The death of an ice cream brand.

Remember these ads?



Breyers ice cream was once a brand built on the "all-natural" mantra. (Their most famous ad, which I can't seem to find, had a kid trying to pronounce the ingredients.)

Here's a later campaign, built on the same USP:



That's history now. In 1996, they started adding the very ingredients they used to make fun of, as a cost-cutting measure. And as The Consumerist points out today, many of their flavours can no longer technically be called "ice cream" in the United States:

The Unilever-owned corporate web site explains:

Frozen Dairy Dessert products are made with many of the same high-quality ingredients that are commonly found in Ice Cream – like fresh milk, cream and sugar – and offer a great taste and even smoother texture. These products do not fall within the current FDA definition of standardized Ice Cream, so we call them Frozen Dairy Dessert. 

... 

Since 1866, Breyers products have consistently delivered high-quality ingredients, great flavors and smooth creaminess that our fans love, and we remain committed to that Pledge. Our Ice Cream and new Frozen Dairy Dessert varieties continue to use fresh milk, cream and sugar. What distinguishes our Frozen Dairy Dessert from our Ice Cream is that it’s blended in a whole new way to create a smoother texture.

...and a cheaper product.

Old Man Breyer must be spinning in his grave.