Steve's Ice Cream, a brand of Dallas-based Dean Foods Co., said it is joining forces with art and artists this summer to curate immersive consumer activations that celebrate and encourage the unexpected. In conjunction with Steve's Ice Cream’s recent brand refresh — consisting of innovative new flavor combinations and artist-designed packaging — these partnerships, and the exciting art that is being born out of the collaborations, honor the brand's long-standing commitment to inspire creativity, challenge convention and create crave-worthy product experiences.
Born in Boston, Steve's Ice Cream returns to its roots by teaming up with the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA). The brand said it enlisted acclaimed artist Dan Lam to create three uniquely immersive experiences along the ICA's harbor front this summer.
Giving visitors an out-of-the-ordinary museum experience, Lam's large-scale "drip" and "blob" pieces will take over and ultimately transform the façade and steps of the ICA during three exciting events this summer: the museum's Harbor Market on June 9, and ICA First Fridays on July 5 and August 2, Steve’s Ice Cream said.
"This is the most epic project I have ever done," Lam said. "I've had these ideas in my head for a while, and to have a platform to finally make them come alive and share my work on a large, immersive, interactive scale at the ICA's beautiful location is amazing. It's also exciting to know that I'm working with Steve's, a brand that supports my vision and allows me complete creative freedom."
Some of Steve's Ice Cream’s iconic and new flavors will be sampled as visitors to the ICA are wandering, soaking in and engaging with Lam's unique sculptures and singular vision. Her works, immersive in how the public can interact with them, are multisensory, allowing attendees to see and touch the pieces, the brand said.
Steve's also heads to Dallas this summer, as a part of The Sweet Tooth Hotel's third immersive art installation, Discotech. Well known for creating unique art-focused experiences, this vibrant destination makes for a perfect partnership, as the brand continues to celebrate its ongoing commitment to deliver against consumers' desire for exciting new experiences and artisanship. The brand said it enlisted the talents of local artist Jeremy Biggers to create an indulgent mural that currently lives in the lobby of The Sweet Tooth Hotel and brings to life the creatively unexpected spirit of Steve's.
"The experience of enjoying Steve's Ice Cream is similar to how people digest my artwork," Biggers said. "There's the initial reaction of seeing a graphic background or tasting the base flavor, and then you experience all of the complexities — like the global inspirations layered into one pint of Steve's. That parallel made it very effortless for me to capture the spirit of the brand."
Visitors to The Sweet Tooth Hotel can experience Biggers' visionary 15-foot by 15-foot mural with an LED ice cream cone — and sample some of that “inspirational and artisan” Steve's Ice Cream — now through December. Consumers across the nation may follow the brand's social media channels, @stevesicecream, for the most up-to-date announcements on all of the ways Steve's is making this summer's ice cream season so "unexpectedly and creatively tasty."
