Nestlé to boost Kit Kat with Chunky ice cream

Nestlé is launching a Kit Kat Chunky ice cream as an extension of its number one chocolate bar brand. The confectionery giant is believed to be pouring £3m into the March launch, which will include TV advertising.

Nestlé is launching a Kit Kat Chunky ice cream as an extension of its number one chocolate bar brand.

The confectionery giant is believed to be pouring £3m into the March launch, which will include TV advertising.

Nestlé dropped its Kit Kat ice cream last year (MW January 21, 1999), three years after its launch. Industry sources claim the move was due to disappointing sales.

But the company claims in its confectionery report for 1999 that Chunky pushed sales of Kit Kat past £250m for the first time last year.

One source says: “Kit Kat has been boosted since Chunky came out and Nestlé wants to capitalise on that.”

Another source adds: “The Kit Kat ice cream flopped because the ice cream made the wafer soggy.

“Nestlé has made sure the Chunky looks and tastes exactly the same as the chocolate bar. It’s eaten like a choc ice and has red foil packaging.

“The trouble Nestlé faces is to convince people its got it right this time.”

Nestlé is also bringing out Toy Story 2 ice lollies, featuring characters from the film.

A Nestlé spokesman says: “We’re always considering opportunities to extend our confectionery brands into ice cream and we’ll be unveiling our summer range in March.”

Sources say Birds Eye Wall’s is launching the Magnum Double Chocolate – with a layer of chocolate surrounded by chocolate ice cream and coated with chocolate – to follow the Magnum Double Caramel, which was rolled out last year.

Wall’s is also launching a Bart Simpson chocolate and banana lolly, with 12 collectable wrappers featuring Bart slogans such as “Cowabunga”.

A strawberry-flavoured Tom & Jerry lolly in six different moulds, and a chocolate, sherbet and lime lolly called Loop the Loop are also being rolled out by Wall’s.