Haagen-Dazs® Brand Captures The Essence Of 'La Dolce Vita' With Integrated Marketing Campaign For New Haagen-Dazs Gelato

OAKLAND, Calif., April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than five decades, the Haagen-Dazs brand has embraced thoughtful craftsmanship to create a family of frozen desserts made with only the finest, most essential ingredients.  This passion for creating ice cream made like no other® has inspired the brand to welcome a new member to the family – gelato, a frozen dessert with an Italian accent that has the nuances and traditions of its homeland.

Beginning today, the Haagen-Dazs brand will formally introduce seven irresistible flavors of gelato – Stracciatella, Sea Salt Caramel, Dark Chocolate Chip, Limoncello, Black Cherry Amaretto, Vanilla Bean and Cappuccino – to consumers in the United States through an integrated marketing communications campaign that showcases the craftsmanship and richness of Italy, the decadence of gelato and the mystique of 'La Dolce Vita' – the sweet life.

"We are thrilled to be the first national super premium brand to offer gelato to our new and existing fans," Haagen-Dazs brand manager Cady Behles said. "Our goal was to create a campaign that captures 'La Dolce Vita' and immerses our fans in the Italian culture through sight, sound and, of course, taste."

To celebrate the nationwide launch, Haagen-Dazs Gelato will be featured in television, print and digital advertising as well as public relations, point of sale materials and a social media-driven consumer promotion.

"INSPIRED BY ITALY" ADVERTISING – The campaign will begin with four television commercials that honor the passion Italians have for life and everything that comes with it. In the 30-second spot, an Italian couple in the midst of an argument is stopped short by the presence of Haagen-Dazs Gelato, showing that this Italian masterpiece can create the perfect moment amongst chaos. Three 15-second spots focus on the sense of taste and hint at the passion and emotion that Italians exude. All four commercials – Argument (:30), Stracciatella (:15), Limoncello (:15) and Cappuccino (:15) – can be viewed on the Haagen-Dazs YouTube channel. The campaign will air on networks such as Travel Channel, Food Network and HGTV beginning today.

The passion that the Haagen-Dazs brand has for craftsmanship also takes center stage in a series of artistic print and digital ads that will be featured in national consumer media outlets such as Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Pandora and TastingTable.com. Each ad will pair a Haagen-Dazs product with a uniquely crafted item such as an Italian leather shoe or a violin, and then dissect the ingredients and materials that are used to create each. In addition to the newly launched Haagen-Dazs Gelato, the ads will also highlight Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars.

L'ARTISTA DELLA SERIE – To celebrate gelato's unique role in La Dolce Vita, the Haagen-Dazs brand has created L'Artista Della Serie, a multi-channel program that features a group of seven artists who were selected for their visionary approach to their craft. The artists journeyed to Italy in March and were tasked with immersing themselves in Italian culture, craftsmanship and perfect moments with the goal of bringing "La Dolce Vita" to life through unique, limited-edition works of art. Their creations will be unveiled weekly starting today, and will be given away to members of the Haagen-Dazs social media communities and fans of Haagen-Dazs Gelato throughout the summer.

For more on the artists featured in L'Artista Della Serie, please visit the #HDMoment Tumblr page at http://hdmoment.tumblr.com, where you will find bios, photos, Tweets and other content from the artists as they traveled through Italy and began work on the limited-edition art. The Haagen-Dazs brand will also support L'Artista Della Serie through other social channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#TWITALY – This summer, one consumer can follow in the footsteps of the artists from L'Artista Della Serie for the ultimate Italian immersion. Beginning in May, consumers can log on to Twitter and use the hashtag #Twitaly to post a review of the new Haagen-Dazs Gelato flavors. One reviewer will win an all-expense paid trip to Italy to experience the country's finest sights and sounds, including a tour of the beautiful Italian countryside, a stop in ancient Rome, courses on how to make Italian gelato and much more.  Please follow the Haagen-Dazs Twitter page to learn more about #Twitaly.

For additional Haagen-Dazs Gelato product information, please visit www.HaagenDazs.com.

About Haagen-Dazs
Crafted in 1961 by Reuben Mattus in his family's dairy, Haagen-Dazs ice cream is the original super premium ice cream. True to tradition, we are committed to using only the purest ingredients in crafting the world's finest ice cream. Truly made like no other, today Haagen-Dazs ice cream offers a full range of products from ice cream to sorbet, frozen yogurt and frozen snacks in more than 65 flavors. Haagen-Dazs products are available around the globe for ice cream lovers to enjoy. For more information, please visit www.haagendazs.com.

About Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream
Named one of "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" in Fortune magazine for sixteen consecutive years, Nestle provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day.  From nutritious meals with LEAN CUISINE® to baking traditions with NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE®, Nestle USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverage products that make good living possible. That's what "Nestle. Good Food, Good Life" is all about.  Well-known Nestle USA brands include: NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE®, NESTLE® NESQUIK®, NESTLE® COFFEE-MATE®, STOUFFER'S®, LEAN CUISINE®, HOT POCKETS® and LEAN POCKETS® brand sandwiches, NESCAFE®, NESTLE® JUICY JUICE®, BUITONI®, DREYER'S/EDY'S®, NESTLE® CRUNCH®, NESTLE® BUTTERFINGER®, WONKA®, DIGIORNO®, TOMBSTONE® and CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® frozen pizza.  Nestle USA, with 2012 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestle S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world's largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2012 sales of $98 billion.  For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

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

SOURCE The Haagen-Dazs Brand