Ben & Jerry's Is Rebranding A Signature Flavor
Ben & Jerry's ice cream is gearing up for November's midterm election by re-releasing a limited time flavor with the goal of encouraging customers to get out and vote. According to Today, the iconic Vermont ice cream company is giving a slight rebrand to its "Change is Brewing" flavor, which was originally released in 2021 to support police reform legislation and mobilize Black voters.
While the packaging of the flavor has been redesigned, the flavor remains the same with Ben & Jerry's website describing it as "cold brew coffee ice cream with marshmallow swirls and fudge brownies." A press release from the flavor's original 2021 release noted that the coffee for the ice cream was supplied by Black-owned coffee and tea maker BLK & Bold, which donates 5% of all its proceeds to nonprofit youth organizations. The brownies are supplied by Greyston Bakery, a New York-based brand known for its Kosher brownies and recognized for its social and environmental justice practices. The packaging for both versions of "Change is Brewing" were designed by Black artist Laci Jordan.
Although last year's effort was aimed at supporting grassroots organizations behind The People's Response Act, a bill aimed at creating a "health-centered approach to public safety" and reforming policing systems which the bills' sponsors argued unfairly targets minority communities and people with mental disabilities (per The Hill), this year's release will bring attention to the Black Voters Matter Fund, an organization working to combat voting roadblocks.
Hitting the road for a good cause
In 2021, 19 Republican-led states passed voting restrictions following former President Trump's false assertions that fraudulent voters stole the 2020 election (per NBC News), and many of those restrictions disproportionately affect Black communities and low-income voters. In Georgia, these restrictions are particularly severe. After high voter turnout swung the state for Democrats in 2020, partially thanks to pandemic-inspired voting measures including 24-hour ballot drop-boxes, the state passed a law which limits the number of drop-boxes each county can have and curtails their use to standard business hours, rules which NPR notes complicate the simple process and negatively impact people with rigid work hours.
In order to drive conversation about these restrictions and encourage Black voter turnout, Ben & Jerry's will embark on a seven-week "We Won't Black Down" tour with Black Voters Matter, offering free scoops of "Change is Brewing" from their Scoop Truck at events hosted by communities and historically black colleges and universities across the state of Georgia. Today notes that the "We Won't Black Down" tour will also host events soon in Texas and North Carolina.
Earlier this year, the brand clashed with its distributor Unilever over the decision to continue selling the products in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories due to concerns over human rights violations. Additionally, the brand has pages on its website dedicated to voter registration information, LGBTQ+ Rights, Climate Justice, and Campaign Finance Reform.
"Change is Brewing" is expected to hit shelves and select Ben & Jerry's scoop shops in the next few weeks.