The century-old ice cream cone will be the coolest treat in America next summer



During the summer of 1904, at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Mo., a teenaged ice cream vendor ran out of bowls and spoons. A nearby pastry vendor provided a solution by rolling one of his crisp, waffle-like treats into what is believed to be the first cone for ice cream.

Innovation keeps on rolling

A lot has changed since that very warm day at the fair 100 years ago. And in the world of cones, it has been a very fun ride.

In the early years cones were hand rolled. But by 1912, the first cone-rolling machine was invented, and since then, the cone has known no limits to the term innovation. Cones have been filled with just about every flavor of ice cream. They have been coated, dipped and rolled in all sorts of flavorful confections.

In recent years, thanks to advancements in cone manufacturing and filling technologies, cones come in flavors and in colors. They can be baked to contain inclusions, or filled with inclusion-loaded ice cream. Tops can be flat or round, with or without variegates. Indeed, the cone has come a long way in 100 years, and it is time to celebrate.

Norse Dairy Systems (NDS), Columbus, Ohio, a leading supplier of cones, equipment and other novelty needs, is launching a major campaign to get Americans to celebrate the ice cream cone turning a century old. As part of the campaign, NDS is providing ice cream cone manufacturers, marketers and retailers use of a specially designed 100th anniversary logo, which can be used in an unlimited number of ways.

"Retailers can use the logo to design all sorts of point-of-sale materials including floor decals, danglers, flags, freezer door clings and cart signage," says Susan Peruscini, NDS' marketing mgr. "Drawing attention to this once-in-a-century opportunity will create excitement in the novelty case.

"The logo will help manufacturers and marketers create cone awareness, which will increase their cone sales," says Peruscini. "They can use the logo on packaging, coupons and ads, as well as on billboards, Websites, trucks, etc."

Perfectly timed for the 100th anniversary, NDS is debuting a new generation of filling equipment.

"Our new IntelliFill includes real-time process measurement, which has never been done before in the novelty category," she says. "There are in-line weighing stations that can be located in different areas of the machine to weigh the amount of each component put in the final product. The scales identify products that fall out of the norm in weight.

"For example, if you are manufacturing a cone that is being sprayed on the inside with chocolate, you want to make sure you have enough chocolate to act as a barrier between the ice cream and the cone. But you don't want too much chocolate, as that can become costly," says Peruscini. "The in-line scales weigh the cones to make sure they contain just the right amount of chocolate. By having that information real-time, adjustments can be made immediately to be on target."

For more information on how to incorporate the anniversary cone logo into your 2004 marketing plans, or on the IntelliFill, call NDS at 800/338-7465.