Blue Bunny Load’d Sundaes has been named to the Nielsen Global Consumer business division’s 2020 U.S. BASES Top 25 Breakthrough Innovations List for its success in driving sales and frozen dessert category growth. The 25 brands that made the list reflect a wide range of products and approaches that succeeded in making meaningful connections with consumers, an impressive feat within an increasingly crowded marketplace.
“Blue Bunny was categorized as an Emerging Play winner, meaning the brand transformed its category by offering innovative benefits before becoming mainstream,” said Ben Macedo, BASES Leader, Nielsen North America. “Emerging Plays tend to start out smaller, but with sufficient and thoughtful activation, they see larger growth long term, and that’s what we’ve seen from Blue Bunny’s Load’d Sundaes.”
“We’ve always been proud of delivering all the fun of the ice cream parlor with our Load’d portfolio, loaded up with delicious mix-ins and swirls, and are honored that Load’d Sundaes is the singular frozen dessert offering to be recognized amongst an exceptional array of CPG product innovations,” said Jamee Pearlstein, director of brand marketing at Le Mars, Iowa-headquartered Wells Enterprises, the largest privately held, family-owned ice cream manufacturer in the United States.
At a time when many Americans were in lockdown or subject to other government-imposed restrictions on mobility and away-from-home dining due to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the Blue Bunny brand has “answered unique consumer needs to deliver a convenient and fun treat to rival the ice cream parlor experience at home,” stated a press release issued by Wells Enterprises.
“With all of our brands at Wells Enterprises – from our flagship Blue Bunny to Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics –we are constantly looking for new ways to delight consumers with inventive, differentiated experiences,” said Joe Brooks, vice president of marketing.
Typically retailing at $2.99 per 8.5-ounce single-serve cup, Load’d Sundaes are promoted as “deliciously soft, frozen treats packed with tons of toppings swirled right into a single-serve cup and ready for your spoon, so there’s no need to wait for it to temper.”
They are filled to the brim with signature Blue Bunny treats – chunky cookies, crunchy nuts, rich chocolate pieces and signature candy Bs – swirled together with gooey syrups.
This year, Blue Bunny expanded its Load’d Sundaes line to include 16 total flavors with four new additions – Turtle Cheesecake, French Silk Pie, Chocolate Caramel Pretzel and S’more S’mores – and paved the way for more Load’d products in the portfolio. In March Load’d Cones debuted at $5.99 per four-cones box, a tasty treat packed with twice the normal quantity mix-ins. The cones are currently available in five flavors: Bunny Tracks, Brownie Bomb, Strawberry Shortcake, Cookie Dough and S’mores.
