Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry’s recognizes the active, central role that companies play in society and aims to contribute to a better world. Using your voting rights is a crucial topic in this regard. It’s the third time that Ben & Jerry’s has partnered with the National Youth Council to raise awareness about the importance of voting among young people.

However, for many young people, the European elections feel distant and irrelevant. In the previous elections, less than half of young people actually voted, despite the European Union making decisions that directly impact them.

To inform and motivate young people in an accessible way to vote on June 6th, we developed the campaign ‘Red Pencils for Pints’. We thought: we can’t bribe them to vote, but we can reward them in exchange for ‘a red pencil’. Ha! So, in exchange for a red pencil, young people received a free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at polling stations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and Groningen on June 6th. The press responded very positively to the initiative.