Return to Simplicty. Atlanta.

When Jamie suggested we throw an ice cream party for the neighborhood kids I jumped at the opportunity. She sent out a mass email the night before and warned me that we'd probably only get a few people turning up the next day because everyone has such busy schedules and we had given them less than 24 hours notice.



The next afternoon, as two year old Colby napped, Jamie and I set out plastic chairs and tables in the yard and stocked up on all sorts of ice cream and toppings from Publix. 4pm rolled around and cars started to arrive. Within 10 minutes the yard was filled with Moms and kids, all digging into our table full of ice cream.

"I can't believe it! It takes months to organize anything in this town, and yet everyone turns up in a flash for a simple little ice cream party in the yard!"

The other Moms told me it was a no-brainer. "We all turned up because it was no big deal. Everyone loves ice cream and there are no formalities. If only everything could be this simple."



Truth: Families have jam-packed schedules these days, so everything is planned and organized to help keep life running smoothly. Simplicity and spontaneity is sacrificed. Opportunity: Bring back simple.

Five Minute Vacation. New York

New York is rich with ice cream history. Some say the country's first ice cream shop was opened here. Even Haagen Dazs as born in the Bronx. 

So today we set out with a big list of famous ice cream destinations and a camera, ready to find some New York ice cream stories. The funny thing is, our tour took us around the world. We started at Australian Homemade where we sampled the smoothest vanilla in the world. We popped in to Ciao Bella for some of New York's best Italian gelato. We braved the crowds to get to the famous China Town Ice Cream Factory.

Each ice cream store was like a little oasis within the Manhattan craziness. Outside each store a few people hung around enjoying their cups and cones, oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them. Even in the world's busiest city, ice cream has the power to bring people to a stop. One happy ice cream eater put it this way;

"I live and work on this crazy island, but this little tub of raspberry sorbet takes away from it all for a moment."

Truth: More than any other food ice cream has the power to export us to another world, even for just a few minutes. In today's economy, when real vacations are out of the question for many families, Americans will be looking for new ways to escape without stretching the budget.

Gonna grab me some of that midnight delight. Warsaw.

“Around 10pm, after my girls have gone to bed and my husband is snoring, I sometimes sneak into the kitchen, take the pint of ice cream and dig into that sucker until there’s nothing left. I know it’s terrible, but I love it.”
Monika, happy mother of two.

Truth:
We all eat ice cream—lots of it—when we think we’re not supposed to.

Opportunity:
Don’t stop at flavors. Entertain people's naughtiness too.

• Midnight Delight...best when consumed after 12am
• Morning After Fixer-Upper...perfect for lousy hangovers
• Ice-Cream Spread...great on cookies, bananas, bread, chips...
• Bottoms Up...tastes better when eaten all at once
• Non-Sexual Healing...because sex is overrated
• Break-up First Aid Kit...helps in the detox process

My Soft Side. Russia.

“I love sweets! There are lots of sweet snacks at my desk all day long – biscuits, chocolates. candy... It is my vitamin of happiness. And I love going out for food. It does not have to be expensive restaurants, just simple cafes. I always offer some ice-cream for desert.”



For Sasha ice-cream is a childhood reminiscence - even though he didn’t eat much ice-cream then. Once when he was a little boy, his parents bought home some ice cream for everyone in their family. Everybody got the same kind of ice-cream (“Eskimo”) but his mom. Her choice was “Lakomka”. Little Sasha didn’t like how “Lakomka” looked… he got upset and felt really sorry for his mom. “I will give you my “Eskimo”, mom! Take a proper ice-cream!” – he said. He was very kind, he would be ready to offer the best piece to his mom, of course.

Now he likes trying different types of ice-cream and the choice is far bigger than then!

Sasha is an ambitious young guy. He sees his future bright and believes in his power to create it the way he likes. What was absolutely amazing in him – a charming combination of being strong, ambitious, successful already and on the other hand being soft, kind and still a bit childish in a very positive way.

Truth: Even tough guys have a softer side. Ice cream melts a cool exterior. Show your ice-cream side.

