During the first investor day for the newly formed Magnum Ice Cream Company in London, co-founder Ben Cohen staged a protest outside the venue. He carried a sign saying, “Yo, Magnum, free Ben & Jerry’s.”
Featured VideoCohen posted on social media about his and co-founder Jerry Greenfield’s desire to stay true to their morals and the original founding principles of their ice cream company.
The U.S. ice cream maker argued that independence was vital for preserving its progressive mission.
AdvertisementMeanwhile, executives from the new Magnum Ice Cream Company insisted that Ben & Jerry’s would stay part of the corporate structure. “The business is not for sale. It’s fully integrated in Unilever, in the Magnum Ice Cream Company,” CEO Peter ter Kulve told investors.
What happened at the shareholder clash
The protest is the latest move in years of tension between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. In 2021, the Vermont-based brand stopped sales in the Israel-occupied West Bank, stating that it was “inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).”
Since then, disputes escalated, with lawsuits and sharp disagreements over statements on Gaza. Ben & Jerry’s even referred to the conflict as a “genocide,” unusual language for a major U.S. company.
AdvertisementCohen also posted on Instagram, sharing an open letter in a series of images. The post emphasized the brand’s history of linking ice cream sales to activism: “We believe that these founding values are central to what Ben & Jerry’s is. They made us successful in the first place, and they’re safeguarded best when we’re independent.”
Social media reacts to Ben & Jerry’s protest
Online responses quickly spread across Instagram and Reddit, among others. Many fans cheered Cohen’s bold stance against its corporate overlords.
AdvertisementOn Reddit, u/Working-Ad-6698 declared, “Well done, Ben! I have a very big hate relationship with Unilever, so I boycott them whenever I can.”
Another commenter, u/petiteboule, kept it brief, saying, “Eff ’em up, Ben & Jerry!!!”
On Instagram, folks voiced both encouragement and strategies. @yazmasterj asked, “Is there anything we, the people, can do to help?” Cohen directed followers to the campaign website, freebenandjerrys.com.
Similarly, @tiredhappynatalie suggested, “Boycott Unilever but NOT Ben & Jerry’s. This might give them some leverage.”
AdvertisementOthers praised the company’s values. @krewedefromage commented, “I love y’all so much. I model my small business after your values. ❤️ thank you for always standing up for what’s right.”
Likewise, @lauren_o_reads added, “The ice cream is good, but I only buy it because of the company’s values, so I hope this works. Keep pushing and keep standing up for what’s right. ❤️”
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