Cornetto (frozen dessert)

Cornetto ('little horn') is an Italian brand of ice cream cone dessert, which is manufactured and owned by parent company Unilever. Cornetto are sold as part of the Heartbrand product line, known internationally by different names, including Algida in Italy, Wall's in the UK and Pakistan, HB in the Republic of Ireland, Frigo in Spain, and Kwality Wall's in India. Many variations of the product exist, ranging from milk-based ice cream to vegetable fat-based dessert.

History
For a long time, the idea of selling frozen ice cream cones had been impractical, as the ice cream would soak into the moist cone during the manufacturing process and make it soggy and unpalatable when served. In 1959, Spica, an Italian ice cream manufacturer based in Naples, overcame this problem by insulating the inside of the waffle cone from the ice cream with a coating of oil, sugar, and chocolate.

In 1976 the patent was acquired by Unilever, which began marketing the product in Italy through the Algida brand and abroad through other subsidiaries, including Wall's in the UK and Pakistan, HB in Ireland, Frigo in Spain and Kwality Wall's in India. They are sold in many different sizes throughout Europe in sizes ranging from 28-ml Miniatures to 260-ml King Cones, though the 90-ml and 125-ml sizes tend to be the most popular.

On March 19, 2024, Unilever announced it would divest its ice cream brands and cut 7,500 jobs in order to make "a simpler, more focused and higher performing Unilever". Included in the spin-off are Ben & Jerry's, Cornetto, Magnum, Talenti, and Wall's. The divestment is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Varieties
The product is available in a variety of flavours, including Strawberry, Mint Chocolate, Nut, Lemon, Whippy (yogurt flavour with a chewy chocolate), Valentine's Day flavours, and Cornetto Soft (soft ice cream that comes in chocolate chip, cookie dough,royale strawberry, unicornetto, dragon cornetto, vanilla, chocolate, royale chocolate and double chocolate). Cornetto Soft is sold on the street by vendors and is made on the spot with an ice cream dispenser, but the other flavours are premade and factory packaged. Also, Cornetto Enigma is made, which consists of cookies and cream, raspberry and double chocolate flavours.

Unilever introduced a Cornetto chocolate confectionery into the UK market in 2013, following a licensing deal with Kinnerton Confectionery.

Hindustan Unilever manufacture Cornettos using vegetable fat rather than milk fat, and under Indian law it cannot be advertised as being ice cream.

'O sole mio campaign
The brand was marketed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Brazil by successful advertising campaigns which placed the Neapolitan song "'O sole mio" into a variety of stereotypical Italian locations and situations, with its lyrics changed to:


 * Just one Cornetto,
 * give it to me,
 * delicious ice cream, of Italy,
 * creamy vanilla and choco dream,
 * Give me Cornetto,
 * from Wall's ice cream.

(in the UK)


 * give it to me,
 * a big ol' nut and chocolate dream,
 * HB Cornetto
 * spells the best ice cream.

(in Ireland)


 * Dame un Cornetto
 * Molto crocante
 * E più cremoso
 * É da Gelato.
 * Cornetto é da própria Itália.
 * Ti voglio tanto,
 * Corneeeeetto mio!

(in Brazil)

In Britain and Ireland, the advertisements ran for 10 years during the 1980s and 1990s, with the song supposedly sung by former Italian waiter Renato Pagliari of one-hit wonders Renée and Renato. (However, this is claimed not to be the case by Pagliari's son, Remo. ) It was credited to "Count Giovanni Di Regina" and produced by Jonathan King, who released it as a single. In 2000, the Wall's Cornetto commercial was ranked 23rd in Channel 4's UK poll of "The 100 Greatest TV Ads". The theme resurfaced in 2006, this time sung by pedestrians, drivers, office workers, and marathon runners in Central London.

Philippines 20 pesos campaign
In the Philippines, the "sarap ng 20 Pesos" (lit. 'delicious 20 pesos') campaign was launched in 2008, relying on humour and focused on the product's affordability, with skits that centre on things one cannot afford with 20 pesos and suggesting that the audience should buy a Cornetto instead. "Mag-Cornetto ka na lang" (lit. 'Just have a Cornetto instead') and "Hanggang saan aabot ang 20 pesos mo?" (lit. 'How far will your 20 pesos take you?') were used as slogans for the campaign. By May 2011, 30 story-lines had been produced. In 2019, the SRP price of Cornetto became 25 pesos. However, in 2023, this was reverted to 20 pesos again.

The television advertisement entitled "Tugs", which is part of the campaign, was selected as the Adobo Ad of the Year for 2010 through online voting at the ad agency band night "Lakihan Mo Logo 14".

In popular culture

 * The ice cream is referenced by Irish band Bell X1 in their 2009 single The Great Defector.