Forget about everything. Russia

“Why do we always have to be strong? … It would be so nice to allow yourself to become a bit weaker, softer and maybe even less responsible. But life is a serious game. You better not allow yourself to lose it.”

Somehow this is a feeling I got from talking to Katya. She knows what life is about and values the real things in life. True happiness for her is in family and good friends. She calls it “having strong reward”.



“It is important that somewhere with somebody you can always be relaxed and even allow yourself to lose control without any risk.”

There is also a “little happiness” in life, which is about taking a moment for you, relax, have a break – life is full of stress. Sometimes it can be music, but the best and easiest thing is good food and / or sweets.

Talking about ice-cream makes her smile. Katya remembers a very traditional Moscow occasion for ice-cream: when you come to the GUM store (on the Red Square) you will always buy some ice-cream there! This tradition exists since we were children (in those old Soviet times). The ice-cream is special there! It is tastier than anywhere else – now we know it is not really, but the tradition keeps it special somehow even now. You walk along the GUM lines, hold your ice-cream and … you forget about everything! You are a child again! A little girl without any worries or things to deal with! You just enjoy your moment. It is a little moment to get your mood up.

Have a break, it is a moment for you. Everything else can wait while you are enjoying your ice-cream.

As adults we spend so much effort 'keeping it all together'. We try to keep our lives in control. We've forgotten how to let go like a child.

Choose Happiness. Russia

“I love creamy head on my cappuccino! Usually I do not even finish my coffee, but always order cappuccino because of that creamy head on it.”



Zhenya does not tend to rationalize things… She takes everything in a simple, not overly-complicated way. Her way to enjoy life is also simple and it makes her absolutely astonishing and charming. She is open, approachable, easy-going. And her smile has a power to change one’s perception of this world! She is like a child – still knows how to be happy! The key to happiness is ability to enjoy what is around – the sun, a new day, some sweets or just very tasty stuff, kind people with big and open souls… She is like that.

She traveled a bit within Europe. Her impression was that people there are much happier than in Russia (at least they smile much more) and they are more relaxed there. One of the observations Zhenya told me about people: “those who have a sweet-tooth are normally very kind people and smiling more.” Could be true…

She told me about the hormone of happiness, which is contained in all sweets, especially in chocolate. “If there is a system in our body that produces “happiness”, then we would need to nourish it with sweets and chocolate. For me personally some ice-cream would work perfectly!”

Opportunity:

Bolt the problems from the pure happiness. Life is full of both – dramas, problems, aggression on one hand; and childish way of being happy on the other. There is always a choice of what to see… depending on your focus.

Keep it Light! Italy

It’s a warm, sunny day in Milan. The first this spring. Heavy coats are out. Smiles are in. The streets are stomping. The crowd is bubbly. Kids and grannies, punks and tourists, all line up for their favorite treat. Gelato days are here, my friend! With all these colorful cones parading around town, it’s impossible not to catch the happy bug.



As I sit here watching with my own pink gelato in hand, I get this curious sensation, like I’m in a music video for Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” or something. I guess it’s really kind of magical that something so icy can warm people’s hearts so kindly. Ice cream has that funny effect on people. It’s almost like there’s an unwritten rule about what you can and cannot do while savoring it.

You cannot:
Have tireless arguments with your boyfriend
Fret, pout or flail your arms angrily
Talk politics, global warming, or world war
Brood over bills, debts or mortgages
Eat it because you have to

You can:
Gaze pensively into the sky and think of nothing
Count the freckles on your true love’s nose
Teach your kid funny tongue tricks
Tease your friend about the holes in her socks
Eat your ice-cream extra slowly so you can finish last

It's ice cream! Whatever you do with it, remember to keep it light!

Small Pleasures. Russia

Julia orders some pancakes with raspberry dressing (sweet and heavy), and this is not a surprise. Julia is a very slim and elegant girl in her 20’s. She looks stunning! “I won’t be able to keep on a diet” – she said immediately. “I eat whatever I like and as much as I like. I am like this. However, there is a limited list of things I ever eat.”



