Ben & Jerry’s scoops out for justice
On June 19, 2020, better known as “Juneteenth,” I stumbled upon Ben & Jerry’s Instagram post through an unknown person’s Instagram story. This was the first corporate advertisement I had seen addressing institutional racism since the death of George Floyd, which led me to hit the “follow” button on Ben & Jerry’s Instagram page.
I never knew Ben & Jerry’s branded themselves based on societal issues. That was until Juneteenth, when I learned the gravity of Ben & Jerry’s corporate social responsibility to the environment and world at-large.
I was fascinated by how their advertisement not only addressed issues associated with the criminal justice system/police, but offered solutions as to how the $115 Billion in police funding should be reallocated. To unpack the above image: the large bowl of ice cream represents the globs of money budgeted towards the [militarized] police, and the little bowls depict underfunded services/ resources, hence, where police funding should be reallocated.
Let me be frank, I don’t eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. My go-to brand has always been Halo Top due to the calorie count and coconut “non-dairy” options. This will not change unless another ice-cream product comes out that is also calorically frugal.
As of Wednesday, September 16th, this Instagram post had approximately 671,310 likes, and over 11,700 comments. On Ben & Jerry’s Twitter account, the image had over 69,700 favorites, 31,200 retweets, and 4,200 comments. And on Facebook, there were over 16,700 likes, 13,722 shares, and 4,000 comments.
There is power in numbers. Especially with reposted/retweeted content that goes viral. The Ben & Jerry’s advertisement not only sends a powerful message on defunding and reforming the police, but it was meaningful to see the image reposted on multiple Instagram stories, making it all the more heard and effective.
This is one of Ben & Jerry’s many advertisements addressing the Black Lives Matter movement, racial injustice, and climate change. Their Instagram grid practically screams social justice and it is encouraging to see a multi-million dollar enterprise stand in solidarity with current issues.
This is what democracy looks like.
Albeit, my social bubble primarily consists of like-minded millennials who care about the important, thorny issues as much as I do. And after watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, it’s safe/scary to say that the algorithm on my social platforms carefully align with my interests on the never-ending fight for justice and humanity.
See the trailer. I wanted to throw my phone into a fountain and live in the woods after watching this documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaC57tcci0
But back to Ben & Jerry’s.
Needless to say, their brand as an enterprise, ice-cream purveyor, and SJW is loyal, and for that I do not question their moral compass. The way Ben & Jerry’s is handling the hot button issues of today is a stark contrast from how other corporations are handling this moment.
How “sweet” it is to see Ben & Jerry’s play an active role in the fight for a better tomorrow. Go follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. @benandjerrys
