By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Wall’s has teamed up with Minecraft, the world’s bestselling video game, to launch a limited-edition ice cream aimed squarely at gaming enthusiasts.
The partnership taps into a vast and highly engaged audience, with more than three billion people worldwide playing online games and 80% of them regularly snacking or drinking while gaming.
Wall’s is a division of the Magnum Ice Cream Company, the largest ice cream company in the world. Wall’s has been making ice cream for over 100 years, and its products are sold in more than 52 countries, under 27 different local names. In the UK and most parts of Asia, it is known as Wall’s, but in Italy, you’ll see the name Algida, in Germany, it’s Langnese, Ola in the Netherlands; and in Brazil, Wall’s is known as Kibon.
The collaboration arrives as Minecraft enjoys renewed cultural relevance following the release of A Minecraft Movie earlier this year, which grossed $300 million in its opening week. Since then, the game’s player base has expanded by 30% to over 170 million active users, making it a ripe opportunity for brands looking to engage with Gen Z consumers.
“By working with a culturally active IP like Minecraft, our goal was for Wall’s to create the must-try ice cream of the year,” said Leyal Eskin Yilmaz, Chief Marketing Officer for The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
A Pixel-Inspired Treat
The Wall’s Minecraft ice cream stick is designed to replicate the game’s signature blocky aesthetic, featuring three distinct layers of coloured ice cream to mimic the strata players dig through in the Minecraft universe. At just 73 calories per stick, the product also leans into today’s demand for lighter indulgences.
The product’s rollout strategy draws on gaming culture’s love of discovery and scarcity. “We know scarcity and collectability are valued by the gaming community,” said Yilmaz. “Much like the game, fans will have to hunt it down in-store, adding to a sense of discovery and collectability.”
The launch will be supported by a TikTok-first influencer campaign, with additional activity on Twitch to tap into gaming communities where they already spend time. Research shows 63% of Gen Z trust influencer recommendations, and 45% are more likely to purchase influencer-promoted products than items seen via celebrities or friends.
“Every new launch, whether it’s a movie or a new ice cream, needs to connect with the right consumer demographic in a way that speaks to them,” said Yilmaz. “By speaking to Minecraft fans in their own language and sparking conversation around the film, the game and the product, we’re building engagement that feels authentic.”
Expansion to Key Gaming Markets
Following its UK debut in July, the Minecraft ice cream is now also available in the Netherlands through Jumbo and Albert Heijn, with rollouts planned for Italy, Poland, and Spain later this year. Each market represents both strong gaming communities and significant ice cream sales potential.
“There’s something special about the way people connect with this game,” Yilmaz said. “We hope our Minecraft ice cream will capture some of that fun and creativity that gamers appreciate and make it an engaging and rewarding product experience.”
Yilmaz also says this launch underscores The Magnum Ice Cream Company’s ambition to fuse cultural relevance with speed and innovation, translating major IP partnerships into products that resonate across both lifestyle and snacking categories.
Magnum is Unilever’s ice cream division, and is set to be spun off as a separate company later this year.