I knew she liked ice-cream very much, ice-cream is definitely in “her list”. According to her own words “eating ice-cream is a process. It can not happen on the go. Never outside. It should always be at the table, in a nice little bowl, with a chocolate or strawberry dressing."

I got an impression that Julia is living her life with a deep feeling of it. She is the kind of person who accepts everything in life with a very true and honest “positive-ness”. Eating whatever she likes and as much as she likes is something to keep her “positive-ness” every day.

Going out with her friends for a girl-chat is an occasion for cakes, deserts, creamy-sweet-sugar stuff. “I will not eat a proper meal in a café when I go out with friends. Just sweets”. This is not unusual in Russia!

All her little sweets during the day is something to keep her mood up. “Small pleasures that make me feel better. Just a little bit. I will not be happier and my life won’t change, but I will feel better and lighter with my sweets and favorite meals.” Just watching her with her plate of pancakes one would understand what she means… Adorable!

Julia told me that there are hormones in our body that are responsible for good mood and feeling happy. “People often call them hormones of happiness. The more you eat bananas and chocolate, the more you get those hormones to your body.” Sounds like a physical reason behind feeling happy!

Opportunities: Just a little pleasure to make you day. It may not change your life or the world around, but it will definitely make you feel better. Allow yourself some indulgence. It is a well deserved treat.

Before it Melts

"My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate."

- Thornton Wilder, The Skin of Our Teeth.

Quality of Life. Mexico

Mexicans know how to have fun. Last night we went to Lucha Libra wrestling, then we danced till midnight. So today as I try to hide my yawns, I asked Carla and Sarah if Mexicans take a siesta. Their response sums up the vibe in Mexico City;

"We don't siesta, we fiesta."

We spent today hanging out in Coyacan, a neighborhood famous for its ice cream shops. Mexican culture is infused into every scoop. We tried cucumber and chilli - the mix of cold and hot was deliciously confusing for my New Zealand taste buds. I felt like I was on holiday as our big group meandered through the square, soaking up the sun and just taking it easy. Mariana and Jorje - two students who joined us today - assured me that this is true quality of life.

"Quality of life is when you have good food, friends, family and fun."



I'll never forget the Four F's rule, nothing is more true.

Opportunity: Bring the world some Quality of Life - the Mexican way.

The Celebration Must. Los Angeles

The boys were celebrating spring break. Two weeks off to hang out with Dad in LA. Instead of going on a holiday, their Dad had given them each a day to choose whatever they wanted.

The eldest boy, aged 10, chose a day at Knoxberry Farm. The middle boy, aged 8, chose swimming at a hotel pool. The youngest, aged 4, simply chose ice cream for breakfast followed by a water balloon fight.

“Hey, it’s the easiest of them all” Dad told us “and we all like it.”

Ironically, while the youngest boy had chosen ice cream for breakfast as his special event … it seems they have been eating ice cream every day of their holiday. After all, what would spring break be without loads of ice cream.

Opportunity: As everyday as ice cream may some times seem … it is also a great way to simply celebrate!

Wanna Get Some Ice Cream. Los Angeles

Have you ever noticed that people never say “lets go out for cake” or “lets go out and get pie”. But they do say “wanna get some ice cream.”

Not only was this Easter weekend, but LA was experiencing unseasonably warm weather for March. Needless to say everyone was out on the boardwalk in Santa Monica … cycling, walking, rollerblading, hanging out with the family in their Sunday best.

Several times over the weekend I heard someone say “do you wanna get some ice cream?”. It seems to be the thing you do. The thing everyone always says ‘yes’ to. The perfect addition to a perfect day.

Whether you have been shopping for hours, just got out of a movie, cycling down the boardwalk or stopping for a cup of ice tea, ice cream seems to included.

Opportunity: The words “Wanna Get Some Ice Cream?” are likely to be answered with an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’

I Scream You Scream We All Scream For Ice Cream. Los Angeles

Strolling through LA we realized very quickly that whether you are 1 year old, or 100 years old. Whether you live in a mansion or sleep on the street. Male or female. Healthy or not. Even canine or human. Everyone loves ice cream.

