#JusticeReMixd: The flavor and action campaign dedicated to criminal justice reform

Courtesy of benjerry.com

Cinnamon and chocolate ice creams, gobs of cinnamon bun dough, and spicy fudge brownies topping it all off with the sweet taste of #socialjustice. Not many brands can say that they are bringing change to the world with ice cream, yet Ben & Jerry's is doing just that. Before it was an ice cream flavor, Justice ReMix'd was a campaign and collaboration between Ben & Jerry's and Advancement Project National Office in order to support reforms that invest in people instead of prisons.

I had the pleasure of learning just what it takes to create the sweet taste of justice from Sean Greenwood, Grand Poobah of PR at Ben & Jerry’s, and Cedric Brown, Digital Campaigns Manager Strategist at Advancement Project and Newhouse Public Relations alum. The partnership between #benandjerrys and #adv_project led to a movement where Ben & Jerry's travelled the country in a van, scooping ice cream and educating people about the campaign. "We truly care about these issues and want to get involved with them" said Greenwood, "we’re doing these acts because we believe in them, it has nothing to do with marketing". As an ice cream company, of course deciding on a flavor that backed their campaign was important. Creating a limited edition flavor and featuring it in scoop shops would increase the amount of people learning about difficult issues. Ben & Jerry's would be making a difference just with ice cream. Justice ReMix'd represents the people of color in our nation, "that spicy flavor you taste in the brownies is the fight that we all need to have to hang in here and fight for our rights" said Brown.

I personally was not the biggest fan of Justice ReMix'd. Its cinnamon and spicy flavors did not sit well with my dislike of spice in my foods. However, I finished each bite hanging onto every word spoken by Greenwood and Brown; reminded of Mexican hot chocolate. I was in awe over the marketing, PR, and social media that had gone into the

campaign to make it a success. The flavor was great, the cause was greater. Ben & Jerry's and Advancement Project had succeeded in cultivating a conversation on serious issues faced in America over America's true pass time... ice cream.

The authentic stance taken for criminal justice issues and reform by Ben & Jerry's has been well received by ice cream lovers and social justice advocates alike. Members of gen Z and millennial generations are leading the practice of buying with a conscience, and organizations such as Ben & Jerry's are speaking to them. With a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Justice ReMix’d going to Advancement Project National Office to support their Free & Safe campaign, its no wonder that the limited edition flavor has been extended until April 2020!

"Justice for all, instead of justice for some" said Jesse Williams who is backing #JusticeReMixd alongside Advancement Project.

Not only has Ben & Jerry's created a campaign to educate America about front-end criminal justice reform and how transforming the system can benefit everyone, they have invented a delicious new ice cream flavor to back it. Did you know that, according to the #JusticeReMixd campaign, "America locks people up at a higher rate than any other country on earth — and bias is baked right in. If you’re a person of color or struggling to make ends meet, you’re much more likely to be sent to prison — for a longer period of time — than a white person convicted of the same crime". Ben & Jerry's and Advancement Project invite America to educate themselves and take action one scoop at a time. You can learn more about the campaign and take action on Ben & Jerry's website because as co-founder Ben once said, “It’s easier to talk about difficult issues over a scoop or two".