Smith Dairy and Keebler Team Up for Premium Ice Cream

Smith Dairy Products Co. (Orrville, OH) has found a way to add value to its ice cream. The dairy company has joined forces with the Keebler Food Co. (Elmhurst, IL) to produce four new premium ice cream flavors that are now available.

The partnership with Keebler represents Smith's latest entree into co-branding with a nationally recognized company. Keebler has lent its Fudge Shoppe Deluxe Grahams Cookies and Fudge Shoppe Grasshopper Cookies to Smith's own ice cream line.

"We're thrilled to be able to join forces with a brand as well recognized as Keebler," says Bill McCabe, director of marketing for Smith Dairy. "Two great products have come together to make a variety of rich, delicious ice cream flavors."

The ice cream is blended with chunks of real Keebler cookies to create four combinations:

• S'mores features chocolate ice cream with Fudge Shoppe Deluxe Grahams Cookies and swirls of marshmallow.
• Fudge Grahams 'n Caramel combines Smith's peanut butter ice cream with Fudge Shoppe Deluxe Grahams Cookies and swirls of caramel.
•Fudge Grahams 'n Peanut Butter is a blend of peanut butter ice cream with Fudge Shoppe Deluxe Grahams Cookies and swirls of peanut butter
• Fudge Mint Cookies 'n Cream has chocolate ice cream blended with Grasshopper Fudge Mint Cookies.

The premium ice cream is packaged in half-gallon squares and prominently features the Keebler logo, Fudge Shoppe cookies and even Keebler's beloved Ernie the Elf churning out bits of cookie pieces.

Smith Dairy hopes to expand its line of co-branded ice cream and plans to introduce more premium products into its line. In the meantime, the company is proud of its most recent venture with Keebler.

"We think it's a great fit," says McCabe. "At Smith's we take great pride in the quality of our products, and everyone knows the quality and great taste of Keebler products."