Carvel Ads Return To A Happier Time

Carvel serves up more nostalgia—remember founder Tom Carvel?—in its latest campaign. But this year, the company seeks to cut costs and increase the number of its locations by using direct response, a company executive said.

Carvel decided to spend its estimated $2 million media budget solely in DRTV because of “substantial cost savings in conjunction with aggressively expanding the Carvel brand through franchising,” said Gary Bales, vp of marketing at the Atlanta-based ice-cream chain.

A 30-second spot from Atlanta independent Fletcher Martin Ewing opens with footage of the gravelly voiced Carvel from a 1970s TV spot.