Frigo
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFrigo is a Spanish ice-cream brand founded in Barcelona in 1927 and now associated with The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Frigo is a Spanish ice-cream brand with roots in Barcelona and a history extending back to 1927. It was established by the Rimblas brothers under the name Industrias Frigoríficas de Alimentación, S.A., becoming the first Spanish company identified with industrial ice-cream production. In its early years, the business had a broader frozen and chilled-food remit: besides ice cream, it produced yogurt and pre-cooked foods. The company subsequently expanded its distribution across Spain and adopted the Productos Frigo name. A major turning point came in 1973, when Unilever became Frigo's largest shareholder. At that time the business reportedly employed approximately 700 people. Under Unilever ownership, Frigo was reshaped into a specialist ice-cream operation rather than a diversified chilled-food producer. It also became a vehicle for developing and marketing products connected with Unilever's wider ice-cream portfolio in Spain. The brand's most important period of product creation followed its integration into Unilever. Frigo introduced or developed a series of products that became strongly associated with the Spanish impulse-ice-cream market, including Drácula in 1977, Frigodedo in 1980, Frigo Pie in 1983, Calippo in 1984, Twister in 1986 and Frac in 1989. These products combined novelty formats, distinctive names and relatively accessible single-serve pricing, helping Frigo build recognition among children, families and seasonal consumers. Several of the lines continued to be sold many years after their original launches. From 1998, Frigo adopted the unified Heartbrand visual identity used across much of Unilever's international ice-cream business. The heart logo linked the Spanish brand to a multinational portfolio while allowing local products and names to remain visible in the market. Frigo therefore operated both as a national master brand and as a distribution and marketing platform for broader ice-cream brands. The company's manufacturing footprint faced pressure in the late 2000s. In 2008, Unilever announced plans to close Frigo's Barcelona factory and eliminate 268 positions. The facility was ultimately sold to Farga, a Catalan ice-cream producer associated with the Farggi brand. This marked a significant change in Frigo's industrial structure, separating the brand from the factory in which much of its history had been rooted. Frigo remained part of Unilever's ice-cream business until the separation of that business into The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Following that corporate change, Frigo is associated with The Magnum Ice Cream Company rather than with Unilever's continuing operations. Its identity remains rooted in the Spanish market, where its best-known products and nostalgic heritage have made it a durable participant in packaged and impulse ice cream.
History
Frigo was founded in Barcelona in 1927 by the Rimblas brothers as Industrias Frigoríficas de Alimentación, S.A. It is described as the first Spanish company to produce ice cream industrially. The original business was not limited to frozen desserts: it also made yogurt and pre-cooked foods. As the company expanded across Spain, it used the Productos Frigo name and developed a broader national distribution presence. In 1973, Unilever became Frigo's largest shareholder. The company reportedly had around 700 employees at the time. Unilever's involvement transformed the business into a dedicated ice-cream operation. Frigo continued to serve the Spanish market while also distributing products connected to Unilever's international ice-cream activities. The late 1970s and 1980s were particularly important for Frigo's product identity. The company introduced a sequence of distinctive products, including Drácula in 1977, Frigodedo in 1980, Frigo Pie in 1983, Calippo in 1984, Twister in 1986 and Frac in 1989. Their novelty shapes, flavors and names helped establish Frigo as a familiar impulse-ice-cream brand. Some of these products remained in the market for decades and became associated with Spanish childhood and summer consumption. Beginning in 1998, Frigo adopted Unilever's unified Heartbrand identity. The heart-shaped logo created a common visual system across the multinational's ice-cream brands, while Frigo retained its local name and Spanish product heritage. In 2008, Unilever announced the closure of the Barcelona Frigo factory and planned redundancies affecting 268 workers. The facility was eventually sold to Farga, a Catalan company that produces Farggi ice cream. The sale changed Frigo's relationship with its historic manufacturing site and reflected a broader restructuring of production. Frigo remained within Unilever's ice-cream business until that business was separated into The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The brand is now associated with the latter company. Its principal significance remains in Spain, where its long-running product lines, national distribution history and recognizable heritage continue to define its market role.
- 2025
Ice-cream business moves to The Magnum Ice Cream Company
[1]Following the separation of Unilever's ice-cream operations, Frigo becomes associated with The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
- 2008
Barcelona factory closure is announced
[1]Unilever announces plans to close Frigo's Barcelona factory and make 268 employees redundant; the facility is later sold to Farga.
