"It's time to get the dough out of politics." Maybe not in real life but we know that's at least how Stephen Colbert and Ben & Jerry's feels about it — by showing it (or tasting it).

The latest edition of "AmeriCone Dream" ice cream, first released as a tie-in with the Comedy Central wag back in 2007, is timed to the upcoming U.S. elections. This “2012 Collectable Election Year PACkage!” is also complete with election streamers, an Uncle Sam hat, red, white and blue motif and messaging around the company’s social mission to "Get The Dough Out" of politics, as cofounder/activist Ben Cohen has been promoting.

The container pays homage to Colbert’s own Super PAC, labeled on its lid skirt: “SUPERPACK!” and clearly noted (just in case you miss the PAC reference) on the front: “2012 Collectable Election Year PACkage!” The reverse side (see below) includes Colbert's editing notes and signature.Continue reading...

Did you know that it’s National Ice Cream month in the U.S.? Fans of Ben & Jerry’s like Dan Eslinger from Louisville, Kentucky are cognizant and observant, and just the kind of brand enthusiast the ice cream maker loves back.

Eslinger’s wife, Erin, posted his picture on her Facebook page, as he proudly displayed his collection of the different Ben & Jerry’s pint cups he’s consumed since 1999. The “Wall of Fame container pyramid” represents flavors now in B&J's ice cream graveyard up to and includes recent releases available at today’s Scoop Shops. Eslinger has tried them all. 

In appreciation, the company sent shirts, coupons, and an autographed Ben & Jerry’s Frisbee to Eslinger, followed by a call from the company’s Cofounder Jerry Greenfield and a personal invitation to visit B&J's Vermont HQ with his wife, Erin.Continue reading...

Sprinkles, the Los Angeles cupcake bakery, has installed its first ATM to dispense its frosted fare, as Huffington Post food blogger Lucy Blodgett demonstrates above. At $4 a pop (75 cents more than its regular cupcake price), the ATM is slated for New York and the brand's eight other U.S. locations, she hears. Naturally, the cupcake ATM now has its own Twitter feed. The idea expands on the company's Sprinklesmobile that launched in 2009. Also launching this spring: Sprinkles Ice Cream.

The world is not tiring of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. And why should it? 

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last month, you are likely aware that the 23-year-old Harvard grad, who happens to be the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, surprisingly led the New York Knicks on a seven-game winning streak and has scored 17 0r more in nine out of the 11 games he’s started. His play has lifted the hopes of Knicks fans that their team can find some triumphs this season as well as in the playoffs.

With his success on the court has come a lot of off-the-court love and attention, of course, particularly from folks who’d like to stick his name on their products. Nike, not surprisingly, has stepped in to give him his own shoe deal. And now Ben & Jerry’s has released a limited-edition ice cream, according to the Boston Globe.

The new flavor, “Taste the Lin-Sanity,” is only being served at Ben & Jerry's Harvard Square "scoop shop" in Cambridge, Mass., which makes sense as Lin is an alum — although it would be a surefire hit in the NYC market, too. It was intended to be a fun tribute, although it proved uncool to a few who felt the ingredients were insulting. OK, racist.Continue reading...

Frozen yogurt? It's all Greek to Ben & Jerry's, evidently, as the Unilever-owned brand is jumping on the Greek Yogurt craze with a line of frozen Greek yogurt.

The Junk Food Guy blog got the scoop by sampling B&J's new Strawberry Shortcake Greek frozen yogurt flavor after spotting it at his local supermarket. His verdict: "very soft, fluffy, CREAMY, and not super sweet. The strawberry flavor was present but not overwhelming, and the little bits of strawberries added an accent here and there."

The description on the package, which features the brand's iconic jersey cow wearing a Greek laurel wreath and Greek yogurt as the second listed ingredient:

Sweet Eureka! It's our most epic Fro Yo yet & it's uniquely Greek! Made with real Greek Yogurt, it's all the creamy richness of Greek yogurt, and Ben & Jerrily loaded with all the flavor boldness and fun chunks you expect. We think it's really Greekin' good & it'll pretty much rock your acropolis. 

According to the On Second Scoop blog, the brand's updated Fro Yo line launches next week. Besides Strawberry Shortcake, other flavors apparently include Raspberry Fudge Chunk, Blackberry Vanilla Graham Cracker, and Banana Peanut Butter.

Take a closer look at the packaging, as photographed by the Junk Food Guy, below.Continue reading...

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., which operates a chain of Friendly's restaurants primarily in the northeast US, has filed for bankruptcy.

This comes as no surprise to me. In August 2010, I wrote about my experience at a Friendly's restaurant during which, it seemed, time stood still. I was heartened to learn at the time that the slow-serving restaurants were to be revitalized. Part of the plan was to open smaller "Friendly Express" locations.

But now instead of expanding, Friendly's is closing 63 locations, keeping 424 restaurants running as it restructures. In a statement, CEO Harsha V. Agadi said, "We have made a lot of progress, but our company continued to face significant financial challenges. This was exacerbated by the weak economy and rapidly rising commodity costs that have impacted the entire restaurant industry."

True, restaurants have taken a hit in the recession, but some have managed to reinvent themselves. Not so with Friendly's.Continue reading...

If it was April 1, nobody would believe yesterday's announcement by ice cream makers Ben and Jerry's. But, it seems that, for real, the brand has again enlisted popular entertainment in the service of promoting its brand by releasing a limited edition flavor called Schweddy Balls. 

The best part has been the reaction from Alec Baldwin, the actor (and avid tweeter) who starred in the legendary Saturday Night Live skit that inspired the limited edition flavor.Continue reading...

Proving, once again, they've got a sense of humor, the marketing wags at Ben & Jerry's are rolling out a limited edition ice-cream flavor in the US: Schweddy Balls, named for a punning 2007 Saturday Night Live skit featuring Alec Baldwin as Pete Schweddy, a guest on a fictitious NPR radio show called "Delicious Dish."Continue reading...