Here’s something to ponder: pretty much everyone, I mean EVERYONE, likes root beer floats. Yet when was the last time root beer floats came up in one of your conversations? 10, 20 years ago? There is an underground army of root beer float lovers, and thanks to this new product launch, the exclusion of floats from everyday conversation may be about to end.

On Wednesday, Cadbury Schweppes, makers of Dr. Pepper, Sunkist and A&W Root Beer, put out a press release announcing that their company is unveiling the first “authentic” ice cream float in a bottle.

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The press release proclaims:

“More than 110 years after the ice- cream float was first consumed, A&W and Sunkist Floats are being introduced to recreate all the rich creamy frothiness of a real ice cream float in a bottle. A&W and Sunkist Floats – first-of-their-kind, float-like beverages – deliver a real float experience without all of the fuss.”

I’m a little skeptical of their ability to deliver a “real float experience”, but you better believe I’m going to be trying this.

Click below to read my thoughts on how their product launch went wrong and how the heck they can make this taste like a real float.


Sadly this product launch comes with yet another example of a company not only failing to utilize the web as part of their launch, but making a mistake that will cause negative publicity. The press release touted the website floats.com. Unfortunately the site was NOT live when the press releases went out, and STILL isn’t live. (note to marketers: ALWAYS have your website live if you are touting it in a press release).

People have noticed. the daily (ad) biz wrote a post about the product launch titled, “oops, we forgot the website.” What should have been an all positive write-up for the product’s debut instead focused almost entirely on the fact that they were promoting a website that didn’t exist.

I contacted Cadbury’s PR folks over at Ketchum and they informed me that the website won’t actually be launched until later this month. Hmmm…ok, then why was it in the press release? While it would have been ideal to have the website ready to go the same time the product launched, they also could have just left the website out of the press release to avoid any blowback from promoting a non-existent site.

However, thanks do go out to the folks at Ketchum for providing me with the two images of the floats in a bottle that you see above, and also for sending me a “pitch letter” touting the new floats. If you’re like me, you may be wondering how exactly they are going to make this all work. Well according to the pitch letter:

“The soda-shop inspired glass bottles are used as part of the innovative and proprietary bottling process required to produce the first of its kind carbonated dairy-based Floats product.”

Hmmm…innovative? proprietary? first of its kind? Those sound like nerd words to me. What exactly does Cadbury have up their sleeve? My guess is a bunch of chemicals that make it taste frothy. I’m uber-skeptical, but I can’t wait to try this product out, and I’ll be sure to let you know what I think once I do.

I wish you luck with this product launch Cadbury, I’m ever so hopeful that this will be good. Oh, and Cadbury? Next time don’t tout a website that doesn’t exist.

13 Responses

  1. daily biz

    I agree – the product sounds like a tasty one. From what I have heard, Cadbury has a patent (or is about to get a patent) on a process that allows for a partially dairy product to be shelf stable. They believe that this process is revolutionary and that the actual dairy nature of it means that it really is like a float.

    That remains to be seen, of course.

    Hopefully the product is better than the marketing roll out.

    Reply
  2. Steph

    I’ve never tried to visit a beverage website before, but a friend and I purchased both flavors of float soda to try them out, and we’ve never tasted anything quite as terrible before. I wanted to find the website simply to complain about it. Aside from the terrible taste, we payed $7.79 for a 4 pack…rediculous for soda, but it sounded so good that we decided to give it a shot anyway. Bad move.

    Reply
  3. Youppi

    no ice cream = not a float.

    “a real float experience without all of the fuss”, ummmmm? I like the fuss, aka, a giant scoop of ice cream in my REAL float.

    I haven’t seen this yet, but if what Steph says is true, (7.79 for a 4 pack of SODA), I’d rather by a 2 liter, some ice cream and make it myself, fuss and all.

    Reply
  4. Matt

    After trying both flavors I would have to say the Sunkist fairs better, but both suffer from being WAY too sweet and in the case of the A&W Float it’s off the mark in taste, almost like a marmellow rather than the traditional root beer and vanilla ice cream flavor. Fun idea but it just make a person want the real thing. So in conclusion, I wanted to like them but sadly I can’t endorse them.

    Reply
  5. Ryan

    The orange is my new muse. I love it. The a&w is a bit of a let down. The rootbeer flavor is somehow off. The sunkist I want to buy a 100 count case of.

    Here is a hint at least for the orange. Leave it in the freezer just long enough to let it get partially frozen. Mmm yummy!

    Reply
  7. SunkistLover

    HOLY COW!

    You want an authentic Ice Cream Float experience? This is more realistic then a REAL FLOAT!

    Today I bought a 4-Pack of the Sunkistâ„¢ Floats and after leaving one to chill in the fridge for a few hours – I tried it – and believe me, I was blown away.

    As a regular consumer of all kinds of premimium beverages, it seems as if Cadbury-Schwepps has made this indulgent product just for me – and for anyone who could use a break to enjoy a cool, refreshing Float Experience – out of a bottle!

    Reply
  8. Eick

    Rest assured that this posting from “SunkistLover” has made me more eager than ever to track down this product and review it (I’m anticipating a not very good review).

    Reply
  9. perry

    we have tried the Sunkist Orange. Just as another said if you leave them in freezer just long enough to get slushy they are great. Sweet but that is the point of a float. They are very hard to find right now and that is a problem. Price was under $6.00 and worth it.

    Reply
  10. Mandy

    I have had them both and I adore them!! I like the orange one bet but I could drink like…. 50 of each per day…. They are really divine and sooooo delicious. I never put mine in the freezer, I will have to do that.

    Reply

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