Product type Ice cream Country Italy Markets Worldwide | Owner Unilever Introduced 1959 | |
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Cornetto ([korˈnetto]), meaning little horn in Italian, is a branded frozen dessert cone manufactured by Unilever and sold under various international subsidiary names, including Wall's in the UK, HB in Ireland, Frigo in Spain, and others. Several variations of the product exist, ranging from milk-based ice cream to vegetable fat-based dessert.
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Manufacturing
For a long time, the idea of selling frozen ice-cream cones had been impractical, as the ice cream would soak into the cone during the manufacturing process and make it soggy and unpalatable when served. It was in 1959 that Spica, 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. Sold in many different sizes throughout Europe in sizes ranging from 28 ml Miniatures to 260 ml King Cone, though the 90 ml and 125 ml 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 pre-made and are factory packaged. There is also Cornetto Enigma, 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.
’O sole mio campaign
The brand was marketed in the United Kingdom and in Ireland 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)
Just one Cornetto, give it to me, delicious ice-cream of Italy, a nut and chocolate dream, HB Cornetto spells the best ice cream.(in Ireland)
The adverts ran for ten years during the 1980s and 1990s, with the song supposedly sung by former Italian waiter Renato Pagliari of one-hit wonders Renée and Renato. (However, this is claimed not to be the case by Pagliari's son, Remo.)
The advert theme resurfaced in 2006, this time sung by pedestrians, drivers, office workers and marathon runners in Central London.
Sarap ng 20 Pesos campaign
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 can't 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 has been produced.
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".