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Ben & Jerry’s, a longtime cage-rattler and status quo challenger, is launching its first brand campaign in nearly a decade, encouraging Americans to lean into their skills and passions to become activists.
The brand, partnering with indie agency DCX Growth Accelerator, is taking a choose-your-own-adventure approach instead of directing consumers to any one specific cause.
It’s the latest flex from a company with decades of advocacy in its history, aiming, in essence, to create its version of Nike’s iconic “Just Do It.”
“Just as Nike believes that if you have a body, you can be an athlete, Ben & Jerry’s believes that if you have a heart, you can be an activist,” according to Doug Cameron, chief creative and strategy officer at DCX, who described the agency’s marching orders as “a dream brief to assert their values in a way that would resonate powerfully with today’s culture.”
The campaign, under the tagline “Make Some Motherchunkin’ Change!” debuts with a 90-second montage-style video featuring citizen activists who have photobombed Congress, surfed for racial justice, planted neighborhood gardens, opened banned book libraries and biked (naked) to protest climate change.
“The greatest tool is your own unique flavor,” the ad says, continuing a longstanding tactic of infusing Ben & Jerry’s calls to action with cheeky references to its sweet treats.
Volatile backdrop
The work comes during a political election year in the U.S.—an especially divisive time in the country—and a time when many corporations have backed away from discussing hot-button issues.
“We see an urgent need for the message of this campaign now,” Jay Curley, global head of integrated marketing at Ben & Jerry’s, told ADWEEK. “As a society we’re facing big challenges and, while that can feel daunting or cause people to feel disillusioned, we’re inspired by people who see it as an opportunity to create community and drive for collective change.”
