In 2019, at the height of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wave, International Promotions secured a placement for long-time client Ben & Jerry’s in the giant, green, CGI hands of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. The Hulk ate directly out of a huge pint of Ben & Jerry’s fictitious flavor Hunka Hulka Burnin’ Fudge as Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) lectured him, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), and War Machine (Don Cheadle) about the Power Stone and the difference between Morag—a sentient planet—and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt).
The placement resulted in 12 seconds of excellent logo exposure and called back to another Ben & Jerry’s reference in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). In the film, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) proclaimed that “…I swore off dairy but then Ben & Jerry’s named a flavor after me”. To which Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) responded, “Stark Raving Hazelnuts. A bit chalky.” Wong (Benedict Wong), Master of the Mystical Arts, added, “A Hunka Hulka Burnin’ Fudge is our favorite”.
Both high-profile placements resulted from a collaboration, facilitated by International Promotions, between Ben & Jerry’s and Marvel Studios. Ben & Jerry’s developed the custom ice cream flavors to integrate seamlessly into the films’ narratives and get a few laughs. This partnership extended beyond the screen. Ben & Jerry’s was asked to serve Hulk-themed ice cream sundaes at the Avengers: Endgame premier which kicked off the highest opening weekend of all time and grossed $1.3 billion dollars! Ben & Jerry also participated in Marvel’s San Diego Comic-con events where they served ice cream at an event held aboard Marvel’s yacht which was covered by SYFY magazine!
These placements, in two of the highest grossing films of all time, and the resulting media coverage and online discussion delivered billions of impressions. Placements that align brands with zeitgeist films can cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars but these were secured, by International Promotions, for no additional fees.