Panda Ice Cream

Panda is a Turkish ice cream brand established in 1984 by Vedat Bahar under the umbrella of Has Gıda. It holds the distinction of being Turkey's first industrial producer of packaged stick ice cream. The brand was created after Bahar, whose family was in the textile business, noticed during overseas travels that packaged ice cream was widely consumed abroad but almost non-existent in Turkey, with only limited offerings such as AOÇ or products sold in cinemas like Alaska Frigo and İzmirli Memo. After a year of research and development to perfect product quality and formulation, Panda entered the market in 1985. The name was chosen for being memorable and appealing to both adults and children, with the panda as its mascot and the slogan "Hem Büyüklere Hem Küçüklere İşte Nefis Dondurma" (Delicious Ice Cream for Both Grown-ups and Little Ones). Headquartered in Sarıyer, Istanbul, Panda operates a factory in Avcılar, Istanbul, covering 10,000 square meters of enclosed space and capable of processing 16 tons of milk per hour. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Panda was Turkey's largest packaged ice cream manufacturer, expanding from a capacity of 1 ton per hour to 16 tons per hour. Its ice cream cabinets, umbrellas, advertisements, and products became ubiquitous, making the brand a household name across generations. Prominent Turkish artists such as Müslüm Gürses, Hande Yener, Harun Kolçak, Gülben Ergen, Yaşar, and Yonca Evcimik appeared in Panda's advertising campaigns. Panda's market leadership eroded from the early 2000s onward due to aggressive competition from multinationals. Unilever's Algida entered the Turkish market in the early 1990s, using free cabinets, umbrellas, chairs, thermostats, and posters, along with high commissions and exclusivity clauses, to rapidly expand its presence. Algida also introduced frequent new flavors, large-budget campaigns, car giveaways, and a growing portfolio of brands. In 1998, German ice cream maker Schöller entered the market through a joint venture (Şöllmer Gıda), which was later acquired by Nestlé, further intensifying competition. Panda, facing these multinational giants, could only respond with local promotions such as free ice cream giveaways. Despite these challenges, Panda remains an active brand in Turkey. It continues to produce a wide range of ice cream products, including stick ice creams, cones, cups, family packs, and traditional flavors like Maraş-style ice cream and künefe. The company has also received recognition for its digital advertising, winning a Communicator Award and a Social Media Awards Turkey gold prize in 2017. Panda's official website provides information on products, campaigns, advertisements, news, regional directorates, and customer service, reflecting its ongoing operations and connection to consumers.

Panda was founded in 1984 by Vedat Bahar, whose family was previously involved in the textile business. During overseas trips, Bahar observed that packaged ice cream was widely consumed abroad but the sector was very weak in Turkey, with only limited options such as AOÇ or products sold in cinemas like Alaska Frigo and İzmirli Memo. Recognizing this gap, he established Panda under the umbrella of Has Gıda. Although the factory's production infrastructure was ready, the brand conducted a year of research and development to improve product quality and formulation, finally entering the market in 1985. The name Panda was chosen because it was memorable and appealed to both large and small audiences, and the mascot became a panda. The slogan was "Hem Büyüklere Hem Küçüklere İşte Nefis Dondurma". Between 1980 and 1990, Panda was Turkey's largest packaged ice cream manufacturer. Its factory, initially capable of processing 1 ton of milk per hour, was upgraded to 16 tons per hour, enabling mass production. Over time, Panda's ice cream cabinets, umbrellas, advertisements, and products appeared everywhere, making the brand known to a wide audience from ages 7 to 70. During this period, famous artists such as Müslüm Gürses, Hande Yener, Harun Kolçak, Gülben Ergen, Yaşar, and Yonca Evcimik starred in Panda's advertising campaigns. In 2009, Vedat Bahar announced plans for a sister ice cream brand called "Vivesse", intended to be produced under the 'Super Premium' category, but the project was shelved due to aggressive market conditions. In the same period, Bahar announced a $50 million investment for a second production factory, expected to become operational in 2011, but this investment was also reportedly shelved in later years. The company also rejected a partnership offer from Italian investors while trying to maintain its market share. In 2017, Panda selected Renee Reklam Ajansı as its digital advertising agency and won a Communicator Award and a Social Media Awards Turkey gold prize in Social Brands Data Analytics. In 2019, an interview titled "Çukurovalı, Panda ile ferahlıyor" discussed Panda's sales to cities like Adana, Diyarbakır, and Antalya, and the production of healthy packaged ice cream. That same year, Panda chose Egegen Ajans as its new advertising agency. Panda's market share declined significantly from the early 2000s. Until then, it was the leader in Turkey's packaged ice cream sector, with posters, cabinets, umbrellas, advertisements, and products in neighborhood grocery stores, tobacco shops, and all chain markets. The entry of Algida, under the British multinational Unilever, in the early 1990s changed the competitive landscape. Algida used free cabinets, umbrellas, chairs, thermostats, and posters, along with high commissions and exclusivity clauses, to expand its market share. It also introduced new flavors monthly, large-budget campaigns, car giveaways, and increased its brand portfolio. Panda, facing such aggressive competition from multinationals, could only conduct local promotions like free ice cream giveaways. In 1998, German ice cream brand Schöller entered the Turkish market through a joint venture (Şöllmer Gıda, with 51% German Schöller Holding, 40% Kerevitaş Holding, 9% Merzeci Holding), which was later acquired by Swiss Nestlé in the 2000s. Nestlé Schöller changed market strategies, further intensifying competition. Despite these challenges, Panda remains an active brand in Turkey, continuing to produce a wide range of ice cream products and maintaining its presence through its official website and regional directorates.

• 2019

  Factory fire in the archive section on January 20; 30 workers evacuated safely, fire extinguished after about 1.5 hours.

• 2019

  Panda chooses Egegen Ajans as its new advertising agency.

• 2017

  Panda selects Renee Reklam Ajansı as digital agency; wins Communicator Award and Social Media Awards Turkey gold prize.

• 2009

  Vedat Bahar announces plans for a sister brand 'Vivesse' and a $50 million second factory, both later shelved.

• 1998

  German ice cream brand Schöller enters the Turkish market through a joint venture, intensifying competition.

• 1989

  Zabıta raid on Panda's production facilities; 200 kg of moldy chocolate confiscated and destroyed, factory temporarily sealed.

• 1985

  Panda enters the market after a year of R&D.

• 1984

  Panda founded by Vedat Bahar under Has Gıda.

Turkey's first industrial packaged stick ice cream producer, offering a wide range of affordable ice cream products for all ages.

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• Panda Efsane Stix 1985

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1. 1Panda official websitepanda.com.tr
2. 2Panda products pagepanda.com.tr
3. 3Panda (marka) - Wikipediatr.wikipedia.org
4. 4Panda Ice Cream - Wikidatawikidata.org