ice cream truck jingle outside, and I would drop what I was doing to chase it down for a treat. When I learned about that song's problematic history this summer, I knew I had to get involved and do something about it," said RZA. "I'm excited to share this new jingle with a new era of ice cream truck fans and continue to spread that joy with Good Humor."
The new jingle is available to ice cream truck drivers nationwide starting this month on GoodHumor.com and through Nichols Electronics, the family-owned, Minneapolis-based manufacturer of ice cream truck music boxes. Good Humor will also be providing resources to help educate drivers about 'Turkey in the Straw's' history and instructions for how to replace it in their trucks.
Good Humor is proud to be part of Unilever and its family of brands who have pledged more than $8 million in 2020 to organizations and activists working for social justice and racial equality. As part of Unilever:
- We will continue to increase our work with and investment in diverse suppliers
- We continue to work to ensure the diversity of our workforce fully reflects the communities we serve
- We uphold a zero-tolerance policy on intolerance - both among Unilever employees and the suppliers, customers and partners that work with us
- We will add our voice and influence to advocate for safe and fair access to voting this November
Learn more about Good Humor's commitment to the ice cream truck community by checking out Good Humor on social media, YouTube and GoodHumor.com/JINGLE.
About Good Humor
Almost 100 years ago, Good Humor® started a delicious revolution with the first ice cream on a stick and then the original ice cream truck in Youngstown, Ohio. Today, we're still bringing tasty frozen treats to hands and homes across America. In honor of the 100th anniversary, Good Humor has rebranded Strawberry Shortcake, Good Humor's best-selling product – about 80 million bars are produced each year, packaging to feature the 100th anniversary as well as a $2 off coupon inside each box!
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington's, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company's strategy and commits to:
- Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
- Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
- Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. In 2018, the company's Sustainable Living Brands grew 69% faster than the rest of the business, compared to 46% in 2017.
Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have already made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition – most recently committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2018 as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth-consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
Media Contact
For Unilever/Good Humor
Edelman
Victoria Kwan
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