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Potential voters line up for free ice cream at the Ben and Jerry’s Scoop the Vote truck in Franklin Square, where they were encouraged to register and vote for Kamala Harris. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, better known as ice cream purveyors Ben and Jerry, landed in Philadelphia Monday to launch a campaign to endorse Kamala Harris for president — with ice cream treats.
Working with the political action group MoveOn, they parked an ice cream truck at Franklin Square and handed out free ice cream, while simultaneously encouraging people to register to vote.
They concocted a new flavor for their candidate. Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee is coconut ice cream with swirls of caramel and mixed with star-shaped red, white and blue candy sprinkles.
“They say, ‘Bloom where you’re planted.’ Jerry and I are kind of planted in a freezer. We make ice creams,” said Cohen. “So, we’re making ice cream for Kamala.”
It’s not the first time the ice cream company has endorsed a candidate. Ben & Jerry’s promoted the senator from their home state of Vermont, Bernie Sanders, in his presidential run in 2016, and revived the limited-edition flavor in 2020.
The ice cream truck handed out samples of four different flavors: Unburdened By What Has Vanilla Bean, Fight For Your Rights Sorbet, MoveOn Milk Chocolate Mobilizer and Inauguration Celebration Birthday Cake.
None were the new coconut flavor, as Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee is not available in stores; people must enter an online rally to win a chance to buy the limited-edition flavor.
Cohen never considered developing a flavor after Donald Trump.
“I don’t think it’s proper in polite society for me to talk about what would be in that flavor,” he said.
At Franklin Square, Ben and Jerry circulated through several dozen people waiting in line to take pictures, sign autographs and pass out Scoop the Vote napkins printed with a QR code for MoveOn.
“Ice cream creates community,” said Greenfield. “This is an opportunity to elect somebody who brings people together instead of taking people enforcing them apart.”
The event attracted Judy Wicks, the former Philly restaurateur who used to leverage her White Dog Cafe in West Philadelphia to promote causes important to her.
“Food is a great way to build community and to lure innocent people into social activism,” she said.
Tyrone Sampson came with his girlfriend, describing the ice cream giveaway as a rally.
“This is the first rally event I’ve attended for, actually, probably, ever,” he said.
Philadelphia was the first stop on Ben & Jerry’s tour through swing states across the country.
“Today is the first day of voting in Pennsylvania,” said Greenfield, in reference to voter’s ability to request an application for a mail-in ballot.
“I think that’s why we’re all here,” said Cohen. “It’s not a coincidence that we showed up on the first day of voting in Pennsylvania.”
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