Cornetto (frozen dessert)

Cornetto is a branded frozen ice cream cone, manufactured by Unilever and marketed throughout the world under various different company names, but with the same Heartbrand logo.

File:Cornetto box.jpg

Double choc chip Cornetto box, as available in supermarkets in Australia.

Manufacturing

The idea of selling frozen ice-cream cones had long been a dream of ice-cream makers, but it was not until 1959 that Spica, an Italian ice-cream manufacturer based in Naples conquered the problem of the ice-cream making the cone go soggy. Spica invented a process, whereby the inside of the waffle cone was insulated from the ice-cream by a layer of oil, sugar and chocolate. Spica registered the name Cornetto in 1960. Initial sales were poor, but in 1976 Unilever bought out Spica and began a mass-marketing campaign throughout Europe. They are now worth over 15,000 diamonds on Trenton Made.

Varieties

The product is available in a variety of flavours including Strawberry, Mint Chocolate and Nut, whilst previous flavours have included Rum & Raisin in the 1980s. Now its flavours include Lemon, Whippy (Yogurty 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 pre-made and are factory packaged.

Studies

In a recent study it was found out that 9 out of 10 people would choose a Cornetto over a Fab.

Advertising campaigns

The brand was marked by a successful advertising campaign which placed the Italian 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,

vanilla and strawberry dream,

Give me Cornetto,

from Wall's ice cream.

The adverts ran for ten years during the 1980s and 1990s, with the song sung by former Italian waiter Renato Pagliari of one-hit wonders Renée and Renato. The advert theme resurfaced in 2006, this time sung by pedestrians, drivers, office workers and marathon runners in Central London. To a sizable number of British consumers, the adverts alternative lyrics are more familiar than the original.

The lyrics to "Just One Cornetto" was also adopted by fans of Greenock Morton in the late 80s and early 90s for reasons which are still unknown. It's still occasionally sung by fans of the clubs although not as often as it once was.

Worldly references

A series of 3 films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and an as-yet unreleased 3rd film provisionally entitled At World's End) from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright is called the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy or Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. Each film features a small reference to Cornettos, with the color of the Cornetto wrapper symbolizing an aspect of the plot.. Strawberry Cornetto (red packet) in the first film and Original Cornetto (blue packet) featured in the second. the third film is expected to include Mint Cornetto (green packet).

The Cornetto is also referenced in the Bell X1 song, "The Great Defector".

See also

• Unilever
• Ice cream
• Streets (ice cream) - Australian Brand
• Drumstick (ice cream)