It is the ultimate sharing desert. You can’t split it like you would cake or a brownie. The texture forces you to be intimate with someone else’s spoon. Collisions are unavoidable.

I laughed when my daughter refused to share her water with my other half because he had a cold. And yet … there was no issue when it came to sharing ice cream. In fact, she encouraged him to dip his spoon into every scoop to try all three flavours.

It seems that ice cream has no boundaries. There is never a reason not to share.

Ice Cream has to be the world’s only ubiquitous treat!

Opportunity: Bring worlds apart, together over ice cream.

Without Thinking. Mexico

It's spring in Mexico City, the day after Easter, and the Chapultepec amusement park is packed with families.



We're here with 5 kids; Sophia, Mitze, Dulci, Brian and Angel and their Moms. The kids' energy is infectious and crazy, within minutes we're lining up for our turn on the giant slide. The kids don't notice the wait, they hop around chatting and singing, then take their turn, then we're off running to the next ride.

We run past confectionery stands, hamburger vans and ice cream stalls. All of a sudden Sophia calls out "ice cream!" and pulls her Mom's sleeve towards the cart. We all follow, without questioning, and choose our flavours. There's a pause and smiles as we unwrap and take our first licks, but then we're off again heading towards the roller coaster, with ice cream dripping on our hands.





Not for a moment did we think if it was a good time to eat ice cream - 11am, just before lunch, just before a roller coaster ride... this was obviously not a rational decision.

Ice cream calls to our senses and speaks to our emotions, but it by-passes our brains! That's why there's never a reason to eat ice cream, and never a reason not to.

Opportunity: Seduce the senses. Engage the emotions. Bypass the brain.

Ice Cream The Great Leveler. Singapore

While we were in the ice-cream shop, we saw different groups of people come in.

Mother and child.
Huge extended families with lots of adults in their 50s.
Groups of grown men in a shirt and ties.
Groups of girlfriends.
Your not so typical teenager groups.

They all ate ice cream together. They all had a shared experience. Ice cream was at the heart of all their shared experience.

The heading came from a guy when we asked him why he thought so many people enjoyed ice cream.

TRUTH:
Ice cream is the great leveller.

OPPORTUNITY:
If ice cream is indeed the great leveler and it cuts across age, power, success, ethnicity and gender; how can our answer reflect how elemental and yet universal it is?

A Shop Full of Happiness. Singapore

People are generally happier and nicer in an ice-cream shop.

They wait patiently in line for their turn, even when the person in front is trying out 5 different flavours before deciding.

They don’t mind small seating places. It's not uncommon to hear people say: "Oh it’s OK, we’ll just squeeze in here."

They’re not abrupt (a typical Singaporean phenomenon) and will tell the staff what they want in a nice manner: "Can I please have a double-chocolate ice-cream cone?"

There might be kids running around and screaming, but no one really cares. In fact, nobody really minds anything. When they’ve got their ice cream, everything is fine, everyone is happy.

We've managed to capture on film a beautiful moment of a little girl enjoying ice-cream. The expression on her speaks volumes about the pure, unadulterated joy that comes with ice-cream. Here's the clip:

Such unique ice-cream happiness is a visceral feeling we all can identify with. An unspoken joy that fills ice-cream shops everywhere.


TRUTH:
Ice cream brings out a certain emotion in people. We become nicer, and happier.

OPPORTUNITY:
Reduce global grumpiness.

Ice Cream is a Luxury. Singapore.

Some people always have ice-cream in their fridge. They say, “When ice-cream's in the fridge, it’s a happy fridge."


We all indulge in bite-sized luxury for our everyday enjoyment. Like when we buy a cup of Starbucks, we’re not just buying coffee; we're actually buying a cup of indulgence.

Truth is, luxury is no longer restricted to those who are rich. It’s an experience that everyone wants and deserves. Even students indulge in ice-creams on a regular basis.


In fact, ‘Eye on Asia’ – a study by Grey Global Group – confirms that the pressures of modern life are driving people to indulge in all sorts small luxuries, including ice-cream. It’s been reported that 85% of Asians believe in self-treating.

Truth: We all need a little luxury in our day. Ice-cream is an important triviality. A luxury we all buy-in to.

