For years, the Baskin-Robbins logo has been pink and blue. “BR” and the words “Baskin Robbins” were printed in a blocky children’s font.
In the new logo, that playful font is gone, replaced by a sharper version. The new brand comes in brown and pink, brown and blue, and pink and white.
In other words, the new Baskin-Robbins has grown. The makeover has been a long time coming.
“When we really thought about the journey … it started four years ago,” said Jason Maceda, president of Baskin-Robbins. That included “really listening to our guests.”
Baskin-Robbins’ leadership team heard that some customers felt very attached to the brand, which they associated with childhood trips with their parents or grandparents. But they also heard that there were “some opportunities to be more relevant,” Maceda said.
It’s important for brands like Baskin-Robbins to gain traction with younger consumers, not just people who remember it from their youth, so they have new customers.
The company’s leadership has been addressing the feedback in various ways. In late 2018, for example, Baskin-Robbins introduced a new design and layout for some stores. These “Moments” stores feature a more modern design, digital menu boards, more ice cream display cases, and more toppings and offerings.
So far, there are about 70 of these stores in all, Maceda said. That’s still just a small portion of the more than 7,700 Baskin-Robbins stores open worldwide.
The launch of the “Moments stores slowed down during the pandemic,” Maceda noted, adding that he is “excited to get that back up and running.”
To help maintain that momentum, Baskin-Robbins hopes to make a splash with its new look, flavors and products.
Bikes, bucket hats and ube ice cream
The new brand builds on the company’s history, said Jerid Grandinetti, Baskin-Robbins vice president of marketing and gastronomy.
Brothers-in-law Irvine “Irv” Robbins and Burton “Burt” Baskin founded the ice cream company in 1945. But they didn’t name it “Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream” until 1953.
“The original 1953 ad campaign was based on circus iconography,” Grandinetti said. That campaign used the pink and brown that Baskin-Robbins is reviving today.
That was also the year that Baskin-Robbins introduced the idea of 31 flavors, one for each day of the month. Both the new and old logos have “31” hidden between the B and R when the letters are placed together.
Today, Baskin-Robbins has hundreds of flavors in its portfolio. But you still have room for more.
Part of the update includes three new limited-time flavors: one is Non-Dairy Mint Chocochunk, one is Totally Unwrapped, made with peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, caramel swirls, fudge-covered pretzels, and fudge-covered peanuts. sugar and caramel. Grandinetti refers to that as a “deconstructed chocolate bar.”
The third flavor, Ube Coconut Swirl, is made with coconut ice cream and ube (a purple yam commonly used in Filipino desserts) with ube-flavored swirls.
Totally Unwrapped is the flavor of the month for April, while the other two will be available until spring and could stay longer depending on how customers react.
In addition to the new flavors and its new look, the company is launching a few products, including branded scrunchies, sweatshirts, bucket hats, and even bicycles.
Bicycles might seem like an odd choice for an ice cream company. But the brand’s new tagline, “Seize the Yay,” is all about celebrating little joyful moments. And nothing says “yay” like a ride on an ice cream-themed bike.
“We want to make sure we celebrate together with our guests,” Grandinetti said. “What better way to do that than to provide some fun, attention-getting items,” like a bike, as well as clothing that can be “part of her everyday lifestyle.”