Ben & Jerry's - Changing The World One Scoop At A Time

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Human Rights and Climate Justice!

Featuring examples from Ben & Jerry's -

Website - https://www.benjerry.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/benandjerrysUS YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@benandjerrys

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benandjerrys/

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is loved across the globe. Whether you're in the scoop shop watching your cone tower up, or in the local grocery store picking between your favorite flavors for movie night, Ben & Jerry's is a recognizable brand that was built by best friends Ben and Jerry in 1978. What you may not know about this ice cream brand is that they partner with and lead activist conversations promoting Human Rights & Dignity and Social & Economic Justice, and Environmental Protection, Restoration, & Regeneration. When you purchase Ben & Jerry's ice cream or interact with Ben & Jerry's social media, your time, money, and energy is going toward justice.

Long before social media as we know it, Ben & Jerry's began including their community in their profit. In the mid 80's the ice cream brand grew in local popularity and wanted to expand while encouraging their community to be part of it. With public stock options available and profits returning to community projects, Ben & Jerry's would scale to new heights, especially after layering in their celebrity inspired flavor Cherry Garcia (named for Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia), and being recognized by President Reagan as “U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year” in 1988. As the brand's popularity begins to grow, so does their voice. This brand voice for advocacy begins when Ben & Jerry's comes out against Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). While there was concern for the product, Ben & Jerry's concern about adverse economic impact on family farming was a major factor in their decision to stand against the use of rBGH. By 1995, Ben & Jerry's had participated in advocacy for children made their splash in the UK. When the Ben & Jerry's website launched in 1995, it opened up even more opportunities to participate in activism all across the nation, and world wide. This ice cream brand was speaking on the importance of voting, the dangers of fracking, and the value in fair trade agreements.

With this global popularity and known presence for advocacy well established by the time social media was created, it was no surprise that Ben & Jerry's was able to gain a following of advocates and continues to produce content related to the beliefs of their brand and their audience. With 8.3 million Facebook followers, 4.3 million TikTok followers, 2 million Instagram followers, and 51.5 thousand YouTube subscribers, Ben & Jerry's has access to an audience who is able to make an impact. The brand focuses their content on product updates as well as how people can participate in social movements.

While browsing the brand's Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages, each platform contains the same content and shares an identical brand message. The content highlights new products, how to enjoy the products, direct messages of advocacy, and behind the scenes of events and headquarters. With raise in people wanting to get to know the brand for more than just their products, Ben & Jerry's are paving the expectation for brand transparency and going all in on the missions of your brand.

While some viewers are skeptical of the brand's true intentions due to their parent company, Unilever, who also owns brands such as Dove, Axe, Magnum, Vaseline, Lipton, and many more, one of the original founders of Ben & Jerry's, Ben himself, is still on the team with the initiative to preserve the ice cream brand's social missions. Ben & Jerry's became a brand under Unilever in August of 2000, and has since maintained a very active voice in Human Rights & Dignity and Social & Economic Justice, and Environmental Protection, Restoration, & Regeneration. Since the transition to Unilever in 2000, Ben & Jerry's has partnered with Dave Matthews Band® & SaveOurEnvironment.org, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Almond Delight for Fairtrade, and rally against increasing economic inequality in Zucotti Park. In 2025, we see the Ben & Jerry's social media content showcasing events signaling social justice with organizations such as Migrant Justice, Milk with Dignity, Power U Center for Social Change, Close the Workhouse Coalition, Avaaz, The Climate Reality Project, 350.org, and BICEP.

Many people may wonder why an ice cream brand such as Ben & Jerry's chose to go down the route of leading social change, and after understanding the heart in their products as well as taking care of the people and animals that go into their quality product, it makes sense they would advocate for such large movements. Said best by the Ben & Jerry's in 1990, "Contented Cows Make the Best Ice Cream". To have contented cows, we must have farmers who can take care of their stock's wellbeing which requires economic, environmental, and social intervention. How can they do so? By connecting with their established audiences and empowering their missions with content that aims to educate and entertain their viewers.