# Ben Cohen wants marketers to free Ben & Jerry's

> The ice cream founder is challenging the marketing community to create a guerrilla campaign pressuring Magnum to sell the brand back.
- Title: Ben Cohen wants marketers to free Ben & Jerry's · Adweek
- Summary: The ice cream founder is challenging the marketing community to create a guerrilla campaign pressuring Magnum to sell the brand back. Ben Cohen is leveraging…
- Keywords: ben cohen, ben and jerry's, magnum ice cream, unilever, brandweek, guerrilla marketing, social mission, independent board, free ben and jerry's campaign, activism, ice cream, Ben
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/brand-marketing/ben-cohen-calls-on-the-marketing-community-to-free-ben-jerrys
- Author: Alison Weissbrot
- Published: 2026-09-17T19:16:21+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ben cohen, ben and jerry's, magnum ice cream, unilever, brandweek, guerrilla marketing, social mission, independent board, free ben and jerry's campaign, activism, ice cream
## Ben Cohen's call to action
At Brandweek in Atlanta, the Ben & Jerry's founder challenged marketers to create a low-cost guerrilla campaign to pressure Magnum into selling the brand.

> This is your opportunity to help improve the quality of life for many people.
## How Ben & Jerry's lost independence
Founded in 1978, Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000, then spun off to Magnum Ice Cream Company in late 2025. Cohen and Greenfield negotiated an independent board to protect the brand's social mission.
## Tensions escalated over values
Ben & Jerry's sued Unilever over being silenced on Gaza. After Magnum took over, it ousted CEO Dave Stever and ignored the independent board's authority, prompting Greenfield to step down.
## The Free Ben & Jerry's campaign
Cohen launched a campaign that gathered 200,000 petition signatures and 800,000 social media followers. In July, Ben & Jerry's announced it must close its foundation by year-end due to funding cuts.
## The creative brief details
Marketers can submit guerrilla campaigns with a maximum budget of $20,000 by October 7, 2026. The winner gets free Ben & Jerry's for life if the company regains independence.

> Cheaper is better.
## Cohen's warning about Magnum
Cohen said Magnum lacks a social mission and is destroying the brand's values. He compared the situation to killing the goose that lays golden eggs for short-term profit.

> Magnum really likes those golden eggs, but they're in the process of destroying the goose.
## Key takeaway

Ben Cohen is leveraging creative talent to pressure Magnum into selling Ben & Jerry's so the company can protect its social mission and independent governance.