Get Lost In Ice Cream. Singapore.

Ice-cream lets us to escape in moments of pure pleasure.
It allows our minds to get lost, and wander.

TRUTH: People enjoy getting lost in ice-cream.

OPPORTUNITY: Few brands offer this intense, personal moment with their product. How can we make something out of this moment?

Slow Down. Singapore.

Singapore.

Our lives are dominated by moments of ‘rush’. Eating an ice-cream, however, provides moments of pure pleasure. Some say it gives them a light, summer feel. Others say it has the calming effect of slowing them down. Whatever it is, ice-cream has this amazing ability to make us smile. In that sense, ice-cream is a refreshing antidote to our crazy lives. It offers us a moment to really enjoy life.

Just take a look at the contentment on their faces. Mmmm....



TRUTH:
Ice-cream time is always a good time.

OPPORTUNITY:
Slow down and enjoy the ice cream.

Surprise Me. Singapore.

A new wave of quirky ice-cream shops has surfaced. While they offer a familiar, homey atmosphere, the ice-creams they carry don't come in the usual familiar flavours.

Island Creamery is one of such agent provocateurs of Singapore’s ice-cream scene; a shop that presents a wide assortment of unusual ice-cream flavours – from Horlicks (a popular breakfast beverage) to Chendol (a popular local dessert) to Tiger Beer (a popular local beer). But these are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s an endless spread of new flavours on display.

‘Teh Tarik’ is a milk tea sold in most local coffee shops.

‘Pulut Hitam’ is a popular Malay desert.



This is Mikey, son of the guy who owns Island Creamery. He says his dad is like the Willy Wonker of ice-cream. “Tired of the usual naff flavours, dad is always experimenting with new exciting concoctions to entice the taste buds of their customers,” he says. Though too modest to claim it, they have actually started a quiet revolution. And attracted a curious stream of people into his little Island (of unusal) Creamery.

Other shops with equally quirky offerings are 'Daily Scoop' and 'Cold Rock Creamery'. Like Island Creamery, they've sought inspiration from real food flavours. They carry an amazing spread of cool flavours like Wasabi Mango, Ginger Crumble, Chilli Chocolate, Lime & Black Pepper.



TRUTH:
Few rules apply when it comes to flavours. In fact, real food flavours make the easy cross into ice-cream flavours.

OPPORTUNITY: Be the ice-cream rebels. Be the one people come to when they seek surprise.

New Ways of Eating Ice Cream. Singapore.

Singapore is a rather small island. But when it comes to eating ice-cream, we have broken more than a few rules. For example:

1. We sandwich our ice-cream in a slice of bread.




2. We have different ice-cream flavours all mixed up together.



3. We have ice-cream that comes in all sorts of different ‘tropical fruit’ flavours.


These are called Potong ice-cream. They come in sticks, and usually cost S$1 each. Interesting tropical fruit flavours range from Durian and Jackfruit, to Red Bean and Sweet Corn.

4. We also encourage a generous topping of Milo or Horlicks on even the best quality of ice-creams. (For the uninitiated, Milo and Horlicks are hot malted beverages usually taken as breakfast.)



5. We also put ice-cream into the savory Indian pancake: Roti Prata.



It used to be only eaten with curry....



But today, Prata shops now offer a new variation – one that’s wrapped around generous servings of ice-cream.


This is a shot of a prata with at 3 scoops of ice cream wrapped in it. With fresh chocolate and strawberry sauce drizzled on top.

If you're curious to find out how ice-cream prata is made, check out this video clip:



TRUTH:
Quite evidently, the way ice-cream is presented is just as important as the taste of the ice-cream itself.

OPPORTUNITY:
Inspire new ways of eating ice cream .
Invent the next banana split.

Play with it. Global.

Mix it, swirl it, suck it. Sticky, sweet, messy.

Nowadays, food can be taken so seriously. But even when ice cream goes gourmet, it's hard to keep the smile off your face when you eat it.

Opportunity: Leave good manners at home and let people to get messy. Let them play with their food.




