Ice cream dream: Virgin Red’s floating Mr Whippy truck is serving free cones in London today

Londoners with a sweet tooth are in for a treat today as Virgin Red, the new rewards club from Virgin, brings a spectacular installation to South Bank. Move over 99 Flake – Virgin Red’s floating Mr Whippy truck is an ice cream van with a twist: it floats in mid-air, powered by 99 red balloons. 

The live experience takes flight at Observation Point today for one day only, offering passers-by the chance to order a free cone with a 99 twist. Visitors can create a Virgin Red ice cream that is totally unique to them, choosing from an extraordinary selection of red toppings – from traditional sprinkles to chilli flakes. 

Better still, the Virgin Red 99 Red Balloons truck will play a special song throughout the day, marking a flash giveaway of 99 Virgin Points prizes. 98 lucky winners will walk away with 10,000 Virgin Points, whilst one lucky ice cream lover will scoop one million Virgin Points giving the winner a year’s worth of fabulous rewards which could include the following highlights:

• Virgin Atlantic return flights to NYC

• Monthly Virgin Wines deliveries

• Two tickets to watch Gary Barlow in the exclusive Virgin Red Room private suite at the AO Arena

• Two tickets to see Jamie with London Theatre Direct

• A three-night break for two people at Virgin Limited Edition’s Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco  

• A Virgin Voyage Weekdaze summer sailing from Portsmouth 

• Plus regular donations to Carbon Engineering and more than 10 charities partnered with Virgin Red.

The unique balloon-powered event – the likes of which has never been seen before in the capital – is inspired by Virgin Red’s new brand film ‘Find What Blows Your Bubble’. 

Virgin Red

“This summer, we wanted to bring to life how rewards really do revolve around Virgin Red’s members by creating a truly unique experience on London’s South Bank,” says Kelly Best, Chief Marketing Officer at Virgin Red.

“From sausage rolls to spaceport tours, Virgin Red has more than one hundred and fifty remarkable rewards and experiences for whatever blows your bubble, so what better way to display this than with a summer ice cream extravaganza that’s not only customisable, but also truly memorable.”

Virgin Red gives its members exclusive access to rewards from the Virgin family and beyond using Virgin Points – Virgin’s universal currency which never expires. Rewards come in all shapes and sizes; from small things that make the everyday better, to awesome extraordinary experiences.

Virgin Red

The floating ice cream van, with its free cones and 99 prizes, offers a tasty flavour of what Virgin Red is all about. It’s free for anyone to take part and join the party. Get the scoop by visiting Observation Point at 56 Upper Ground, South Bank between 11am to 5pm today, Wednesday 14 July.

If you can't make the event then follow the action live on Virgin Red's social channels. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will all be covering the event with exclusive content and even more chances to win Virgin Points, including a chance to win a whopping 1million points!

Or sign up to Virgin Red right here to find whatever blows your bubble, with a whole range of rewards and earning options.