Ice cream producers Ben & Jerry’s is facing consumer backlash following a July 4 post criticizing the birth of the United States. The statement and the resulting stock valuation loss occurred after a number of other major brands received criticism following controversial marketing decisions.
The ice cream maker received considerable criticism on social media and faces a potential boycott.
This week, the company wrote on Twitter that “it’s high time we recognize” that the United States “exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it.”
The brand included a link to a website that discussed the effort.
According to the site, the brand said that the effort of “returning” land to American Indians should “start with Mount Rushmore.”
The site includes a petition to request the return of the national monument to the Lakota tribe.
The brand described its support for the “Indigenous-led Land Back movement,” which is committed to “dismantling White supremacy and systems of oppression and ensuring that Indigenous people can again govern the land their communities called home for thousands of years.”
“The US exists on stolen land. We have to acknowledge that—today and every day,” the ice cream brand wrote.
Did you know that Ben and Jerry’s was sold to a giant corporate conglomerate over 20 years ago for a cool 326 million?
Socialists love nothing more than capitalism for themselves… pic.twitter.com/F7UjcUJHQY
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) July 5, 2023
Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever saw its stock price dip following the post. The resulting decline erased more than $2 billion in company value.
This isn’t the first time that Ben & Jerry’s waded into politics.
The brand has made a number of controversial statements, including recently advocating for defunding the police. The company prominently supported the Black Lives Matter movement and worked with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2020.
Ben & Jerry’s statements come after a number of marketing decisions criticized by conservatives. Bud Light is still facing a widespread boycott due to its April announcement of a marketing partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Target received negative attention due to items and displays related to its Pride Collection. Similarly, Target granted funds to a non-profit group that desired the closure of Mount Rushmore on “stolen Lakota land.”
