"benandjerrys" news and stories

Leading up to the Presidential election in November, one of the most familiar slogans of Barack Obama's campaign was the powerfully succinct phrase, "Yes, We Can." It served as a rallying point for his supporters and now gourmet ice cream producer Ben & Jerry's is adopting the message to honor the new President by renaming their butter pecan flavor, "Yes Pecan" for the month of January.

Ben & Jerry's has partnered with the voting advocacy organization, Common Cause, for this temporary renaming and all proceeds from the sale of "Yes Pecan" will go to fund their efforts.

So get yourself to a scoop shop and get a cone of "Yes Pecan" before the month is out!

[via Newsday]

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A few months back, I read Lovemarks, a book about the future of corporate branding. Written by Kevin Roberts, the CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi, the book explored the hard-core loyalty that some customers feel for certain brands. As a Crest kid, a Tom Petty fan and an intense devotee of Kosciusko mustard, I can absolutely attest to the power of brand devotion; on the other hand, as a former Ben and Jerry's booster, I also know just how easy it is for a brand to destroy that relationship.

Of course, the ultimate example of a disastrous rebranding is Coca-Cola's 1985 decision to change its formula. As customers rebelled, the company tried to explain that numerous blind taste tests had revealed that New Coke was a more popular flavor. The mob, of course, was unmoved and, within three months, Coke was back to its old blend.

It's worth noting that Coke's originial justification for changing recipes was its competition with Pepsi. Now, a little over twenty years later, Pepsi is investing in a little rebranding of its own, with a new logo and a new can design. Starting in November, the company will be unrolling a $1.2 billion worldwide campaign to launch its fresh look.

In his forty-plus year career, Elton John has had no lack of awards: in addition to an Oscar for his work on The Lion King, he can boast five Grammys, a place in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a CBE and a Knighthood, as well as hundreds of other honors, great and small.

However, in some ways, none of these honors is as sweet as the one recently bestowed on the famed singer/songwriter. This week, Ben and Jerry's will launch Goodbye, Yellow Brickle Road, an Elton John-themed flavor that it will sell in its scoop shops from July 18th to July 25th. Named after his seminal 1973 breakthrough album and unveiled in honor of his first-ever concert in the Green Mountain State, all proceeds from the sale of the ice cream will go to the Elton John AIDS Fund.

A chocolate ice cream base with peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle, and white chocolate chunks, one wonders if "Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road" might spawn sequels. After all, is it hard to imagine a market for "Rocky Road Man," "Can You Feel the Carbs Tonight" or "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blueberry Bonanza"?

We all know that ice cream is fatty. My mom likes to remind me that when I'm licking an ice cream cone, I'm essentially licking a ball of fat. I try to remove that image from my mind and instead picture that I'm licking a little ball of heaven. However, it is wise to be informed of what you are eating. In that light, I present you with Newsweek's list of six of the most fattening ice creams - all nutrition information is for a serving size of a half cup.

1. Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter (360 calories, 24 grams of fat)

2. Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby (330 calories, 20 grams of fat)

3. Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan (310 calories, 23 grams of fat)

4. Sheer Bliss Pomegranate with chocolate chips (320 calories, 20 grams fat)

5. Ben and Jerry's Vermonty Python (300 calories, 19 grams of fat)

6. Coldstone Cookie Batter (300 calories, 16 grams of fat)

Check out the complete Newsweek article for a breakdown of what makes each one as bad as it is and some ideas for healthier alternatives.

[via That's Fit]