National Ice Cream Day 2019, observed on Sunday, 21st July, provided consumers with numerous opportunities to enjoy complimentary ice cream and related promotional offers. The event, which coincided with National Ice Cream Month throughout July, saw participation from various national chains and independent retailers. These promotions ranged from completely free items to buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deals and discounted purchases. The availability of these offers varied significantly between brands, with specific eligibility requirements, time constraints, and geographic restrictions applying to many of the deals.
The majority of the promotional activity was concentrated within the United States, with limited evidence of specific National Ice Cream Day initiatives targeting UK consumers directly from the major chains listed. However, the structure of these offers provides a useful insight into how brands typically utilise such promotional days to drive footfall and reward loyalty. The offers detailed below were verified across multiple deal aggregation sites and brand announcements from July 2019.
Major Chain Promotions and Purchase Requirements
Several high-profile ice cream retailers structured their National Ice Cream Day offers around volume purchases or specific transaction requirements rather than purely giving away single scoops.
Baskin-Robbins featured prominently in the source data, offering two pre-packed quarts of ice cream for a total of $7.99 on 21st July. This deal included the "U.S.S. Butterscotch" flavour, which was inspired by the television series Stranger Things. An alternative deal offered two 56-oz containers for $9.99. Additionally, Baskin-Robbins offered a free scoop of ice cream via Doordash for orders of $10 or more, provided the code FREESCOOP was used at checkout. It is important to note that the Doordash offer relied on a third-party delivery service and was valid only on the specific date of the holiday.
Cold Stone Creamery took a different approach to the holiday by focusing on gift card incentives. The brand offered a free $10 Bonus eCard for every $30 in gift cards purchased on National Ice Cream Day. The bonus eCard was valid for use between 21st July and 31st August 2019. This strategy encouraged upfront spending in exchange for future value. For members of the Cold Stone rewards club who had joined prior to 18th July, an unspecified BOGO deal was available.
Carvel and Cream both utilised BOGO mechanics. Carvel offered a free soft serve cone or cup with the purchase of another of equal or lesser value on 21st July. Similarly, Cream offered a second scoop free with the purchase of any scoop on both 21st and 22nd July.
Graeter’s Ice Cream marked their 149th anniversary by offering any single dip of ice cream on a sugar cone for $1.49 on the holiday. Culver’s provided a free scoop of custard, but this required the purchase of a value basket and the presentation of a specific coupon at participating locations.
Loyalty and App-Based Freebies
A recurring theme in the 2019 promotions was the requirement to be a member of a brand’s loyalty programme or to possess a specific mobile application to redeem offers.
Creamistry, a chain known for serving liquid nitrogen ice cream, restricted its free Ruby Cacao ice cream offer to loyalty members. This free item was conditional on a purchase of equal or greater value. Similarly, 16 Handles celebrated the holiday by gifting free soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt exclusively to 16 Handles Rewards members. To claim the free 3-oz serving, customers were required to download the 16 Handles app and scan a QR code at the register.
Bruster’s offered double points to Rewards members on 21st July. While they also offered a free baby cone to children under 40 inches tall, this was noted as an ongoing promotion not exclusive to the holiday.
Insomnia Cookies offered a free scoop of ice cream with any in-store purchase, though specific terms regarding loyalty were not detailed in the source data beyond the requirement of an in-store transaction.
Time-Sensitive and Location-Specific Giveaways
Certain offers were highly restrictive, limited to specific time windows or physical locations.
Dippin’ Dots participated by giving away free mini cups of ice cream. However, this was restricted to a two-hour window at participating locations. Consumers were advised to contact their local store to determine the specific timing of the giveaway.
Halo Top distributed free pops, but this was geographically limited to specific stores in Austin, Charlotte, New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Marble Slab Creamery offered a free small cup or cone, but only when purchasing a Majestic Shake. Furthermore, this offer was valid only between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM on weekdays throughout July 2019.
Cumberland Farms offered $1 off pints of ice cream, a discount rather than a free item.
Pet-Friendly and Non-Ice Cream Promotions
The promotional landscape for National Ice Cream Day 2019 extended beyond human consumption, with some brands targeting pet owners.
PetSmart offered free doggie ice cream topped with dog biscuit treats at participating PetsHotel locations. This was available without a booking requirement. Customers were encouraged to share photos of their pets enjoying the treats on social media using the hashtag #nationalicecreamday.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Johnny Rockets both offered free shakes with the purchase of an entree. Potbelly required customers to ask the cashier for the "Potbelly Free Shake for Ice Cream Day," while Johnny Rockets asked customers to request the shake from their server.
Nestlé Toll House Café celebrated National Ice Cream Month (July) rather than just the specific day, offering a free second scoop with the purchase of any scoop. This was valid at locations that serve ice cream and excluded toppings.
Godiva offered a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal on soft serve and parfaits.
Conclusion
National Ice Cream Day 2019 offered a diverse range of promotional strategies, from high-volume purchase discounts at Baskin-Robbins to app-exclusive freebies at 16 Handles and Creamistry. The majority of these deals required a qualifying purchase or active membership in a loyalty scheme. While many of the specific offers expired on 21st July 2019, the mechanisms used—such as app-based redemption, gift card bonuses, and time-limited giveaways—remain standard practices in the industry for similar promotional holidays. Consumers looking to participate in future National Ice Cream Day events should prepare to download brand applications and check local store participation ahead of the date.