• by Steve Ellwanger , June 24, 2020

“Stop Shoulding Yourself” is the advice from Halo Top ice cream in a new campaign ad featuring a plus-size model from Colombia who spoons into a pint while enjoying her own solo dance party.

“Shoulding” refers to the pressure people place on themselves to do what they think will make them “better.”

Examples abound in the video, where text reads “I ‘should’ lose weight,” “I ‘should’ work out more,” “I ‘should’ eat more salads” and “I ‘should’ skip dessert.”

The spot follows the underwear-clad model Maria Jimenez Pacifico as she shimmies from room to room to the sound of the as-yet unreleased song “How I Do It,” sung by up-and-coming singer-songwriter Mama Haze.

At one point, a neighbor gazes out her window wearing a bemused look—and Jimenez Pacifico goes right on with her routine.

“What we know about our consumers is that they’re constantly in the pursuit of holistic well-being,” Halo Top senior brand manager Shilpa Gadhok tells Marketing Daily. “This spot is for anyone who feels those pressures of what they should be doing versus what they actually are doing, whether that be around career, social life, wellness and beyond.”

Over the past year, the ice cream line owned by Wells Enterprises known mainly for its low-calorie count has “been doing a lot of work to elevate our brand to more of a purpose-driven brand that’s all about championing our consumers’ holistic well being,” says Gadhok.

The spot from Deloitte Digital’s Heat agency was shot in 17 days in Slovenia, during which time Jimenez Pacifico—who Halo Top describes as Colombia’s first plus-size model—opened up about her background.

“She had experienced body shaming growing up in Colombia, and when she began to surround herself with a more accepting and body-positive community, that propelled her on her journey to becoming a model,” says Gadhok.

The campaign—running on digital platforms plus traditional and streaming television—is targeted to men and women between the ages of 25 and 44.