Mackie’s ice cream teams up with VisitScotland for ice cream tub on-pack campaign promoting Aberdeenshire and #ScotSpirit

Pictured at Dunnottar Castle are (L-R) Jim Wands, Dunnottar Castle Custodian; Jo Robinson, VisitScotland Regional Director and Stuart Common, Commercial Director at Mackie's of Scotland

Pictured at Dunnottar Castle are (L-R) Jim Wands, Dunnottar Castle Custodian; Jo Robinson, VisitScotland Regional Director and Stuart Common, Commercial Director at Mackie’s of Scotland

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, 2016-Sep-05 — /Travel PR News/ — Aberdeenshire’s iconic Dunnottar Castle is to adorn 150,000 one-litre tubs of Mackie’s ice cream, as part of a promotion with VisitScotland.

The North-east food and farming giant has teamed up with the national tourism organisation for an online and ice cream tub on-pack campaign promoting Aberdeenshire and #ScotSpirit.

Earlier this year, VisitScotland launched its biggest ever global campaign and social movement – Spirit of Scotland. The multi-million pound campaign is built on extensive research that shows the people think Scotland has a unique spirit – whether it’s the magic of the landscapes or the warmth of the people. It has already been hugely successful, with more than 160,000 shares of #ScotSpirit since launch.

VisitScotland has revealed its own #ScotSpirit with a new brand, website, TV advert and launch of an innovative digital marketing approach and online community. The national tourism organisation is asking people from all walks of life, from all parts of the world what #ScotSpirit means to them.

Dunnottar Castle plays a starring role in defining the ‘spirit’ of Scotland in the campaign. It has featured on advertising in the London Underground, in media and in direct mail packs as part of the campaign.

The partnership between Mackie’s and VisitScotland comes on the back of two previous successful joint campaigns in the Year of Homecoming 2014 and Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink 2015. The on-pack design will include an image of Dunnottar Castle, part of Scotland’s Castle Trail, as well as the Spirit of Scotland branding.

The promotion, which aims to promote the region, offers people the chance to win a family break to Aberdeenshire and will run from September through to April 2017. It will appear on 150,000 one-litre tubs of Mackie’s ice cream, which are distributed into all major national supermarkets), and through Mackie’s digital channels.

The lucky winner will scoop a two-night B&B family break at Meldrum House Hotel, a VIP tour of Mackie’s Farm, a year’s supply of Mackie’s ice cream and chocolate and £100 travel expenses.

The Mackie family has been producing its famous ice cream from the 1,600-acre Westertown Farm, near Inverurie, since 1986 and has now also branched out into chocolate and crisps. The wind, land and cows help to produce the fresh milk and power for the ice cream dairy. Referred to as the ‘sky to scoop’ process, the wind provides power for the farm that grows the crops, to feed the cows who make the milk and cream in

Mackie’s ice cream. They also produce their own packaging on-site as part of their aim to become one of the most eco-friendly businesses in Scotland.

Jo Robinson, VisitScotland Regional Director for Aberdeen City & Shire, said:

“This partnership with Mackie’s offers a great opportunity for us to promote #ScotSpirit and increase the reach of the Spirit of Scotland campaign to maximise inspiration, as well as offering people the chance to win a break in this stunning region. This innovative way of promoting Aberdeenshire is also a perfect fit for 2016 – Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

“We hope this award-winning campaign will inspire more people to visit Scotland and let them share their #ScotSpirit with us. It is fantastic that Aberdeenshire, through Dunnottar Castle – such an iconic and recognisable castle in the North-east – is being promoted to so many people.”

Karin Hayhow, Marketing Director from Mackie’s Ice Cream said:

“Scotland certainly does have a unique and special spirit and we are delighted to be working with VisitScotland to offer a chance to win a break and come to enjoy our home area of Aberdeenshire. We like to think that the unique taste of Mackie’s Ice Cream is in part due to the Spirit of Scotland, as it’s made with fresh, local, natural ingredients, powered by nature and made by people happy to be living and working in this beautiful rural environment!”

Jim Wands, Custodian at Dunnottar Castle, said:

“Aberdeenshire has so much to offer the visitor, and it’s great to see Mackie’s, one of the area’s premier producers, showcasing the Castle and the wider area on their flagship product.”

For more information about the Spirit of Scotland campaign, please visit: www.visitscotland.com/scotspirit

Notes to Editors

  • Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
  • VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
  • The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
  • This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
    1. Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
    2. Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
    3. Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international       opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
    4. Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
    5. Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
    6. Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
    7. Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
  • VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
  • The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
  • Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
  • The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit www.gov.scot or follow @scotgovESIF
  • For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
  • Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
  • For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
  • For information about business events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
    Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016
  • 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
  • The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design begins on 1 January 2016 and ends on 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
  • Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
  • The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
  • The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
  • Join the conversation at #IAD2016
  • Events can join the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Partner Programme throughout the year by visiting http://www.eventscotland.org/YIAD_partner_programme