Unilever is looking to steal a march on Halo Top and protect its UK ice cream sales from the impending arrival of the US grocery sensation by rolling out a rival low-cal range in the new year.
The supplier will bring Breyers Delights to the UK in January, offering four variants (Smooth Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Creamy Chocolate and Mint Chip) sweetened by stevia extract and erythritol (rsp: £4.99/500ml).
Like Halo Top, Breyers contains significantly fewer calories than standard ice cream and advertises its calorie count per pint prominently on the front of pack. Both also feature a high protein claim.
Unilever launched Breyers Delights in the US in July as a response to Halo Top’s rapid growth. In a call on its Q3 results, the company cited Halo Top as the key reason its US ice cream business had underperformed and said the brand had taken 5% of the US ice cream market in quick time. Backed by a “huge” marketing investment, Delights’ UK launch was designed “to tap the rapidly growing health and wellness trend in the UK” Unilever said.
Breyers UK marketing manager Amy Knowles added there was “demand from health-conscious consumers who want to limit their calorie intake, while also wanting to treat themselves”.
Unilever said Delights would be made in Europe and would “perfectly suit the European taste profile”. It is believed Halo Top will be importing product from the US when it initially launches in the UK in the new year.
No comments yet