The ice-cream company that gave the world Schweddy Balls and Karamel Sutra isn’t apparently amused by somebody using the name Ben & Cherry’s. Perhaps Ben & Jerry’s discomfort comes from the fact that the somebody in question is a hardcore porn film producer.
The Vermont-based, Unilever-owned B&J’s has filed a trademark suit against B&C’s, the Associated Press reports, in order to stop them “tarnish(ing)” the ice-cream maker’s name.
Ben & Cherry’s doesn’t just use a variation of the B&J’s name and logo on its films; it also gives its videos names based on Ben & Jerry’s flavors. Witness "Boston Cream Thigh," at right, ''New York Fat & Chunky," and "Peanut Butter D-Cup," the AP reports. Not only that, the packaging of the films contains elements that appear on Ben & Jerry’s packaging, such as “a grazing cow, green grass and large white puffy clouds.”
It's not that Ben & Jerry’s is averse to hanky panky; after all, the brand using a more G-rated bit of romance – spooning (get it?) – to help sell its new Greek Frozen Yogurt.
The company débuted an app on Facebook last month that “scans a user's pool of Facebook friends and uncovers several unexpected matches,” according to Clickz.com. A person is offered anywhere from five to 15 potential matches and, after selecting one, an invitation to spoon along with a coupon for the yogurt is sent to the friend.
More than 20,000 people signed up for the app in three weeks and than more than a quarter of those send spooning invitations. "Our goal is to engage this group, which enjoys humor, is passionate about ice cream and tends to be left-leaning and liberal," said Paul Aaron, partner and head of interactive for Amalgamated, the agency that came up with the effort, to Clickz.
One of the lefty things those liberal consumers love about Ben & Jerry’s is its environmental record. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson, recently toured the plant to see what they are doing, the Boston Globe reports.
‘‘They are not using new technology here,” Jackson said, according to the Globe. “You know, they’re making ice cream, they’re treating their wastewater. They have made a commitment to make cost-effective investments in energy efficiency. They are pushing the envelope on recycling. None of those things happen because you wave your hands and say I'd like to do it. It requires working within your community.’’
Perhaps if Ben & Cherry’s had promised to do more for nature (vs. being au naturel), Ben & Jerry’s wouldn’t be so upset.
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