• by Lisa Bertagnoli , September 28, 2006

Since Carvel Ice Cream purchased Cinnabon in 2004, parent company Focus Brands has opened about 30 co-branded stores that sell Carvel ice cream and Cinnabon's iced cinnamon buns under one roof.

Yesterday, Atlanta-based Focus announced co-branding that goes one step further. It introduced a new flavor that combines Carvel's vanilla ice cream, crunchy vanilla topping and chunks of white pound cake with the cinnamon flavor and cream-cheese frosting of Cinnabon's cinnamon rolls.

Called Cinnabon Ice Cream, the hand-dipped product will be available as both scoops and as an ice cream cake Carvelog. Scoops will sell for about $2.89--and the cakes, for $13.99.

Limited in-store point-of-purchase displays, ADVO advertising and a national FSI in November and December will support the launch, with the line: "Our fresh-made ice cream and Cinnabon's famous ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls have come together in an ice cream flavor you'll be dreaming about," according to a spokeswoman for Focus Brands.

The ice cream is technically a limited time offer, but may join the permanent menu, depending on customer response. The spokeswoman said that during tests, 90 percent of customers said they'd buy it.

Carvel operates about 570 ice-cream stores nationwide, and sells ice-cream cakes in about 8,500 supermarkets. Cinnabon operates about 650 stores nationwide.