System1: Cornetto Scoops an Exceptional 5.9 Stars as Ice Cream Wars Heat Up

Jul. 07, 2026

As the UK embraced the warmest May and June since records began, System1’s latest creative effectiveness data reveals how ice cream brands are embracing decades of distinctive brand-building to achieve exceptional performance.

Cornetto and Ben & Jerry's lead the pack, with Cornetto's iconic jingle and Ben & Jerry's instantly recognisable visual identity demonstrating the power of consistent creative assets that consumers know, feel and remember.

The top scoring ice cream adverts of summer 2026 so far have all outperformed last year’s ice cream category average of 4.3 Stars. They are:

• Cornetto – 5.9 Stars | Test Your Ad
• Ben & Jerry’s – 5.7 Stars | Test Your Ad
• Solero – 5.7 Stars | Test Your Ad
• Nutella (10s) – 5.2 Stars | Test Your Ad
• Nutella (20s) – 4.6 Stars | Test Your Ad

Their success reinforces a core principle of System1 and Effie's The Creative Dividend: brands that build emotional connections, maintain consistency and invest in distinctiveness create the foundations for long-term growth.

Newcomer Nutella has provided a compelling example of entering the category with familiarity and differentiation. The brand achieved 91% fluency in a 10-second ad by combining familiar category cues, such as recognisable ice cream tub packaging, with the distinctive colours and assets associated with the Nutella master brand.

Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer – Advertising, System1 said:

"The story behind this leaderboard is simple: consistency works. Every brand in the top rankings outperformed the category average, and every one of them leaned into distinctive assets they've spent years building. In ice cream, where almost every brand is selling joy, indulgence and sunshine, standing out is incredibly difficult, and these foundations are no longer a source of advantage alone; they are a necessity. The winners aren't the brands shouting the loudest; they're the brands people recognise instantly. That's the magic of consistency. It compounds over time, turning creative assets into commercial assets. It's wonderful to see brands with the confidence to understand their category, stay true to themselves and shine like the sun in a sea of stars."