Ferrero Gran Soleil
The Dessert Shoppers Froze at Home
Forgotten Food & Drinks · 2006–2014
Archived on
Region
Italy
Associated With
Ferrero - developer and marketer
Defining Feature
A room-temperature dessert frozen by consumers at home
Status
Discontinued - Italian national suspension reported in 2014
Overview
Ferrero Gran Soleil was an Italian after-meal dessert sold at room temperature for home freezing.
Launched in Italy in 2006, its sealed tubs went into a domestic freezer for several hours before serving as a sorbet-like dessert. The first documented pack contained two 65-gram lemon tubs.
Ferrero later expanded the range beyond lemon, then suspended the enlarged Italian commercial test in 2014 after Gran Soleil had already vanished from many major chains.
Why It Mattered
Gran Soleil’s unusual design shifted the final cold-chain step from retailer to household, allowing a frozen-style dessert to be produced, transported, stored and displayed without refrigeration. Ferrero promoted reduced cold-chain energy use as an environmental aim rather than a measured result.
The same format asked shoppers to plan ahead and made the product unusually difficult to explain: it resembled a sorbet but was not ready to eat. Ferrero used repeated campaigns, celebrity appearances and detailed serving instructions to make that unfamiliar ritual clear.
From Shelf to Freezer
- Ferrero described Gran Soleil as produced, transported, stored and displayed without refrigeration before consumers froze it at home.
- The 2006 launch pack held two 65-gram lemon tubs at a recommended price of €1.25.
- A 520-gram multipack was listed at €5 and included two serving cups.
Flavours and Advertising
- Documented variants include lemon, mandarin, passion fruit, pineapple and coffee-cappuccino, but the list is not complete.
- Advertising used the phrase “Gran Soleil, il nettare degli dèi” and featured Antonella Clerici, Enrico Montesano and Carlo Conti.
- Ferrero recorded innovation recognition for Gran Soleil in its 2009–2010 and 2012 corporate reports.
Test and Withdrawal
- A 2008 campaign sought to explain Gran Soleil’s preparation and after-meal positioning.
- Ferrero later said that the need for advance preparation demanded substantial communication.
- In October 2014, Ferrero said it had suspended the enlarged commercial test across Italy; Corriere della Sera reported the company's statement. The product had already disappeared from many major chains. Reported explanations for its reception remain unproven.
Sources & Records
- Ferrero — 2008–2009 corporate responsibility report — Dates Gran Soleil’s launch to 2006.
- Ferrero suspends Gran Soleil’s national test — Corriere della Sera, October 2014 — Quotes Ferrero’s explanation for suspending the Italian commercial test and the preparation and communication demands.
- Ferrero — 2012 corporate responsibility report — Documents the lemon, mandarin and coffee-cappuccino variants in its awards coverage.
- Ferrero — 2009–2010 corporate responsibility report — Records the product’s innovation recognition.
Gallery
Credit
Ferrero Gran Soleil packaging; photograph reproduced by Il Fatto Alimentare. Individual photographer uncredited.
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
A frozen dessert that shoppers took home unfrozen. Gran Soleil asked them to shake the tub and put it in the freezer before serving it after a meal.
Credit
Ferrero S.p.A., 2011 promotional webpage; screenshot reproduced by Il Fatto Alimentare. Photographer and designer uncredited.
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Gran Soleil was sold as a little after-dinner ritual. Ferrero’s 2011 campaign paired Antonella Clerici with bright lemon imagery and an explanation of the product.