While many celebrities have ventured into various business enterprises, few have made as sweet an impact as Snoop Dogg‘s foray into the frozen dessert industry. The iconic rapper, alongside his son Cordell Broadus, launched Dr. Bombay Ice Cream in July 2023, quickly establishing a foothold in the competitive frozen treats market with its distinctive flavors and playful branding.
The venture, which began with seven unique flavors including the now-contested Tropical Sherbet Swizzle, has rapidly expanded its distribution network from an initial 3,500 Walmart stores to include major convenience chains like 7-Eleven and Speedway, as well as Albertsons Companies’ grocery outlets such as Safeway, ACME, and Jewel-Osco. This strategic retail placement has contributed considerably to the brand’s impressive performance, generating over $10 million in revenue during its first year of operation.
Dr. Bombay Ice Cream operates under Bosslady Foods, a joint venture between Snoop Dogg and Happi Co., a Secaucus-based consumer packaged goods company that provides vital expertise in frozen food distribution. The partnership capitalizes on Happi Co.’s agility for market deployment while leveraging Snoop’s cultural influence and creative direction. The brand’s ice cream collection is the first product line under the parent company Bosslady Foods.
Bosslady Foods merges Happi Co.’s distribution expertise with Snoop’s cultural clout, creating the perfect recipe for frozen dessert domination.
The brand’s concept draws inspiration from Snoop’s personal experiences with flavor experimentation during “munchies” moments, positioning ice cream as more than just a dessert but as a means to “chill, relax, and get happy.” This lifestyle approach resonates through the product line, which features nostalgic and innovative flavors like Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Baked Blueberry Muffin, and the exclusive Fo’ Shizzle Almond Fudge. Cordell Broadus serves as the creative director of the brand, bringing his vision to both product development and marketing initiatives.
The trademark dispute over “Swizzle” marks an unexpected challenge for the rapidly growing ice cream empire, potentially forcing the company to rename one of its signature flavors or defend its usage rights. Similar to how musicians protect their sync deals when licensing music for visual media, food brands must vigilantly safeguard their intellectual property in the competitive marketplace. The company could benefit from implementing royalty structures similar to those used by musicians on streaming platforms to manage their intellectual property assets.
Despite this hurdle, Snoop’s transformation into a food and beverage entrepreneur continues to gain momentum, with Dr. Bombay Ice Cream emerging as a notable success story in celebrity-branded consumer goods.
