The Original Ben & Jerry's Promotion Fans Still Enjoy Today

Ben & Jerry's is known for being an innovative ice cream company with unique flavor combinations. They have also created a few over-the-top marketing campaigns through the years, such as driving around a cowmobile, creating a flavor graveyard, and creating a 20-scoop ice cream sundae known as The Vermonster. The company, which began in 1978 out of a renovated gas station in Vermont, has done nothing but grow since.

The company has created a variety of flavors, from the infamous Half Baked to standout collaboration flavors like The Tonight Dough. They even release flavors to support their political and social beliefs, like the newly released, limited edition Change is Brewing. While Ben & Jerry's knows how to stay relevant, creative, and with the times, one of its first stunts is still one of its best and most loved. So, what's the one promotion that takes the cake? Or should we say ice cream?

In 1979 to celebrate the first anniversary of Ben & Jerry's, Free Cone Day entered the scene. By 1984, Free Cone Day was celebrated outside of Vermont, reaching Saratoga Springs, New York, and by 1993 the holiday had gone international. Free Cone Day has been celebrated almost yearly and is a day where Ben & Jerry's gives away free scoops all day long. In 2015, the company reported that it gave away over one million scoops of ice cream. (via Ben & Jerry's).

While this Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day is supposed to be a yearly event, Covid-19, unfortunately, put a pause on it due to government restrictions. Although understandable, people are eager to get back in line for their free cones! We are on the lookout to see if 2023 is the year Free Cone Day makes its appearance again. Fun fact: the idea of "Free Cone Day" became so popular that other large names, like Dairy Queen, created their own version of the event.