Ben & Jerry’s is rolling into the Emerald City this summer for the second year in a row with its social media–driven Scoop Truck tour, offering free scoops of the company’s new Greek Frozen Yogurt flavors.
Ben & Jerry’s is also looking to local Seattle fans to help develop a unique, local flavor. The new campaign, “City Churned,” is the first of its kind to crowdsource a locally inspired flavor that is literally created by the city of Seattle itself.
Ben & Jerry’s is tabulating activities throughout the Emerald City, such as public transportation data, city landmarks, tweets, traffic patterns, local ingredients, and its people, to create and ultimately name a Seattle-inspired Ben & Jerry’s flavor.
For example, Ben & Jerry’s has been tracking the visibility of Mount Rainier to help decide between the ingredients Theo Chocolate and Yellow Cake Pieces. Every day that Mount Rainier is visible, it is a vote for Theo Chocolate—one of the local companies partnering with the brand to provide local ingredients.
On days when the mountain is engulfed in clouds, it is a vote for Yellow Cake Pieces. In addition to Theo Chocolate, Ben & Jerry’s is also partnering with Caffé Vita coffee to ensure the flavor is a true tribute to Seattle.
"The Scoop Truck began cruising through the streets of Seattle last summer giving away free scoops of our new flavors, and this year we wanted to do something more for our fans. There's a personality to Seattle, as in any city, that is distinctive unto itself. Some would say ‘a flavor,’" says Dave Stever, director of marketing. "We want to be able to capture the heartbeat of one of the most popular and unique U.S. cities and ultimately create a new flavor that is truly inspired by the great people of Seattle.”
Fans can also weigh in on each ingredient match-up by voting online on the “City Churned” Seattle microsite. On the site, fans can also put their creativity to the test by submitting their original ideas for the flavor name.
The campaign will conclude in mid-September with a community event where, for one day only, Ben & Jerry's will invite the community to celebrate the new, euphoric flavor of Seattle that they helped to develop.
Consumers can satisfy their Ben & Jerry’s craving via the Seattle Scoop Truck now through September 16. Fans can not only tweet the Scoop Truck to get a free scoop of the new Greek Frozen Yogurt flavors—including Liz Lemon, Raspberry Fudge Chunk, and Banana Peanut Butter—but they can also physically cast “City Churned” ballots by tossing their spoons into recycling bins listed for Caramel or Fudge.
