Ben & Jerry's Celebrates 11 Years with Stephen Colbert Living the Americone Dream
Flavor Proceeds Top Two Million Dollars to Charity
BURLINGTON, Vt., Feb. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While many people are aware that Stephen Colbert has his own Ben & Jerry's flavor, what they aren't aware of is that Colbert—since day one—has donated all of his proceeds (over 2 million dollars since the flavor was unveiled in 2007) to those in need. And, being Stephen Colbert, he does so in a fun, thoughtful, and deliberate manner.
"Thank you for making a show that people like enough to buy an ice cream flavor associated with it," said Colbert to a recent meeting of Late Show staffers. Since year one, Stephen has involved his staff in the donation process. Each staff member may nominate a non-profit organization as a recipient of the pint proceeds. To highlight the story, Ben & Jerry's has released a video showing exactly how the process works and how the money is distributed.
The late-night host joined forces with Ben & Jerry's 11 years ago when the ice cream maker launched Americone Dream, a flavor of admiration for the quick-witted comedian who was about to explode to the top of pop culture.
The name "Americone Dream" was a tongue -in-cheek nod to the faux pundit that would soon result in a spoon-in-mouth love affair for Americans. As Colbert said at the 2007 launch: "Now you can enjoy me internally as well as externally." The flavor was first unveiled in a patriotic pint package, and the concoction, vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cones and a caramel swirl, became an instant hit. Colbert's flavor is one of three (along with the iconic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cherry Garcia) to be featured in pints, bulk (available in the company's franchised Scoop Shops), Pint Slices (a novelty released in 2017), mini cups, and even quarts. The fan favorite has held its position in the upper echelon of Ben & Jerry's top ten since its introduction.
What's next? A new look for the pint design. Yes, even Colbert's packaging continues to evolve from the original red, white and blue to the newest version hitting the shelves in 2018 with Stephen's Late Show image. More charities will also reap the benefits of Colbert's kindness as 2017 was the biggest yield to date – the flavor just keeps getting more popular.
About Ben & Jerry's
As an aspiring social justice company, Ben & Jerry's believes in a greater calling than simply making a profit for selling its goods. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream, yogurt and sorbet using high-quality ingredients. Ben & Jerry's incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices in a number of ways including a focus on values-led sourcing. In 2015 the company completed its transition to using entirely non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients by source as well as to fully source Fairtrade-certified ingredients wherever possible, which benefits farmers in developing countries. Ben and Jerry's products are distributed in 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Ben & Jerry's became a certified B Corp (Benefit Corporation) in 2012. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation's employee-led grant programs totaled $2.5MM in 2017 to support grassroots organizing for social and environmental justice around the country.
SOURCE Ben & Jerry's
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