Cold Stone Creamery announced on May 27, 2026 a limited-time collaboration with DC Studios and Warner Bros. in advance of Supergirl, arriving in theaters June 26, 2026. The promotion runs now through July 21, 2026 at Cold Stone Creamery locations nationwide. The centerpiece is a new Kettle Corn Ice Cream, available in two formats: Supergirl’s Cosmic Kettle Corn Creation and Supergirl’s Popcorn Supernova Shake. A Supergirl Sweepstakes runs through July 21 with a grand prize of an Adult Space Camp Experience for Two at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Jana Schneider, Vice President of National Programs at Kahala Brands, is the spokesperson. Cold Stone Creamery is owned by Kahala Brands, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, one of the fastest-growing franchising companies in the world with nearly 30 brands and approximately 3,000 locations in 35 countries. Cold Stone Creamery operates nearly 1,500 locations globally in approximately 30 countries.
The New Kettle Corn Ice Cream: Sweet-and-Salty in a Frozen Dairy Format
Kettle Corn Ice Cream is the genuine new product in this announcement. Kettle corn as a flavor profile is the most precisely defined sweet-and-salty combination in the snack category: the characteristic flavor comes from the Maillard reaction between sugar and the corn kernel’s starch and protein during the popping process, producing a caramelized sweetness alongside the inherent savory and starchy character of popped corn. Translating that flavor into a frozen dairy ice cream base requires a natural or artificial kettle corn flavor compound at the concentration and balance that delivers the characteristic caramelized sweetness and light savory note without the actual texture of popcorn in the frozen dairy matrix.
The sweet-and-salty balance is the formulation challenge. In a kettle corn flavor ice cream, the sweet side is delivered through the dairy fat and sugar base of the ice cream itself alongside the kettle corn flavor compound’s caramelized sugar notes. The salty side requires either sodium in the flavor compound, a separate salt mineral addition, or the inherent savory character of the corn flavor. Getting the ratio right so the product reads as kettle corn rather than simply as sweet corn or caramel requires a flavor compound specification that has been developed for the frozen dairy base’s fat content and temperature-suppressed flavor perception.
The Two Supergirl Formats: Sourcing Notes
Supergirl’s Cosmic Kettle Corn Creation layers Kettle Corn Ice Cream with Caramel Corn, Caramel, and Supergirl Sprinkles. The Caramel Corn inclusion is the most distinct ingredient beyond the ice cream base: it requires a shelf-stable, coated popcorn piece with sufficient structural integrity to maintain crunch when folded into ice cream at Cold Stone’s preparation temperature without becoming soggy across the Creation’s service window. Commercial caramel corn inclusions for frozen dessert applications require a caramel coating system with low moisture uptake and a kernel that has been dried to a moisture content that resists rapid softening at near-freezing temperatures. The Caramel sauce is a separate pourable caramel system at the viscosity and pour specification for Cold Stone’s stone mixing process. The Supergirl Sprinkles are licensed confectionery sprinkles in a color system aligned with the Supergirl character’s visual identity.
Supergirl’s Popcorn Supernova Shake blends Kettle Corn Ice Cream with Caramel Corn, topped with Whipped Topping and Supergirl Sprinkles. The shake format requires the Kettle Corn Ice Cream at the consistency and mix-in distribution compatible with Cold Stone’s blending process, with the Caramel Corn incorporated into the shake matrix rather than folded on a stone.
Cold Stone’s Summer 2026 IP Partnership Strategy
This is the third Cold Stone Creamery announcement we have covered in less than two weeks. The OREO & REESE’S Summer Creations launched May 13. The Supergirl collaboration launches May 27, with the film arriving June 26. Both run through the summer peak season simultaneously, which means Cold Stone has two distinct licensed IP activations running concurrently at its nearly 1,500 global locations through July.
The Supergirl collaboration follows the same co-branding architecture as the King’s Hawaiian Banana Bites x Minions partnership and the Kellogg’s Toy Story 5 in-box toys activation: a theatrical release window creates a defined promotional calendar with a built-in earned media event at both the announcement and the film’s opening weekend. For Cold Stone, the licensed creation format is the most operationally efficient IP activation possible because the base ice cream and mix-in production infrastructure already exists. The new ingredient is the Kettle Corn Ice Cream flavor plus the Caramel Corn inclusion qualification for a frozen dessert application, not a new production line.
Why It Matters for Kettle Corn Flavor, Caramel Corn Inclusion, and Frozen Dairy Ingredient Suppliers
Cold Stone Creamery’s Kettle Corn Ice Cream launch at nearly 1,500 global locations through July 21, 2026 creates a new application channel for kettle corn flavor compound at the sweet-and-salty balance specification for a frozen dairy ice cream base, and for caramel corn inclusion pieces at the low-moisture coating and structural integrity specification required for a stone-mixed ice cream Creation format and a blended shake application at Cold Stone’s handcrafted daily production standard. For kettle corn and caramel corn flavor suppliers and confectionery popcorn inclusion manufacturers serving the specialty frozen dessert segment, Cold Stone’s Supergirl collaboration is a new sweet-and-salty frozen dessert application at Kahala Brands’ global franchise scale with a defined two-month promotional window.
FAQs
What is the new Kettle Corn Ice Cream? A new limited-time Cold Stone Creamery flavor with a sweet-and-salty kettle corn profile. Available now through July 21, 2026 as Supergirl’s Cosmic Kettle Corn Creation (with Caramel Corn, Caramel, and Supergirl Sprinkles) and Supergirl’s Popcorn Supernova Shake (with Caramel Corn, Whipped Topping, and Supergirl Sprinkles).
What is the Supergirl Sweepstakes? Running now through July 21, 2026. Grand prize: Adult Space Camp Experience for Two at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
When does Supergirl release? In theaters and IMAX across North America on June 26, 2026. Internationally beginning June 24, 2026. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
How big is Cold Stone Creamery? Nearly 1,500 locations globally in approximately 30 countries. Owned by Kahala Brands, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nearly 30 brands, approximately 3,000 locations in 35 countries across the Kahala portfolio.
About Source86
Cold Stone Creamery’s Kettle Corn Ice Cream and Supergirl collaboration reflect active demand for kettle corn flavor compound at the sweet-and-salty frozen dairy ice cream specification, caramel corn inclusion pieces at the low-moisture coating and structural integrity required for a stone-mixed Creation and blended shake application, confectionery sprinkle inputs at the licensed IP color specification for the Supergirl Sprinkles decoration element, pourable caramel sauce at the Cold Stone stone-mixing viscosity specification, and whipped topping inputs for the Popcorn Supernova Shake finishing application. At Source86, we connect specialty frozen dessert operators, franchise scoop shop brands, and CPG ingredient buyers with trusted sourcing partners for flavor compounds, confectionery inclusions, caramel systems, and the ingredient infrastructure supporting licensed IP ice cream activations at global franchise scale. Contact Source86 today to start your sourcing search.
