Häagen-Dazs
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Brooklyn, New York (1961) |
| Founder(s) | Reuben and Rose Mattus |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Products | Ice cream |
| Parent | General Mills |
| Website | www.Haagen-Dazs.com |
Häagen-Dazs (pronounced /ˈhɑːɡəndɑːs/) is a brand of ice cream, established by Polish immigrants Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1961. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, the company opened its first retail store in Brooklyn, NY, on November 15, 1976[1] and then offered franchises throughout the United States and 54 other countries around the world. Häagen-Dazs produces ice cream, ice cream bars, ice cream cakes, sorbet and frozen yogurt.[2] The company that sells Häagen-Dazs products in the US[clarification needed] is located in Oakland, California.[3]
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[edit]Overview
The ice cream comes in many different flavors and is a "super-premium" brand, meaning it is quite dense (very little air is mixed in during manufacture), uses no emulsifiers or stabilizers other than egg yolks, and has a high butterfat content. Häagen-Dazs is also meant to be kept at a temperature that is substantially lower than most ice creams in order to keep its intended firmness. It is sold both in grocery storesand in dedicated retail outlets serving ice cream cones, sundaes, and so on.
[edit]Name
The name does not derive from any of the North Germanic languages; it is simply two made-up words meant to look Scandinavian to American eyes (thedigraphs "äa" and "zs" are not a part of any native words in any of the Scandinavian languages). This is known in the marketing industry as foreign branding. Mattus thought that Denmark was known for its dairy products and had a positive image in the U.S.[4] He included an outline map of Denmark on early labels, as well as the name of Copenhagen.[5]
Daughter Doris Hurley told PBS documentary An Ice Cream Show (1999) that her father Reuben Mattus sat at the kitchen table for hours saying nonsensical words until he came up with a combination he liked. The reason he chose this method, was so that the name would be completely unique and original.[6]
The playful spelling devices in the name evoke the spelling systems used in several European countries. Another example of this branding is the renaming of the Teatro Calderón in Madrid, Spain, to Teätro Häagen-Dazs Calderón.[7]
Double vowels are common in Dutch, but the use of the umlaut is not common in that context. The umlaut in the title would suggest an A sound like that in "cat". The word "haagen" would roughly translate to "Of The Hague". The word "Dazs" cannot be translated, and the "zs" combination is only found in Hungarian.
[edit]Business history
In 1980, Häagen-Dazs unsuccessfully sued Frusen Glädje, an ice cream maker whose name, in Swedish, means "frozen delight".[8]
Häagen-Dazs was bought by Pillsbury in 1983. General Mills bought Pillsbury in 2001.[9][10] However, in the United States and Canada, Häagen-Dazs products are produced by Nestlé subsidiary Dreyer's, which acquired the rights as part of the General Mills-Pillsbury deal.[11][12] The brand name is still owned by General Mills but is licensed to Nestlé in the US and Canada.
To offset increasing costs of their ingredients and the delivery of the product, Häagen-Dazs announced that in January 2009 it would be reducing the size of their ice cream cartons in the US from 16 US fl oz (470 ml; 17 imp fl oz) to 14 US fl oz (410 ml; 15 imp fl oz).[13] Additionally they announced that in March 2009 they would be shrinking the 32 US fl oz (950 ml; 33 imp fl oz) container to 28 US fl oz (830 ml; 29 imp fl oz).[14] In response, Ben & Jerry's said that they would not be changing the sizes of their cartons.[13][15]
[edit]Public relations
In 2009, a sign that appeared to invite only foreigners to a newly opened Häagen-Dazs in New Delhi, India, led to complaints. The Indian subsidiary removed it and apologized.[16][17]
- ^ See sign outside that first store, shown at File:Häagen-Dazs' first shop.jpg.
- ^ "Products". Häagen-Dazs. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Contact Us". Häagen-Dazs. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Haagen-Dazs whips up Japan gains with tailor-blended ice cream". The Daily Yomiuri(Tokyo): p. 1. August 16, 2004.
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (December 1, 2006). "Rose Mattus, 90, Co-Creator Of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, Dies". The New York Times: p. C.11. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "An Ice Cream Show (1999)". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ Teätro Häagen-Dazs Calderón (home page). Retrieved on 13 February 2007.
- ^ http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/handouts/adverts/ipr_11_95.html
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