Halo Top is literally trying to drive trial with a branded truck that touts its self-care ethos as it ratchets up its summer sampling program.

This year, the ice cream brand’s sampling efforts target summer festival staples like the Beaches Jazz StreetFest, Kempenfest and others, hoping to build a deeper brand awareness by showing up in person in a way that resonates.

“Music festivals resonate with our ethos,” says Anne-Marie Docherty, managing director at Halo Top Canada, as the brand is about embracing that moment of happiness that’s unique to the live experience.

According to Docherty, its demo gravitates to better-for-you products and have found their desire for holistic wellbeing through a balance of a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle.

Halo Top signed Brand Momentum as its new integrated AOR in Canada, and Docherty tells strategy it created “an eye-catching truck that’s hard to miss or resist.”

She says driving trial to retail is a big focus for the brand in 2022, and as such it’s embracing the omni-channel approach to deliver enduring and authentic connections between Halo Top and consumers in an integrated way.

“In addition to encouraging consumers to try a sample, we are also incentivising purchase through a coupon program – both digitally and physically,” Docherty says.

This year, Halo Top is also focusing on digital marketing, starting with its recent consumer promo microsite – where consumers can register to receive $2 off their next purchase and become eligible for a contest – and amplifying its selfcare positioning through “Do yourself a flavour, put yourself on top,” messaging.

Its wording revolves around cutting back on calories, not happiness, because according to the brand, consumers are re-evaluating what’s important and prioritizing wanting to be happy and feel good.

“As we know, the lockdowns brought a shift for a lot of people to focusing on taking care of themselves,” Docherty says. “What we’re trying to do is help them achieve their goals, but in a really enjoyable way.”

The company says it’s also going to be running some events with couponing and flyer apps Flipp and Checkout 51, launching local business partnerships, an influencer campaign with contesting, along with a dedicated Canadian YouTube channel.

Before lockdowns, the dessert company took to the road and gave customers a chance to rent a “Halo Top Airstream” through TripAdvisor vacation rentals, capitalizing on the vehicles’ rounded, metallic finish and nostalgic Instagram-friendly aesthetic.