Häagen-Dazs works to boost diversity among creators with multichannel campaign

Dive Brief:

Häagen-Dazs launched a multichannel campaign to support a diverse group of creators with a $1.5 million pledge it will pay out in the next three years. The ice cream brand, which is marketed in the U.S. by a Nestlé joint venture, will support its #ThatsDazs effort with advertising on TV, print, social, digital, out-of-home (OOH) and public relations, per an announcement.
Häagen-Dazs is working with producer Lena Waithe, whose TV and film credits include “The Chi,” "Queen & Slim" and the "40-Year-Old Version," on the #ThatsDazs campaign. As part of their collaboration, Häagen-Dazs is making its first donation of $100,000 to a new mentorship lab at Waithe's development and production company, Hillman Grad Productions, to support marginalized creators.
The first part of the #ThatsDazs campaign includes social media content from artists, street photographers, dancers, chefs and other creators who share "their personal definition of luxury," per the announcement.

Dive Insight:

Häagen-Dazs aims to highlight how diverse groups of people can enjoy luxuries like its brand of ice cream with its multichannel #ThatsDazs campaign. By blanketing media channels with its messaging, the brand can raise awareness among a broad group of consumers, while showcasing its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. The heart of the effort is the collaboration with Emmy award-winning writer, producer and actor Lena Waithe, who not only is creating content for the campaign, but also is helping Häagen-Dazs to find other creators and organizations to support.

"When big brands speak about wanting to support marginalized creators, investing in those communities is a great place to start," said Waithe, who has worked with brands including Dove and Netflix to promote diversity and other purpose-driven efforts.

Häagen-Dazs's $100,000 commitment to the mentorship lab at Waithe's Hillman Grad Productions shows that the brand is willing to back its inclusivity efforts with real actions. The gesture is more likely to resonate with younger consumers who gravitate toward brands that are authentic in supporting causes like diversity. Most consumers (71%) say they expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their online ads, but 54% don't feel fully represented in those ads, social network Facebook found in a study. Fifty-nine percent of consumers said they're more loyal to brands that stand for diversity and inclusion in online advertising, and an equal percentage prefers to buy from such brands, per the survey of 1,200 people.

Häagen-Dazs is among the ice cream brands that have undertaken efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in their advertising, a theme that became even more pronounced after last summer's global protests against racism and police violence. Ben & Jerry's, the rival ice cream brand owned by consumer packaged goods giant Unilever, has been a longtime supporter of causes ranging from banning nuclear weapons to fighting climate change. More recently, Ben & Jerry's has condemned white supremacy and supported Colin Kaepernick, the activist and former NFL quarterback, in his calls to defund and abolish the police. Unilever's Good Humor ice cream last summer hired music producer The RZA to create a new jingle as it worked to address the racist origins of "Turkey in the Straw," a tune commonly used by ice cream trucks.