- 1998
Frigo adopts the Heartbrand identity
[1]The brand begins using Unilever's unified heart-logo system for its ice-cream business.
- 1989
Frac launches
[1]Frac is introduced, completing a notable sequence of Frigo product developments from the late 1970s and 1980s.
- 1986
Twister launches
[1]Twister joins the range of recognizable Frigo impulse ice creams.
- 1984
Calippo launches in the Frigo portfolio
[1]Calippo is introduced as part of Frigo's Spanish ice-cream offering.
- 1983
Frigo Pie launches
[1]Frigo adds Frigo Pie to its portfolio of branded novelty ice creams.
- 1980
Frigodedo launches
[1]Frigodedo is introduced as part of Frigo's expanding range of distinctive impulse products.
- 1977
Drácula launches
[1]Frigo develops the Drácula novelty ice cream, one of the products that later becomes central to its Spanish heritage.
- 1973
Unilever becomes the largest shareholder
[1]Unilever takes the largest shareholder position in Frigo, beginning the brand's long association with the multinational ice-cream business.
Products and positioning
A mass-market Spanish ice-cream brand combining locally recognized novelty products with the scale, distribution and portfolio connections of an international ice-cream group. Its positioning also draws on nostalgia, with several products originating in the late twentieth century and remaining recognizable across generations.
Novelty ice cream · 1977
Drácula
Introduced in 1977, Drácula is one of Frigo's best-known Spanish novelty products. Its unusual name and themed presentation helped distinguish it from standard cones, tubs and molded desserts. The product became part of Frigo's long-term heritage and is frequently associated with nostalgic Spanish ice-cream consumption.
Novelty ice cream · 1980
Frigodedo
Frigodedo was launched in 1980 as a distinctive single-serve impulse ice cream. Its name and novelty format contributed to Frigo's recognizable portfolio of products aimed particularly at younger consumers and family summer occasions.
Chocolate-coated ice cream · 1983
Frigo Pie
Frigo Pie, introduced in 1983, expanded the brand's range of individually portioned ice creams with a pie-inspired format. It belongs to the group of long-running Frigo products that helped establish the brand's distinctive identity in Spain.
Water ice · 1984
Calippo
Calippo joined the Frigo portfolio in 1984. Its water-based, tube-style format made it suited to hot-weather impulse consumption and gave the brand a product distinct from conventional dairy ice creams and cones.
Molded impulse ice cream · 1986
Twister
Introduced in 1986, Twister is a molded impulse ice cream recognized for its visually distinctive design. It formed part of Frigo's effort to use shape, color and novelty as important points of differentiation in the retail freezer.
Chocolate-coated ice cream · 1989
Frac
Frac was added to the portfolio in 1989. Like several other Frigo launches from the period, it was designed as a recognizable branded impulse product rather than an undifferentiated frozen dessert.
Brand decisions
2025
Transfer to The Magnum Ice Cream CompanyM&ABackground
Unilever separated its ice-cream business from the remainder of the group.
Action taken
Frigo became part of the newly separate The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
Aftermath
The brand's corporate affiliation moved from Unilever to the standalone ice-cream company.
2008
Close and sell the Barcelona manufacturing siteStrategyBackground
Unilever announced a restructuring of Frigo's manufacturing footprint.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of the Barcelona factory, with 268 planned redundancies; the facility was subsequently sold to Farga.
Aftermath
Frigo's historic production site passed to another Catalan ice-cream producer, changing the brand's relationship with its Barcelona industrial base.
1998
Adopt the Heartbrand visual identityStrategyBackground
Unilever was consolidating the presentation of its international ice-cream portfolio.
Action taken
Frigo adopted the unified heart-shaped corporate identity used across Unilever's ice-cream operations.
Aftermath
The change connected Frigo visually with an international portfolio while retaining the Frigo name in Spain.
1973
Focus the business on ice cream under UnileverStrategyBackground
Before and around the beginning of Unilever's ownership, Frigo had produced ice cream alongside yogurt and pre-cooked foods.
Action taken
The business was repositioned as an ice-cream specialist and used to market both Frigo products and brands connected with Unilever's wider ice-cream portfolio.
Aftermath
This focus supported the development of a recognizable Spanish range of novelty and impulse ice creams.
Sources1 sources
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