Ben and Jerry’s, the scales and authenticity

I like Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I like the image. I remember an advert for Ben and Jerry’s that went a bit like this. They were making some ice cream with pecans in (sounds nice). They were getting a bit concerned that they needed to weigh out the pecans properly and so off they went to the store to buy some scales. The upshot was that they decided instead to spend the money on just buying more pecans.

What a wonderful alternative to the orthodoxy of portion control. Just be generous like a real friend instead.

So imagine my surprise … At the cinema waiting to be served my Ben and Jerry’s, just one person in front. As the server brings him his tub of ice cream she says “just a moment” and puts the tub on a scales. “What are you doing?” the customer asks. “Just making sure you don’t get too much … or too little” the server replies. I immediately remembered the advert; it was such a clear contrast.

An all too obvious point about authenticity.