Ben & Jerry’s: The Meltdown of a Great Brand

As we reacquainted ourselves with their history on the factory tour, we were reminded of the magic of a once-great brand. Although we knew that Ben & Jerry’s was bought out by Unilever in 2000, we didn’t know how a major corporate buy-out could change everything, until now.

The Ben & Jerry’s Story

Ben & Jerry’s was founded by two regular guys with a passion for making the world a better place. Their quirky, lively, creative, and unconventional approach to business made them the golden cows of the ice cream industry. While most corporations succumbed to the materialism and greed of the 80’s, Ben & Jerry’s took a radically different approach with their socially, ethically, and environmentally responsible principles.

In 1989, Ben & Jerry’s spearheaded efforts to raise concerns about the use of Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) and its adverse impact on family farming. They also introduced Rainforest Crunch as an ingenious way to support rainforest preservation. Then in 1990, Ben & Jerry’s introduced the heavenly Chocolate Fudge Brownie™ ice cream, made with brownies from the Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, New York—an organization committed to empowering disenfranchised people from the local community.

Even with their hearts set on social causes, they never lost their sense of humor. Ben & Jerry’s leveraged popular culture in a way that few brands could, with their wild flavors named Cherry Garcia®, Phish Food®, Neapolitan Dynamite™, Vermonty Python™, Bohemian Raspberry, Wavy Gravy, and even the Seinfeld-infused Festivus™. When you dive into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, you become part of their culture, sharing a love of ice cream, with a social conscience and a sweet sense of humor.

After getting a bird’s eye view of the production plant, today churning out thousands of pints of Sweet Cream & Cookies, we arrived at the FlavoRoom to receive our free samples. As we savored every lick of the decadent treat, our tour guide told us that Ben & Jerry’s would be celebrating their 30th birthday. During the Q & A, I asked the tour guide about the celebration and how I could find more information. She looked at me, and said, “Well, it’s only open to employees.”

I raised an eyebrow and became a little curious.

My sister and I walked outside into the blazing afternoon heat, sauntering to the ‘Wall of Fame’ which featured posters chronicling Ben & Jerry’s community events and customer appreciation efforts.

In 1987, Ben & Jerry’s deployed their scoop vehicle to New York City’s Wall Street shortly after the October 19 stock market crash to serve free scoops of ‘That’s Life and Economic Crunch’ ice cream. In 1991, Ben & Jerry’s began its annual series of One World, One Heart Festivals in Vermont, Chicago, and San Francisco, where people convened over music, arts, and social action. Random acts of appreciation were commonplace with their ‘Free Cones for Mothers on Mother’s Day’ and their ‘Dog Day’ event where canine owners could get a free bowl of ice cream for their pooch.

Then there was the buy-out. On April 12, 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever for $326 million. Before the acquisition, Ben & Jerry’s catered exquisitely to their Brand Lovers, celebrating their patronage with festivals and customer appreciation days. But now, it’s their 30th birthday, and we weren’t even invited. I later learned that the Birthday Bash, scheduled for October 11th, is open to Vermont residents and only by contest. If you’re the lucky Vermont-residing winner, you can get in on the fun. The rest of us? Well, we can’t even commiserate over a pint of Festivus™ anymore; it’s discontinued.

I contacted the consumer affairs department to find out what happened to their One World, One Heart Festivals. The woman told me they stopped organizing the events several years ago. When I inquired why, she replied, “There were a lot of reasons. You know, we were bought out by Unilever. The staffing. The costs. There were just a lot of reasons.” Enough said.

Sure, Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops still uphold the annual tradition of Free Cone Day, where customers can get free scoops of ice cream all day long. They also retained their Annual Free Outdoor Movie Festival at their Waterbury Factory. Most of all, they’re still working hard to remain true to their social, environmental, and economic missions. But the charm and brilliance of their glory days are sadly gone.

Ben & Jerry’s had the makings of a great lifestyle brand, worthy of Cult Brand status. They showed daring and determination; they were inclusive; and they created customer communities. Most of all, Ben & Jerry were familiar friends, who provided comfort and love with a twist of playful humor. Although the consistency and quality of the ice cream may not have changed, the magic behind the brand undoubtedly faded. And yes, I’ll still buy pints of my favorite flavors, but to capture the Ben & Jerry’s experience of my youth remains an elusive endeavor.