Cornetto (ice cream)
Cornetto (Italian pronunciation: [korˈnetto]), meaning "little horn" in Italian,[1] is an Italian brand of frozen dessert cone, the manufacturer owned by the British-Dutch company Unilever. Cornetti are sold as part of the Heartbrand product line, known internationally by different names, including Algida in Italy, Wall's in the UK, HB in the Republic of Ireland,[2] Frigo in Spain,[3] and Kwality Wall's in India. Several variations of the product exist, ranging from milk-based ice cream to vegetable fat-based dessert.[4]
Product type | Ice cream |
---|---|
Owner | Unilever |
Country | Italy |
Introduced | 1959 |
Markets | Worldwide |
Website | http://www.cornetto.com/ |
Manufacturing
For a long time, the idea of selling frozen ice-cream cones had been impractical, as the ice cream would soak into the moist cone during the manufacturing process and make it soggy and unpalatable when served. In 1959, Spica,[5] an Italian ice-cream manufacturer based in Naples, overcame this problem by insulating the inside of the waffle cone from the ice cream with a coating of oil, sugar, and chocolate. They are sold in many different sizes throughout Europe in sizes ranging from 28-ml Miniatures to 260-ml King Cones, though the 90-ml and 125-ml sizes tend to be the most popular.
Varieties
The product is available in a variety of flavours, including Strawberry, Mint Chocolate, Nut, Lemon, Whippy (yogurt flavour with a chewy chocolate), Valentine's Day flavours, and Cornetto Soft (soft ice cream that comes in chocolate chip, cookie dough, vanilla, chocolate, and double chocolate). Cornetto Soft is sold on the street by vendors and is made on the spot with an ice cream dispenser, but the other flavours are premade and factory packaged. Also, Cornetto Enigma is made, which consists of cookies and cream, raspberry and double chocolate flavours.
Unilever introduced a Cornetto chocolate confectionery into the UK market in 2013, following a licensing deal with Kinnerton Confectionery.[6]
Advertising campaigns
’O sole mio campaign
The brand was marketed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Brazil by successful advertising campaigns which placed the Neapolitan song "O Sole Mio" into a variety of stereotypical Italian locations and situations, with its lyrics changed to:
- Just one Cornetto,
- give it to me,
- delicious ice-cream, of Italy,
- creamy vanilla and choco dream,
- Give me Cornetto,
- from Wall's ice cream.
(in the UK)[5]
- give it to me,
- a big ol'nut and chocolate dream,
- HB Cornetto
- spells the best ice cream.
(in Ireland)
- Dame un Cornetto
- Molto crocante
- E piu cremoso
- É da Gelatto.
- Cornetto é da própria Itália.
- Ti voglio tanto,
- Corneeeeeto mio!
(in Brazil)
In Britain and Ireland, the advertisements ran for 10 years during the 1980s and 1990s, with the song supposedly sung by former Italian waiter Renato Pagliari of one-hit wonders Renée and Renato.[7] (However, this is claimed not to be the case by Pagliari's son, Remo.[8]) In 2000, the commercial was ranked 23rd in Channel 4’s UK poll of the "100 Greatest Adverts".[9]
The theme resurfaced in 2006, this time sung by pedestrians, drivers, office workers, and marathon runners in Central London.
In the Philippines, the "sarap ng 20 Pesos" (lit. 'delicious 20 pesos') campaign was launched in 2008, relying on humour and focused on the product's affordability, with skits that centre on things one cannot afford with 20 pesos and suggests that the audience should buy a Cornetto instead. "Mag-Cornetto ka na lang" (lit. 'Just have a Cornetto instead') and "Hanggang saan aabot ang 20 pesos mo?" (lit. 'How far will your 20 pesos take you?') were used as slogans for the campaign. By May 2011, 30-story lines had been produced.[10]In 2019, the price of Cornetto was 25 pesos. But in 2020, it became 20 pesos again.
The television advertisement entitled "Tugs", which is part of the campaign, was selected as the Adobo Ad of the Year for 2010 through online voting at the ad agency band night "Lakihan Mo Logo 14".[11]
See also
- Streets – Australian brand
- Drumstick – competitor by Nestlé
- Nutty Buddy – competitor formerly by Sweetheart Foods
- Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy – a trilogy of films directed by Edgar Wright that briefly features the ice cream.
References
- Wach, Bonnie (22 June 2016). "One Day, One Place: Eat up Rome during tourist season". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "Share Happy". HB Ice Cream. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- "Comparte Felicidad". Frigo. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- "Hindustan Unilever told to erase 'Ice Cream' word from Kwality Walls advertisements". The Times Of India. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- "Cornetto". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ConfectioneryNews.com. "Unilever enters UK confectionery market with Kinnerton licensing deal". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- "Save Your Love singer Renato dies". BBC News. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
- J Newton (10 August 2009). "Tributes to Renato – a singing sensation". This Is Sutton Coldfield. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- "The 100 Greatest TV Ads". London: Channel 4. 2000. Archived from the original on 18 June 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- Pe, Roger (26 May 2016). "A very likable ice cream TV commercial". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- "Lowe Philippines' popular "Tugs" TVC for Selecta Cornetto hailed as adobo Ad of the Year 2010". Adobo Magazine. Sanserif, Inc. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2016.