This campaign brief outlines Ben & Jerry's new commitment to eliminating GMOs from their products and educating consumers about GMOs. The target audience is women like Emily, a 27-year-old nurse living in Boston who is pregnant and concerned about health. Insights show that while most Americans support GMO labeling, knowledge is still lacking. The opportunity is to use Ben & Jerry's GMO-free stance to educate people about GMOs. Print ads will use graphic images and facts to convey the unnaturalness of GMOs, while supporting the idea that "Food is not a science experiment." Ads and infographics on freezers in 10 cities will further the message.

1. “Food is not a
Science Experiment”
Campaign Brief #2

2. Why are we communicating?
Ben & Jerry’s is entering a new era with their commitment to the
elimination of all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from
their products. GMOs are a “trending” topic, gathering interest
both nationally and internationally. The majority of Americans
support labeling of GMOs, and over 50 countries have banned
or restricted them.
Who are we talking to?
Our target audience is women like Emily. Emily is a 27 year old
nurse practitioner living in Boston. She and her husband Mark
are beyond excited to start a family. In fact, they are expecting
their first child, a baby girl, in a few months! Emily does all the
grocery shopping for their little family; while she has always
been conscious of health, pregnancy is making her even more
adamant about buying wholesome, natural food. When Emily
and Mark aren’t working or getting ready for their bundle of joy,
they love exploring the city they love on long walks through the
botanical gardens or along the Charles River.
Key Insights
Through research, we discovered how ingrained social values
are in Ben & Jerry’s corporate identity. Even though Ben &
Jerry’s is now owned by Unilever, the company’s care for the
world has not disappeared. Ben & Jerry’s has decided to
make all its ice cream without genetically modified organisms
(GMOs). GMOs are the result of altered DNA in foods, including
both plants and animals. This is usually done for the purpose
of making plants more resistant to pesticides. However, there
are many drawbacks to GMOs. There is no long-term research
assessing the effect of GMOs on human health. GMO plants
are beginning to cross-pollinate with weeds, creating weeds
that are also tolerant to pesticides. In addition, because large
corporations hold patents on the seeds for altered species,
farmers cannot recycle seeds and must pay for new seeds
every year; this cycle has put small farmers out of business.
Companies within the United States have taken a stand against
GMOs, and GMO products are either banned or severely
restricted in over 50 countries, including the entire European
Union. Despite this, the United States government supports
GMOs, and does not require labeling of GMO products.
Because of this, it is estimated that 75% of products on a
grocery store shelf include GMOs.
What’s the problem and opportunity?
While the majority of Americans support labeling of GMOs
(92%), there is a lack of overall knowledge of what exactly
GMOs are and the effects they can have. This leads to an
opportunity – use Ben & Jerry’s commitment to GMO-free
ice cream as a chance to educate the American public to the
dangers of GMOs.
What should our communication do? How will it do this?
Our communication will illustrate the unnaturalness of GMOs
in food, as well as let consumers know that Ben & Jerry’s is now
GMO free. To do this, ads will be very graphic in nature, with
sassy copy that convey serious facts and figures.
What is the strategic idea?
Food is not a science project.
How will we support this idea?
This idea will be supported with images of unaltered, natural
foods that have been grown in fair trade communities. With
these images will be intriguing copy that makes the audience
stop and think. Education about GMOs is an important part of
the strategic idea.
What are the mandatories/must-dos?
We must create a campaign that is clearly advertising Ben &
Jerry’s, using the classic whimsical, yet edgy, brand identity. The
company’s commitment to GMO-free ice cream is news-worthy.
It is also mandatory to educate consumers on the prevalence
and possible dangers of GMOs.
What are the creative considerations?
These ads must fit Ben & Jerry’s well established brand
identity while also communicating information about GMOs.
The tone of the campaign will be sassy and edgy, with the aim
of furthering social reform. Eye-catching colors and graphics
are important.
What are the deliverables?
The print portion of our campaign will be featured in bus
shelters, airports, and subway stations nationwide. Our fourth
application is an infographic window cling that can be used on
Ben & Jerry’s freezers placed in the following U. S. cities:
• Burlington, VT
• Boston, MA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Baltimore, MD
• Miami, FL
• Washington, D.C.
• Austin, TX
• Oakland, CA
• Pittsburgh, PA
These cities are family friendly, liberal, and walkable, which
make them perfect for education about GMOs via strategically
placed ice cream freezers. We chose to target family friendly cit-
ies because of the part kids can play in social change. It is more
effective if these markets are not conservative, because the
GMO message may not be welcome there. Eventually, it may be
possible to expand into less liberal cities as the GMO-free trend
spreads. With a guerilla marketing tactic on the street, more
walkable cities will yield more views. Our transit ads will also run
in these ten cities.
Creative Brief

