Bitter from third elections? Ben & Jerry’s is here with a sweet surprise
Just like the ice cream, communities come in all sorts of flavors – and together the residents of Israel can realize ‘One Sweet Vote’
By TZVI JOFFREBen and Jerry Ice Cream claims "Voting is in good taste"(photo credit: Courtesy)
While a third round of elections may leave a bitter taste in your mouth, Ben & Jerry’s is here to make your life a little sweeter with a new flavor made specially for the March 2 election.The flavor is called “One Sweet Vote” in English and “There’s a Flavor/Reason to Vote” in Hebrew – based on the Hebrew word ta’am, which has both meanings. The ice cream is both vanilla and chocolate, and it contains chocolate “peace signs,” chocolate-covered almonds, white-chocolate chunks and blondies – essentially vanilla brownies.The ice cream was released with the goal of encouraging as many people as possible to vote, amid fears that voter turnout could decrease in the third round of elections within a year.“Just like the ice cream, communities come in all sorts of flavors – and together the residents of Israel can realize ‘One Sweet Vote,’” the company said in a press statement.The company conducts similar campaigns all over the world to encourage people to vote, Ben & Jerry’s Israel CEO Avi Zinger told The Jerusalem Post.In December, the local company posted a picture of an ice cream pint in the shadows, with the text: “We thought that in honor of the elections, we would create a new flavor called ‘Third Time Ice Cream,’ but we can’t decide what to put in it. Any ideas?”“Third time, ice cream” is an Israeli expression meaning that the third time you run into a friend, you should treat each other to an ice cream.“We received thousands of responses from all over the world,” Zinger said. “We decided, in the tradition of Ben & Jerry’s, to encourage elections, especially in Israel where people are saying, ‘There’s no reason to vote’ because nothing will happen, to take this step and to make people aware that they need to vote and to encourage them.”The flavor was made based on responses to an Instagram post, in an effort to display the spectrum of different people and opinions in Israel and “to be tasty, of course,” Zinger told the Post.The ice cream will be available at factory stores in Yavne and Be’er Tuviya.
