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Ben & Jerry?s taps iAd to help deliver rich brand experience

Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry?s is relying on Apple?s iAd network to help promote its products, as well as drive trial and awareness.

The iAd campaign promotes the company?s new frozen Greek concoctions. Ben & Jerry?s has used mobile advertising in the past, but believes that Apple?s iAd helps the brand create more of a richer experience.

?We?re dipping our spoon in iAd?s to see how they perform for us,? said Katie O?Brien, marketing manager at Ben & Jerry?s.

?We really wanted to create a rich experience that utilizes the phone?s operating system to drive trial and awareness,? she said.

?We are a group that likes to have fun and laugh too ? so of course that?s part of everything we do.?

Sweet deal
The iAd banner ad promotes the new Ben & Jerry?s Greek frozen yogurt treats.

When users tap on the ad they are encouraged to take the Virtual Taste Test where they can try all four new flavors virtually through their iPhone device.

From there, users are asked to take a photo of their face using the device?s you-facing camera to virtually try the flavors.  

?Like everyone in our space ? mobile is constantly evolving at Ben & Jerry?s and I?m so thankful that we?re agile,? Ms. O?Brien said. ?One my main messages internally is that ?it?s never done.?

?Instead of looking at mobile as a separate channel we?re really looking to be a content driven organization,? she said. ?Our content needs to be available on your desktop, mobile device or on your tee shirt ? if your tee shirt is accessing the Internet.

?We want to become more about the content than about the method of delivery. And that?s what we?re working on now.?

Consumer driven
A mobile ad campaign such as this is a great way for Ben & Jerry?s to bolster brand awareness.

By making the ad as interactive as possible, Ben & Jerry?s is helping drive consumer engagement.

?We?re always doing new things,? Ms. O?Brien said. ?We have a mobile site, we?ve had an app and we tested mobile advertising in 2011.

?We picked the iAd because it allows us to deliver a the rich experience by leveraging the phone?s OS,? she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York