3. I grew from
a tree, not
a petri dish.
It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on
your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered
ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont
think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy
Cunky Monkey without GMOs.
Food is not a science experiment.

4. I am
cocoa, not
Specimen #62.
It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on
your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered
ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont
think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy
Chocolate Therapy without GMOs.
Food is not a scienece experiment.

5. I have
unaltered
DNA.
It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on
your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered
ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont
think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy
Peanut Butter Cup without GMOs.
Food is not a science experiment.

6. Print Ad Locations
Our print ads will be featured at transit
locations in our ten chosen cities. This includes
bus shelters, subway cars, and subway stops.
Our target audience members are active in
their cities, making transit ads an easy way to
reach them.

7. Food is not a science Experiment.
So, what does
GMO even mean?
GMO stands forgenetically modified
organism, which is what
you call it when you cross
a tomato with a fish using
genetic engineering in a
biology lab.
91% of
people in the
United States
want GMOs
labeled. So
does Ben &
Jerry’s.
30,000 differentGMOs exist on theshelves of yourgrocery store. Noneexist in the Ben &Jerry’s freezer.
50+ countries ban
or restrict GMOs,
while the United
States doesn’t even
require labeling.
Ben & Jerry’s now without GMOs.

8. InfoGraphic Locations
The infographic created for this campaign will
be applied to the front of freezers as a window
cling. These freezers will be located throughout
our ten target cities in high-traffic areas as a
guerilla marketing technique. Because of the
controversial GMO-focused content of the
window clings, it is more feasible, as well as
more effective, to have these freezers and the
infographic located throughout our target
cities, rather than within grocery stores or other
places Ben & Jerry’s is sold in a
stand-up freezer. The freezers will be stocked
with mini Ben & Jerry’s ice creams of all flavors.
The packaging for these little ice creams
will have a sticker with a web link for more
information. This link will take the user to an
interactive version of the infographic, where the
definition of GMOs, as well each fact presented,
is explained in further detail. Additional facts
and statistics will be available at this site as well.

9. This campaign was inspired by Ben & Jerry’s graphic and
whimsical packaging. The tone Ben & Jerry’s has set is
very loud and value-driven. We included pictures of not
only the ice cream pints, but also current Instagram and
Facebook posts and images of Ben and Jerry themselves.
We also drew inspiration from illustrated ice cream cones
and food art. An image of brightly decorated donuts
was especially helpful. The hills of Vermont and tourism
efforts of the state (where Ben & Jerry’s originated and
has their corporate headquarters) were also part of
our trend board. Not surprisingly, cows, both real and
illustrated, appeared many times in our inspiration.
Trend Board

