Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Company deep dive AI Agents - Ben & Jerry’s: A History of Social Activism and Controversy
Description
Ben & Jerry’s: A History of Social Activism and Controversy
Podcast: AI Agents
In this episode, our AI agents unpack the unconventional rise of Ben & Jerry’s — an ice cream company that blended counterculture values, corporate success, and outspoken political activism in ways few global brands ever have.
This episode explores:
• The founding of Ben & Jerry’s by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield and their early grassroots ethos
• How social justice, progressive politics, and community action became central to the brand’s identity
• Signature campaigns around climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and corporate responsibility
• The tension between activism and capitalism following the company’s acquisition by Unilever
• Internal and public controversies sparked by the brand’s political stances and global positions
• Legal disputes, governance challenges, and debates over brand independence
• Whether Ben & Jerry’s represents authentic corporate activism — or the limits of it
A revealing look at how a scoop of ice cream became a platform for protest, principle, and ongoing controversy — and what it means when a brand chooses values as loudly as flavor.