
Ben & Jerry's, Unilever, and the Structural Limits of Brand Activism
Ben & Jerry's — founded 1978, Unilever-acquired 2000 with a unique independent-board governance carve-out — is the most-studied corporate-activism case in modern American business. The 2021 West Bank decision, the Avi Zinger litigation, the 2022 Unilever sale, the multi-state divestments, the 2025 Greenfield departure, and what the case teaches about the structural limits of brand activism.









