Tried to Change the World with Ice Cream, but Now a Billionaire Faces a Dead End [Delicious Stories]

Inventing the "Cookie Dough" Flavor and Becoming a Sensation
Building a Brand Image That Speaks Out on Social Issues
Driven to an Impasse Amidst Conflict with Its Parent Company

Editor's NoteIt is said that the first snacks were discovered in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. In other words, snacks have accompanied every moment of human history. From biscuits and chocolate to ice cream, we bring you delicious stories behind the snacks we have loved.

Ben & Jerry's, one of America's most iconic ice cream brands, is now facing a crisis due to discord between its parent company, Unilever, and co-founder Ben Cohen, who is known for his active stances on social and political issues. Cohen's conviction that selling ice cream should go hand in hand with social activism has long contributed to Ben & Jerry's brand loyalty. However, recently, consumer backlash has intensified to such an extent that Unilever is reportedly considering severing ties with Ben & Jerry's.

Ben Cohen, Ben & Jerry's co-founder, was arrested after staging a sudden protest during a US Senate hearing. Ben Cohen X capture

Inventing 'Cookie Dough' and Becoming America's Iconic Ice Cream Brand

Ben & Jerry's, one of Unilever's premium ice cream brands, began as a small company founded in 1978 in Vermont, USA, by co-founders Ben Cohen and his friend Jerry Greenfield.

Due to a congenital inability to smell, Cohen placed great emphasis on the texture of ice cream. This characteristic played a decisive role in creating the signature chewy and chunky texture of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. In 1984, Ben & Jerry's sparked an "ice cream revolution" across the United States by inventing the "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" flavor, which featured chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough mixed into vanilla ice cream.

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Screenshot from Ben & Jerry's official website.

The two founders sold Ben & Jerry's to global food giant Unilever in 2000, receiving $326 million (about 444.6 billion KRW) and joining the ranks of billionaires. Typically, the management philosophy of an acquired company is difficult to maintain. However, when Cohen sold Ben & Jerry's, he secured the right to operate an independent board of directors, which allowed the company to uphold its principles of sourcing only organic ingredients and healthy dairy, its policy of hiring socially disadvantaged individuals, and its commitment to donating 7.5% of total income to youth education.

Building a Socially Conscious Brand Image... A Double-Edged Sword

Having become wealthy at a young age, Cohen used his voice and participation in social issues to help Ben & Jerry's build its image as "ice cream for justice."

Cohen made waves by joining the "Occupy Wall Street" protests in 2011 and also appeared at the "Awakened Democracy" protest in 2016, which called for an end to political lobbying. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also expressed support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that swept the United States. Cohen went beyond simply voicing political opinions and actively exercised influence in social movements. For this, American political media outlets such as Axios dubbed him "the activist capitalist."

Since becoming billionaires, Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield have been dedicated to social activism and protests. Ben & Jerry's

However, Cohen's bold actions have become a double-edged sword for Ben & Jerry's brand image. In particular, when he criticized the Israeli government's policies toward Gaza in 2021 and declared, "Ben & Jerry's will not be sold in Israeli-occupied territories," the company faced boycotts not only from international Jewish communities but also within the United States. Nevertheless, Cohen did not back down. In an op-ed for The New York Times, he argued, "It is possible to support Israel while opposing certain policies," and "Criticizing policies is not antisemitism."

Now at a Crossroads: "Let Us Be Free"

Although Cohen maintained his stance of refusing to sell products in Israel, Unilever announced in 2022 that it would continue selling Ben & Jerry's in Israeli-occupied territories, further widening the rift between the two companies. To make matters worse, Ben & Jerry's independent board of directors filed a lawsuit against Unilever in November last year, claiming that Unilever had "attempted to censor and intimidate Ben & Jerry's progressive stance." In response, Unilever issued a rebuttal and requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

Last month, Cohen was arrested after staging a pro-Palestinian protest at the US Capitol's Senate building in Washington, D.C.

Unilever is currently considering separating its ice cream brands, including Ben & Jerry's, into an independent "ice cream division." While Cohen had previously stepped back from management to focus solely on social activism, he is now reportedly in contact with investors to buy back Ben & Jerry's. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Cohen's intention is to reacquire Ben & Jerry's from Unilever. The current corporate value of Ben & Jerry's is estimated to be at least several trillion KRW.

In a media interview, Cohen said, "When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, they loved us as we were. But now, our relationship stands at a crossroads. I just hope Unilever will set Ben & Jerry's free."