From China to America, people do strange things with their ice cream;

In Beijing we ate corn flavored ice cream in the shape of a corn cob.
In USA we watched people smash cookies, nuts and fruit into their own personal mixtures.
In cinemas around the world people dip their cones into their popcorn bags.
In Singapore the locals love ice cream sandwiched between slices of colorful bread.

Truth: Ice cream breaks all the food rules.

If You're Good. New York.

When you’re a kid, it’s simple. Good = Treat, Bad = No treat.

Everyone has a childhood ice cream story. Amanda is from Alaska, but her story is one we've heard around the world;

“I hated brussel sprouts when I was little, I mean who doesn’t. But I was willing to go through all that pain and suffering just for a big bowl of ice cream that lay at the finish line... It was just so worth it.”



The thing is, when we grow up there's no one to hand out the rewards, so we treat ourselves. For adults ice cream is like a little pat on the back for our inner child.

Opportunity: Reward all the good kids in the world - big and small.

For the Experience. Beijing.

On Thursday night at a big Beijing cinema complex, and we met up with Lin, Ji and Huang; 3 university students who live down the road from one of Beijing's many Haagen Dazs cafes.



Haagen Dazs outlets seem to be popping up at every upscale mall and popular shopping corner in China's cities. Add to that the proliferation of Dairy Queens, and smaller ice cream chains such as Sprinkles... it's obvious the Chinese love their ice cream.

But it's much more than ice cream itself that's creating the buzz - these ice cream cafes offer Chinese people a unique experience, following in the successful footsteps of McDonalds and Starbucks.

Lin thinks Haagen Dazs is the perfect place for a beautiful date, she loves it when her boyfriend brings her here (and looking around we notice the room is filled with happy couples.)

"The music, the colors, the menu, the ice creams... it makes me feel very good, like wearing beautiful clothes. Like a luxury."



And it's not just (relatively expensive) Haagen Dazs that offers an experience; Ji takes his girlfriend to Dairy Queen - it suits his student budget;

"When we need some desert, some treat or indulgence we get a Blizzard at DQ. And now, whenever I see the DQ sign, it makes me want that again." (Funny how ice cream needs a little prompting.)



As we watched people linger over the menu, chat to their friends, flirt with their dates and indulge their senses with their choices, it became clear; ice cream is not a product, it's an experience.

Truth: Ice cream is more than a magical mix of ingredients, it is a little luxury experience that can suit almost any taste and budget.

Opportunity: Be a matchmaker.

Ice Cream is the Answer.

Sore throat? Top of the class? Broken heart? Good behaviour? Feeling hot? Tough day?

Whatever the issue - good or bad, reward or consolation - ice cream seems to be the answer.

When things go wrong, ice cream may not solve the problem but it at least makes you feel better for a moment or two.

When things go right, ice cream is the perfect not-too-serious reward.

Opportunity: Give people an ice cream answer when nothing else will do.

All Consuming. Global.

Over the past few weeks we've seen a lot of people eating ice cream, all over the world.

It's amazing to watch people eat ice cream because ice cream is all consuming. People stop talking. Stop moving. Stop everything. Ice Cream takes control.

Truth: People of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds love to let go and surrender to the ice cream experience.

The Queen of Ice Cream. Russia.

“Oh! I love ice-cream so much! My personal record is 12 portions a day. Out of all possible meals just ice-cream will do for me!”



Katya is all about freedom. She takes the most important decisions in life spontaneously (one may even say irresponsibly), it may seem to be not consistent and not logical, however it makes perfect sense to her.

When she was a child they had a story once. There were 20 portions of ice-cream for the two of them: her father and her. They have agreed to eat as fast as they can and see who will manage to eat more! And she won. She got 12 out of 20.

Now ice-cream is almost the only sweet she eats. Some time ago she decided to stop eating cakes, chocolates and other sweets, which are not healthy and not good for shape. She loved sweets, but her decision was to stop eating that stuff. Only ice-cream does not require any limits!

Being spontaneous, unpredictable, emotional and impulsive she is still a wise person. Her feminine power is all in that – being wise.

Don't limit indulgence. Why would you worry if there is nothing to worry about?