Kemps, Baskin-Robbins Fans Idolize Ice Cream
Imagine walking the ice cream aisle at your local grocery store and having your own personal flavor on display. It’s almost like winning American Idol except without all the back-end hoopla.Much like how America votes for the next Idol winner, ice cream makers Kemps LLC and Baskin-Robbins are urging consumers to do the same by nominating -and then voting ― in the next ice cream flavor to hit the market.
Kemps’ hometown favorites
Kemps, St. Paul, Minn., launched the Hometown Favorite Ice Cream Flavor contest, which gives Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota residents a chance to create the next flavor in the Kemps Hometown Favorites lineup and join current flavors Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar, Pearson's Nut Goodie and Minnesota Wild.
"Kemps is proud to be a member of local communities, and now Kemps ice cream fans can decide the next flavor to bring to store shelves," says Rachel Kyllo, vice president of marketing, Kemps. "We are thrilled to see what flavors fans come up with and how they use our latest Hometown Favorites for inspiration."
Participants can submit their ice cream flavor idea, name and Minnesota inspiration May 24-June 14 via www.kempsnextflavor.com. Kemps will select 10 finalists and then turn it over to ice cream fans from June 22–July 6 to vote online and choose the top two flavors.
The program culminates at the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 25-Sept. 5, where fairgoers can stop by the Kemps booth, taste the two final flavors and cast a vote for their favorite. On Sept. 4, the ultimate winner will be selected based on fairgoer votes, online votes and a live celebrity judging panel at the fairgrounds.
The judging panel will feature Kemps spokeswoman (and the mother of Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer) Teresa Mauer and surprise guests.
The winning flavor will go into production and be available in stores in early 2012. The creator of the winning flavor will also receive a cash prize of $2,500, a year's supply of the ice cream they helped create and their personal story featured on the carton.
Baskin-Robbins lovers relive blast from the past
Baskin-Robbins is asking ice cream enthusiasts to vote and bring one of 31 retired flavors out of its “deep freeze.” For a limited time, 31 classic flavors such as Beatle-Nut, Lunar Cheesecake and Yankee Doodle Strudel will compete for the chance to become a favorite for a new generation of ice cream aficionados. Voting begins online on May 24 on the “Deep Freeze” tab of the Baskin-Robbins Facebook page.
Nine flavors will be eliminated every week until the final week when fans may vote for one of the final four flavors. The winner, chosen by consumers, will be announced on June 20, and will then be available in quarts at Baskin-Robbins for a limited time later this year.
The “Deep Freeze” contest gives ice cream enthusiasts the opportunity to relive nostalgic times and vote for their favorite blast from the past. A fan favorite from the 60s, Beatle-Nut, which is a pistachio ice cream with a chocolate ribbon and walnuts, may enjoy a revival 40 years after Beatle Mania struck the United States. Or fans may re-launch Lunar Cheesecake, vanilla ice cream with cheesecake and a marshmallow ribbon, originally created in 1969 to commemorate America’s first moon landing.
“We are delighted to give our passionate ice cream fans the opportunity to choose which iconic Baskin-Robbins flavor they’d like to see thawed out of the ‘deep freeze,’” says Brian O’Mara, vice president of marketing, Baskin-Robbins. “For more than 65 years, Baskin-Robbins has been creating unique ice cream flavors to satisfy the various tastes and cravings of our consumers. We are looking forward to seeing which iconic flavor from the past our customers really want to bring back again.”
To cast your vote, or to learn more about Baskin-Robbins “Deep Freeze” program, go to www.facebook.com/BaskinRobbins or follow Baskin-Robbins on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BaskinRobbins.
