2w ago

'Set us free': Ben & Jerry's enlists support of fans to separate from parent company

www.middleeasteye.net

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/36143769

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.

37 comments

Surely they kind of knew what they were getting themselves into back in 2000 when they sold their company to Unilever? I know that was 25 years ago now. But multinational corporations have been acting this is way for a long time.
- But especially Unilever. Pretty much the only way to fuck up worse would have been to sell to Nestle. Both are asshole companies that were known to remove and substitute cheaper ingredients in food and other products well before the year 2000.
  Members of my family will literally go without rather than use a Unilever product.
- If all the employees/execs agree, could they quit en masse and form a new company? I guess they'd need to build new factories. And maybe run afoul of non competes.
  But yeah, seems like selling your soul and then asking the public to ransom it for you is irresponsible.
  
  Unilever probably owns all the copyrights on their flavors, and maybe on dinner other stuff like production processes.
- Yes but have you considered
  $607 million in 2025 accounting for inflation
- FAFO
- I'm pretty sure they explicitly made sure that they would retain complete control over the company's political activism.
  So yeah, they knew they'd try shit like this, which is why they specifically protected themselves from it in their contract.
I don't know what you expect when you sell the company to Unilever.
But I didn't know it was being spun off:
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.
- They expected $$$$$$$
Hate to say it but they made their bed with the decision to sell their names to corporate America. This was to be expected unfortunately and if they want to be a voice for good in the ice cream market, they'll have to start a new company.
- I would buy the hell out of some Jen and Berry's.
- Unilever is British
  
  My bad, multinational Corporation that has a corporate America branch .
  I forget that the UK are also full of complete shitheads too.
I remember going to Ben & Jerrys once a few years ago and there was only one worker there at the time, dude was really cool and even though company policy didnt let me take a disposable cup he still went around it and found one so I could drink and walk as I usually prefer with milkshakes (I think they were running out of disposable cups or smth, dont remember the reason).
Anyway, he told me just how much he loved working there, that he knew the entire story of the brand and how really liked how it stood for many progressive things like LGBT rights and stuff. The store closed during the pandemic but I hope he still kept his job and is doing all right. Also I hope Ben and Jerrys can be independent again, they do some nice things.
So how does the public help? Just stop buying anything from Magnum brands or Ben & Jerry’s? That could work in theory, but a lot of us have never purchased either brand, regardless. I appreciate B&J’s efforts, but I just don’t eat enough ice cream (as in, none) these days anyway.
- Plus, a lot of people just don't care enough to give up their Cherry Garcia. People attach value to the strangest things.
- I don't know anyone who eats ice cream anymore. So much fat for us and it's super expensive.
  I don't see how any of us can help them, we aren't their market.
  
  Then who is their market?
You fuckers sold out. Go eat shit! Bend the knee to your Overlord.
Fuck Israel, genocidal scum!
- Sir, this is Ben and Jerry's
- Wat

37 comments

Fuck Israel, genocidal scum!