From the Freezer to the Firestorm: Ben & Jerry’s Melts the Corporate Ice.

How a Scoop of Social Justice Led to a Corporate Cold War.

Jun 02, 2025

About a week ago, I stumbled upon a Substack note by

. Ayuba is an absolute legend in the Substack world, and I highly recommend checking out their work. Turns out, the image Ayuba shared was created using AI. But guess what? This got me thinking about something quite interesting. Ben & Jerry’s, known for its activism, had to take on one of the biggest fast-moving consumer goods companies in the world—Unilever, their parent company. This is the story behind it all:

In the whimsical world of ice cream, where flavours like “Cherry Garcia” and “Phish Food” reign supreme, it seemed for a couple of hours that a new contender had emerged: “From the River to the Sea,” seemingly the latest offering from Ben & Jerry’s. It seemed like a bold political statement that had sent raspberry ripples through the online world, until quite quickly people realised it wasn't actually real, which is a shame.

A Flavourful Rebellion:

You see, Ben & Jerry’s has never shied away from controversy. From advocating for LGBTQ+ rights to campaigning against climate change, the company has consistently used its platform to champion social causes. So I'll admit I was sucked in when I initially saw this post, it seemed to me that a release of “From the River to the Sea” marked a new chapter in B&J’s activist journey, directly confronting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—a topic that many corporations avoid like freezer burn. But since seeing this post a few days ago, the company have now officially come out condemning Israel for its behaviour and it's been brave enough to use the words “genocide” in describing it. This is not something that the company could've done quite so easily a few months ago.

The Unilever Freeze-Out:

The relationship between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company, Unilever, has been anything but smooth. Acquired in 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was promised autonomy over its social mission. Yet, tensions have simmered beneath the surface, culminating in a legal battle that has exposed the cracks in their corporate marriage.

In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s decided to halt sales in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, citing inconsistency with its values. Unilever, however, overruled this decision, leading to a lawsuit that highlighted the struggle for control over the brand’s social messaging.

But this wasn’t just a lovers’ spat over a scoop—it went full legal nuclear. In 2022, Ben & Jerry’s took Unilever to court, arguing that the multinational had violated the very terms of their acquisition agreement by overriding the brand’s social mission. You see, when Unilever gobbled them up in 2000, it agreed—quite explicitly—that the ice cream makers could keep control over their values. A kind of “you own our factory, not our soul” arrangement. So when Unilever tried to force them to keep selling in occupied territories, Ben & Jerry’s board said “piss off,” in legalese. The board filed in the Southern District of New York to stop Unilever from licensing the brand to an Israeli distributor—essentially accusing Unilever of putting profits ahead of the company’s moral compass. The legal battle didn’t just expose the friction between capitalism and conscience; it may have helped catalyse the eventual separation we’re now seeing. If you’ve ever wanted to see the phrase “corporate ethics” used unironically in a courtroom, this was it.

The situation escalated further when Ben & Jerry’s CEO, David Stever, was allegedly ousted by Unilever for his unwavering commitment to the company’s activist stance. The independent board, established to safeguard Ben & Jerry’s social mission, accused Unilever of undermining their authority and diluting the brand’s integrity.

Unilever’s Melting Ethics:

Unilever’s track record on ethical practices has been, to put it mildly, checkered. From labor abuses in its supply chains to environmental backpedaling on plastic reduction commitments, the company has often found itself in hot water. Its recent decision to scale back environmental and social pledges, including abandoning goals for a living wage and workforce diversity, has drawn sharp criticism from activists and investors alike.

The contrast between Ben & Jerry’s progressive activism and Unilever’s corporate conservatism has become increasingly stark, leading to an irreconcilable divide.

The Great Ice Cream Divorce:

Recognising the untenable nature of their relationship, Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, into a separate entity by the end of 2025. This move, while framed as a strategic business decision, effectively grants Ben & Jerry’s the independence it has long sought to pursue its social mission without corporate interference.

The spin-off, to be named The Magnum Ice Cream Company, will encompass other brands like Magnum and Breyers, but Ben & Jerry’s is expected to retain its unique activist identity.

A Scoop of Solidarity:

Ben & Jerry’s is now all set to keep blending ice cream with activism, thanks to their newfound freedom. While the “From the River to the Sea” flavour was just a fictional idea, the company’s commitment to social justice is seemingly still alive and well. So now, they might even be able to take the plunge and launch this product for real, given the online buzz it’s already generated.

Of course, there’s a cynical lens here too—this might just be another case of a big brand donning a Che Guevara T-shirt while operating from a mahogany boardroom. Releasing a politically charged flavour might look like principled activism, but it could just as easily be savvy image laundering. After all, multinationals love to appear progressive while still selling sugar and sorrow in equal measure. But even if this is part-marketing strategy, let’s be honest: in a world where many global brands use their power to stay conveniently neutral—or worse, actively destructive—I’d rather see a corporation pretend to give a damn and occasionally do some good than stay apolitical and complicit. Yes, there’s potential for exploitation in wrapping justice in jimmies and dairy fat—but at least Ben & Jerry’s seems to know what side of history it wants its cone dipped in. And, it's creating conversations and attracting media attention often to subjects that don't get enough coverage, or often get framed in a manner that doesn't ask the hard questions.

As consumers, we now face a choice: indulge in a pint of politically charged ice cream or stick with flavours that play it safe. But one thing is clear—Ben & Jerry’s is no longer just about satisfying sweet cravings; it’s about stirring the pot and challenging the status quo, one scoop at a time.

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From the Freezer to the Firestorm: Ben & Jerry’s Melts the Corporate Ice.

How a Scoop of Social Justice Led to a Corporate Cold War.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this article, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to hit the Share button. And if you’d like to see more content like this, please take just a couple of seconds to subscribe below!

Is the Empire Cracking?

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