The Economist offers up free insect ice cream in Sydney+Melbourne in new marketing campaign
As the weather heats up people in Sydney and Melbourne’s CBD will be able to enjoy a free ice cream from The Economist – with a twist: it contains real insects.
The insect ice cream cart is part of The Economist’s latest experiential marketing campaign in Australia – starting in Sydney tomorrow (November 18), and followed by Melbourne on November 24. The campaign will run for 10 days in both cities.
The aim of the campaign is to engage people with its editorial content and recruit new subscribers. The Economist’s insect ice cream cart will operate on weekdays and location updates will be available daily via The Economist Asia Facebook page.
The branded cart will offer flavours such as Scurry Berry, a fruity ice cream with a mix of insect bits, and the smooth and chocolatey Choc Hopper, containing real grasshopper chunks.
People will be able to read an article published in The Economist last year: ‘Why Eating Insects Makes Sense’. The story explores the idea of using insects to feed the ever-growing global population, projected to reach 11 billion by the end of the century. Feeding that many will be a challenge – further complicated by the impact of climate change on agriculture, the article argues. Consuming less meat and eating more insects could boost food supply and feed the world sustainably.
Grace Hahn, circulation and group marketing director for The Economist, Asia Pacific, said the aim of the campaign was to engage potential new readers by demonstrating The Economist covers a broad range of interesting and relevant issues.
Says Hahn: “As our subscribers across the world already know, The Economist offers so much more than simply business, financial and political news and analysis. Every week we deliver thought-provoking articles and content about the cultural, commercial and technological events that are shaping the society we live in.
“We wanted to demonstrate this and bring our newspaper and digital content to life in a unique and engaging way for potential readers in Sydney and Melbourne. What better way to provoke thought, discussion and debate about such an interesting and important topic than by giving out free insect-laced ice cream on a hot day in the city?”