Cold Stone Creamery is out with a quirky marketing campaign that asks feuding celebrities to set aside their differences all for the love of ice cream.
Last week, the company sent letters to celebrities asking them to make peace for a chance to benefit their favorite charitable organization. It asked the feuding group—former talk show co-hosts Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck; singer Kelly Clarkson and record producer Clive Davis and “The Hills” stars Lauren Conrad and Spencer Pratt— to come together July 31 and visit Cold Stone Creamery’s flagship store in New York City’s Times Square, on the final day of National Ice Cream Month.
In turn, Cold Stone Creamery said it would donate $10,000 to each individual’s charity of choice. And if the celebrities were to accept the offer, the scene at the store would provide the brand with a huge PR opportunity.
“Cold Stone Creamery can certainly appreciate the turmoil you are having,” Kevin Myers, Cold Stone Creamery’s vice president of sales and marketing, wrote in letters to the group. “Even if only one person decides to put aside their differences and visit our store, we’d still like to honor the offer and make the donation to that person’s charity of choice.”
The unusual cause marketing overlay is part of the company’s first national TV ad campaign that launched May 21 to show that true ice cream lovers can overcome just about anything. In one spot, a young boy approaches a Cold Stone Creamery. Inside he finds some his arch-nemeses: the boogeyman, the monster in his closet, the monster under his bed and broccoli. A voice over asks if the insatiable draw of his favorite Cold Stone Creation, Birthday Cake Remix, will give him the strength to open the door. Saatchi & Saatchi NY created the ad campaign.
The charitable cause is “a fun way to bring attention” to the campaign, a company spokesperson said.
Cold Stone Creamery is building off that humor by showing its commercials at LoveIt-LoveIt.com. On the site, consumers can write in stories about their own arch nemesis and what they would they do to get their hands on their favorite ice cream creation.
Network
