By MEE staff Published date: 11 September 2025 22:49 BST
Ben & Jerry’s has started a public campaign to try to separate from its parent company so it can freely speak about the war in Gaza, racial justice, and other issues. Its parent company, Magnum, has refused to sell the iconic ice cream brand.
The war between the ice-cream giants comes as Ben & Jerry’s became part of the Magnum Ice Cream company on Tuesday and Unilever prepares to spin off Magnum into a separate public company, which includes brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Walls and Cornetto, in mid-November.
Ban & Jerry’s was and still is one of the few companies that took a stance against genocide, from the very beginning, and in today’s climate that put them in immediate financial danger. I wish them well
Per the article, Ben & Jerry’s the brand was sold to a multinational conglomerate years ago and is not permitted to take any stance the corporation finds controversial, which includes genocide. Ben & Jerry the people are, commendably, taking a stance against genocide and are sad that they can’t align their company with that stance, since it is actually not their company because they sold it. I applaud them for speaking out, and roll my eyes at them for their naivity in thinking they could sell the company and still be allowed to take a moral stand with it afterwards.
They do appear to have attempted to ensure contractually that the B&J (the company) be able to continue the mission side without intervention though. Unilever broke at least the spirit of the contract (though I’m sure their $ means they would win a formal legal battle).
Yes, they thought they could have it both ways. Thinking those lines in the contract would mean anything when they went against corporate interests was the naive part.
So I worked at a brewery that did some collabs with B&J pre their sale to Unilever.
I didn’t meet them, but a lot of my friends did. Everyone loved them. Seemed they were genuinely rad dudes and are through and through who they market themselves to be. Hope they can pull off some control of their brand again.
Ben & Jerry’s also said Kulve, Unilever’s head of ice cream at the time, said he was concerned that the company being vocal on the war on Gaza could lead to a “continued perception of anti-Semitism”.
Aren’t both Ben and Jerry Jewish?
I’m mostly done living in the houses we bought with the money so now I’d like to un-sell-out please.
Why are they sellouts?
sell out
To sell one’s business (with a connotative emphasis on entirety and finality).
The owners long resisted buyout offers, but when they were ready to retire, they finally sold out to a competitor.
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Sounds to me like a marketing campaign that cynically uses tragedy
