| Museum of Ice Cream | |
| Industry: | Experience Economy |
| Founded: | 2016 |
| Founders: | Maryellis Bunn, Manish Vora |
| Hq Location City: | Manhattan, New York |
| Hq Location Country: | United States |
| Parent: | Figure8 |
Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) is an art installation and museum that operates in several cities across the United States. The company has expanded internationally with a location in Singapore.[1] [2] [3]
MOIC was founded by Maryellis Bunn, who previously served as head of Forecasting and Innovation at Time, Inc and worked as an independent consultant on design and business strategy for various companies including Facebook. She partnered with Manish Vora, a former investment banker and former CEO of Lightbox.[4] MOIC's parent company is Figure8, Inc., headquartered in New York. Initially self-funded by Bunn and Vora, the company started with a pop-up exhibit in New York's Meatpacking District in 2016.[5]
Bunn drew insight for the company from her experience with and desire to reimagine American retail and traditional museums. MOIC has been described in publications as "...[playgrounds] with no age [limits]" and as an "interactive multi-sensory exhibit".[6] Bunn has stated that rather than the term "museum," the portmanteau "experiums," a combination of experience and museum, better describes the company's offerings.
MOIC has five permanent locations in New York City, Chicago, Austin and Singapore. Its first permanent location was initially in San Francisco, which opened in 2017.
MOIC has hosted pop up exhibitions in more cities including Los Angeles and Miami. The company had more than 1 million visitors across its various locations in 2018.[7] The same year, a new, larger permanent flagship location for MOIC opened in Soho, Manhattan.
In August 2019, the company, valued at $200 million, received $40 million in Series A funding led by Elizabeth Ventures, and Maywic Select Investments. The same year, a new, larger permanent flagship location for MOIC opened in Soho, Manhattan.[8] [9] [10]
In July and August 2022, MOIC launched two other locations, the first in Tribune Tower Chicago, and the other in Shanghai, China.[11] [12]
On April 7, 2021, the Singapore Tourism Board announced that Museum of Ice Cream will be opening its first overseas location in Singapore's Dempsey district in August 2021, featuring a total of 14 unique installations.[13] [14] During the official unveiling on April 12, details of the exhibits were revealed, including a "Dragon Playground", a banana jungle and the largest sprinkle pool of any MOIC location.[15] [16] The Museum of Ice Cream officially opened its doors in Singapore on August 19, 2021.[17] Two days later, on August 21, the MOIC in Austin, Texas, opened.[18]
The MOIC had been visited by numerous celebrity supporters. Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian, Katy Perry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, David Beckham, Stephen Curry, Vanessa Bryant, among others, have all been photographed enjoying the experience with their families.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] In an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, MOIC Los Angeles was featured when Jimmy sent Mr. Robot and Rami Malek to visit the location.[25]
MOIC has expanded its presence beyond the museum experience by developing its own ice cream brand, featuring seven distinct flavors, available at Target starting in 2018.[26] Flavors included Piñata, Sprinkle Pool, and Vanillionaire. Additionally, MOIC ice cream products were sold in Albertsons. While the company continues to produce its ice cream brand, Target has discontinued selling MOIC products.[27] In addition to ice cream, MOIC has ventured into other areas, including children's apparel available at Target and a makeup line offered by Sephora.[28]
In 2020, MOIC was criticized for a lack of sensitivity in expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement protesters when a sign with the names of victims of police brutality was painted in the brand’s signature pink and Ahmaud Arbery’s name was misspelled.[29] Bunn issued an apology and MOIC repainted the plywood black and corrected the error.
Criticisms of Bunn and MOIC fostering a hostile work environment were investigated.[30] A spokesperson for the brand stated that protocols are in place to provide a healthy work environment for everyone.
| City | Dates | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2019 – | 558 Broadway, New York, NY, 10012 | ||
| August 2021 – | 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, #128,Austin, TX 78758 | ||
| July 2022 – | 435 Michigan Ave Suite G, Chicago, IL 60611 | ||
| August 2021 – | 100 Loewen Road, Dempsey,Singapore 248837 |