Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, is leading a campaign to buy back the ice cream brand from parent company Unilever/Magnum. He criticizes a decline in product quality (new 'fluffy' ice cream bars) and, more significantly, accuses Unilever of silencing the brand's long-standing social activism, leading to lawsuits, resignations, and a call for a boycott of Magnum's other brands.
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, is engaged in a fierce legal and existential battle to reclaim the beloved ice cream brand from its parent company, Unilever, which is spinning off its ice cream division into Magnum Ice Cream Company. Cohen's criticism extends from a perceived decline in product quality—describing new chocolate-covered ice cream bars as 'kinda fluffy,' suggesting cost-cutting by adding air—to the more profound issue of the brand's trademark social activism being suppressed. The conflict stems from a unique agreement made in 2000 when Ben & Jerry's was sold to Unilever for $326 million, which stipulated an independent board would safeguard the brand's social mission and values. Cohen asserts this independence has vanished. In November 2024, the Ben & Jerry's board sued Unilever, alleging it was blocked from supporting Gaza and accusing Unilever of breaching their agreement. Following Unilever's 2025 announcement to spin off its ice cream brands, Cohen launched his 'Free Ben & Jerry’s' campaign, urging Magnum to sell the brand so it can be independently owned. Further escalating tensions, Unilever ousted Ben & Jerry's CEO David Stever, and co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned, both citing the erosion of the company's independence and social mission, including a quashed plan for a pro-Palestine watermelon flavor. Additionally, Ben & Jerry's philanthropic foundation was forced to close after Magnum cut its funding, citing 'governance and conflict-of-interest issues.' Cohen estimates Ben & Jerry's could be worth $1 billion or more and is pushing for a sale. As Magnum insists the brand is 'not for sale,' Cohen has intensified his campaign by calling for a boycott of Magnum's other brands, including Yasso, Breyers, Talenti, and Klondike, hoping to pressure a divestment. Industry experts, like Maurice Schweitzer of the Wharton School, express skepticism about the boycott's success, citing consumer distraction and the broader 'war against woke capitalism.' However, Cohen remains optimistic, believing loyal consumers will 'vote with their dollars' and support the brand's return to independent ownership and its authentic social mission, which he argues is a core reason people buy Ben & Jerry's. Unilever and Magnum maintain that Ben & Jerry's is thriving under their ownership, with significant growth and continued engagement in social causes, while disputing Cohen's claims about product quality and the reasons for personnel changes and foundation funding cuts.