10. Brainstorming
• Portioned packaging
• Point of purchase ad
• Refillable container campaign with sections
• Food art
• Cornucopia with pumpkin pie flavor
• Cow eating ice cream
• Stop motion with food art
• Guilty pleasure you can feel good about
• They call it a guilty pleasure for a reason
• To-do list with Ben & Jerry’s at end
• Study companion
• Stress eating
• Market to everyone?
• After kids go to bed Ben & Jerry’s
• “The best part of your to-do list”
• Match packaging with nature
• Right out of nature
• Ben & Jerry’s in bike basket
• Ben & Jerry’s is your eco-friendly, all natural companion
• We’re there for you – watching sad movie
• We’re there for you – getting over a break up
• Cherry on top of a natural life
• Cream of the crop
• I scream for ice cream
• So many options
• Too good to choose just one
• Why choose?
• Simpler times
• Take a break
• The sweet taste of simpler times
• Stay cool
• Little kid with ice cream all over face – “Stay cool kid”
• Kid with ice cream all over face
• Everyone loves ice cream
• Cone versus dish (with social promotion)
• Mimic donut picture from trend board
• Pop art with callouts
• “How do you ice cream?”
• What does it mean if you are a cone and a dish person?
• No matter how you have it, it’s delicious
• Bessie approved
• Locally sourced
• From cow to cone
• From barn to bowl
• Udder with ice cream
• Bike to work day
• Udderly delicious
• Co-ad with Vermont Tourism
• “You can do better”
• Might as well stay in with your true love
• Get back together with Ben & Jerry’s
• From Moo to Mmm…
• From Pasture to Pint
• From Bovine to Bucket
• Peace to Pieces
• Ben and Jerry’s as your boyfriend
• What’s your flavor?
• Celebrities holding their own flavors
• Ben +Jerry+ Karen
• From the hills of Vermont to the Chills of your freezer
• Come on a journey from the barn to your
• Farm to freezer
• Parlor to pint
• Old famous people eating Ben + Jerry’s
• Cone vs. Dish People
• Anywhere, anytime Ben + Jerry’s
• Utterly Delicious
• Cow eating Ice Cream
• Cow pulling the Ben and Jerry’s carriage
• Ben and Jerry’s part of your to-do list
• Tinder profile
• Hills in spoon, cone, dish

11. Tumbnails
Originally, we toyed with many concepts,
including a war between people who eat ice
cream out of a dish versus out of a cone. We
also drew out the idea that Ben & Jerry’s is
very fresh, so fresh it goes right from a cow’s
udders into an ice cream cone. Many of our
thumbnails were focused on the heritage of
the company and its roots in Vermont. Cows
were an overarching theme in many sketches.
The last concept before our final big idea was
the portrayal of Ben & Jerry’s as a woman’s
boyfriend.

12. Rejected Comps
The original comps for this campaign featured each
food’s speech bubble with the same copy: “I am not a
science project.” In the first round of crit, the group we
met with suggested making a colored pencil image. They
also wanted to make sure the ad was very edgy, because
that is part of Ben & Jerry’s image. To them, cows said
milk, not ice cream, so they shouldn’t be included in most
of the messaging. In the next phase of design, one set
of comps used each raw food in its natural environment.
However, this image was jarring due to the graphic
speech bubble. This was echoed by other groups in crit.
The images were also very busy, detracting from the
clean, whimsical image Ben & Jerry’s does so well.
The other set of rejected comps were the same graphic
background as the final ads, but also used only one
sentence in all three speech bubbles. It was decided that
altering these ads to make each one more unique would
create a more diverse and effective campaign. Overall,
our classmates liked the simple aspects of these ads, and
the different copy added an additional aspect to the ads
for them. These comps’ leading was too large. There was
also an issue with the proportions, as well as empty space
in the corner of the ads with the chocolate and peanuts.
One ad had a drop shadow, which critics enjoyed and
suggested adding to all the speech bubbles. Other ideas
included putting the foods on white backgrounds and
creating cutouts.
I am not
a science
project.
It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on
your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered
ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list,
because we dont think food should start in a biology lab.
Now you can enjoy half baked without GMOs.
I am not
a science
Experiment.
It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods
on your supermarket shelves contain genetically
engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on
that list. We dont think food should start in a biology
lab. Now you can enjoy Peanut Butter Cup without
GMOs.

13. Other Rejected Comps