Kraft Turns Its Iconic Comfort Food Into Flavored Ice Cream

Kraft likes to tinker with its legendary macaroni and cheese, turning it bright pink and adding a candy coating for Valentine’s Day and latching onto the pumpkin spice trend for a fall novelty flavor. But summer’s here, so the heritage product is reinventing itself once again, fully embracing the season and dipping into an entirely new category for the first time. That’s right, super fans—it’s macaroni and cheese ice cream. Did anyone ask for this mashup? Kraft is cagey on that topic, but execs for the food conglomerate say they wanted to “bring together two of life’s greatest pleasures: ice cream and macaroni and cheese.” To make this unlikely combo happen, Kraft has collaborated with Brooklyn’s popular Van Leeuwen for a co-branded product that’s the same buttery yellow-orange color as the warm comfort food. And the taste? Let’s call it savory. More specifically, it’s an incredibly accurate recreation of the original, and consumers can decide if that’s an advantage or a drawback. “As big fans of Van Leeuwen, we knew they’d be the perfect partner to create this ice cream with us,” Emily Violett, senior associate brand manager at Kraft. “We know that there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than ice cream. That is why we wanted to combine two of the most iconic comfort foods to create an ice cream with the unforgettable flavor of Kraft macaroni and cheese that we all grew up with.” The flavor will be available online in limited quantities (about 2,500 pints have been produced). It’s also on the menu at the 23 Van Leeuwen scoop shops in New York, Los Angeles and Houston. And it will be doled out in free samples from a truck in New York’s Union Square from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 14. How Coca-Cola Inspired the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Brand The stunt is a marketing twofer, as manufactured events go, celebrating both National Macaroni and Cheese Day (July 14) along with National Ice Cream Day on July 18. Kraft isn’t the only brand to cook up a quirky alliance for frozen treats this month. Levi’s is working with Brave Robot for a limited edition animal-free dairy ice cream that leans into eco-friendly and Americana themes. (The product itself, Summer Swirl, is red, white and blue, with raspberry and blueberry flavors against a vanilla backdrop). The partnership aims to advance the sustainability messages from both brands, as Levi’s continues to tout conscious consumption and its durable denim. Brave Robot has removed cows from the equation, producing ice cream with milk proteins from food tech startup Perfect Day. The advantage, including taste, is fewer greenhouse gas emissions, according to the brand. The brands “are on a mission to shift the cultural conversation, putting sustainability first and taking small steps to reduce our impact on the planet, whether that be with a pair of jeans or a pint of ice cream,” the brand’s statement said. “Every little bit makes a difference.” Summer Swirl will be available on braverobot.co, and a Brave Robot truck will tour New York this weekend, July 16-18, handing out free pints to consumers who download the Levi’s app. The retailer will also give samples outside its stores in SoHo and Williamsburg. Starbucks Debuts First-Ever Ready-To-Drink Portfolio Campaign

Food Industry News

Kraft Turns Its Iconic Comfort Food Into Flavored Ice Cream

The brand, with partner Van Leeuwen, joins Levi's and Brave Robot in offbeat frozen treat collaborations

T.L. Stanley

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

T.L. Stanley