• by Danielle Oster , March 12, 2025

Typically, brands try to avoid engaging with their detractors online.

But Halo Top claims it is recruiting them to try out its latest product as part of its “Ice Cream Like Never Before” campaign, supporting the new offering, which promises “mix-ins in every bite,” while containing (a low) 490 calories per pint.

To prove its point, the brand is putting its money where consumers' mouths are -- offering 80,000 free pints from March 11-March 20, International Happiness Day, via a dedicated page for the “First Taste” promotional giveaway on its website.

According to Halo Top, the brand reached out to “some of its most vocal skeptics online” to offer them a taste of the new product. The brand isn’t revealing who these critics are, it says, since it claims they don’t represent paid promotions or influencer partnerships. Instead, Halo Top characterizes the initiative as “confidently standing behind its new formula.”

To drive awareness of the new product, Halo Top also launched its first new ad campaign since 2022, in collaboration with Publicis Groupe creative agency Digitas –  also its first campaign with the agency.

The 15-second “Bed Raccoon” sees the brand trying to capitalize on self-care trends, depicting a woman enjoying a pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie while cozily relaxing at the end of the day -- with a raccoon sleep mask pulled up over her head. At six seconds, the other cut is a more straightforward product introduction.

The ads will debut on March 17, running across Meta, Pinterest, YouTube, Disney+/Hulu, Peacock, Discovery+ and Tubi. A further pair of ads, “Nobody’s Watching” and “Flavors,” will launch later this spring.

"Halo Top has always been about giving ice cream lovers everything they crave -- all the rich, creamy indulgence of traditional ice cream …  with lower calories and a good source of protein,” Halo Top Director of Brand Marketing Ryan Roznowski said in a statement. “These new pints take that to an entirely new level by packing mix-ins into every single bite, while still being half the calories of other brands out there.”

“We can’t wait to hear from ice cream lovers who are questioning whether this is all too good to be true,” Roznowski added. “We specifically had them in mind when figuring out a way to pack mix-ins like cookie dough chunks or fudge swirls into every bite..."