Rum brand turns heads with fishy ice cream van stunt
An ice cream van serving seafood instead of soft serve is touring the UK this week in a new street-level marketing campaign from Kraken Rum.
Dubbed Sea Scoops, the stunt sees a black, tentacle-topped van dish out gelato-style scoops of smoked mackerel pâté, spicy tuna and creamy taramasalata in black wafer cones. Each scoop comes with an unexpected garnish – including Monster Munch crisps, king prawns, caviar and octopus – along with bold drizzles like buffalo hot sauce and Kraken teriyaki glaze.
Launched by Kraken Black Spiced Rum, the campaign reimagines familiar seafood recipes in the visual format of ice cream, aiming to amuse, surprise and attract attention on the high street. The unorthodox concept was developed with the help of food professionals and leans into the brand’s taste for the theatrical.
From soft serve to seafood
The Sea Scoops van began its tour in Manchester on Tuesday (29 April) and will stop in Birmingham, London and Brighton across the week. Passers-by can sample the cones for free, while over-18s are invited to try chilled Kraken cocktails designed to complement the savoury scoops. Samples are available from 11:30am each day until they run out.
The full Sea Scoops menu includes:
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Smoked mackerel pâté with Monster Munch, cucumber and buffalo hot sauce
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Spicy sesame tuna with cured salmon, octopus and Kraken teriyaki glaze
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Taramasalata with king prawn, caviar and wild garlic oil
The van has recently been moored in Manchester and Birmingham; is in Battersea Power Station today (2 May) and heads to Brighton tomorrow (3 May).
The campaign forms part of Kraken’s long-running strategy of darkly humorous, high-impact activations that reflect its bold brand identity.
A taste for the theatrical
Kraken Rum, named after the mythical sea beast, has built a distinctive presence in the spirits category through its rich, spiced Caribbean blend and immersive storytelling. The brand, which introduced the world’s first black spiced rum, often incorporates nautical folklore, gothic imagery and surreal humour into its campaigns.
Previous activations have included limited-edition bottles themed around sea monsters, pop-up bars, and immersive Halloween events.
As the brand puts it: “To not respect the power of The Kraken is to not respect the sea.” With seafood in cones and rum in hand, it’s clear the Kraken remains committed to stirring the waters.
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