Ben & Jerry’s Quest To Change The World

Ben & Jerry’s is, without a doubt, the most well-known ice cream shop in the country. From Cherry Garcia to Karamel Sutra, the company’s never-dull assortment of flavors has won the hearts of children and adults alike over the brand’s thirty-year rise to fame. Of course, as one of the most socially and environmentally conscious companies in the States, Ben & Jerry’s has inspired a wealth of change, evolution, and awareness for both great ice cream and contemporary social challenges alike.

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If you happen to live near a Ben & Jerry’s, you’ve probably noticed the mile long line that tends to materialize out of thin-air once a year as people drive from miles around just to see what’s going on. Free Cone Day began in 1979 and, not surprisingly, has been a success ever since. After all, who doesn’t like free ice cream? The company’s goal, however, isn’t just to offload its product but rather to invite communities nationwide to accept free ice cream while helping a number of charitable organizations and campaigns that are present at nearly all of the stores throughout the States. With more than one million free cones rolling out of its stores across the country each year, the idea has continued to make people smile while simultaneously promoting positive contributions to those in need.

Even with the success of giving away its ice cream for free (who would ever imagine…), Ben & Jerry’s has taken steps to ensure that it remains socially conscious while still generating enough cash to continue cranking out new flavors like “Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream” and “Willy Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler.” In 2006, the company launched the world’s first fair-trade ice cream and, despite choosing to do so with the least exciting flavor in its line-up (Vanilla), the move was still a major step forward for the world’s favorite frozen company.

Each day brings new flavors, ideas, and movements that make Ben & Jerry’s more than an ice cream store. After all, how many other ice cream stores have a graveyard full of flavors that have gone to heaven?