Ben & Jerry’s and Vox Creative’s “Into The Mix” Podcast Returns for Season Two

Ben & Jerry’s in partnership with Vox Media’s award-winning brand studio Vox Creative has launched season two of “Into The Mix” with Ashley C. Ford as the returning host.

Capitalizing on the success of season one which highlighted notable people in art and culture who are using their platforms to elevate social justice issues, season two humanizes each of the 12 episodes by featuring guests whose past, present and future hinge on political policies, advancements and regressions. Each guest will bring an on-the-ground perspective that goes beyond the headlines in order to educate listeners about the most pressing social challenges such as voting rights, dignity for migrant farmworkers, and more.

Episode 1 features Desmond Meade, a returning citizen who understands first-hand the impacts of having your civil rights stripped away and the power of second chances. Now the executive director of The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Meade brought about the greatest expansion of voting rights in America in half a century, the passing of Amendment 4 – a change to the Florida state constitution that restored voting rights to citizens with past felony convictions, earning a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize by the same committee that nominated Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout the episode, Meade tells his story and describes the hunger that motivated him to rewrite civil rights history in Florida and what has fueled him to be where he is today.

The latest episode, features Michael “Meeko” Thompson, a local legend of Flint Michigan who in 1994 was arrested for selling marijuana to a police informant and as a result, served the longest sentence for a non-violent drug charge in Michigan’s history. Michael’s story is only one of the thousands of victims of the War on Drugs— a war waged in the name of reducing harm in our communities. This episode sheds light on the racial disparities in cannabis arrests and Michael’s journey post-release as he calls for others left behind in prison to get the same opportunity to walk free through clemency.

This is the latest in the partnership between Vox Media and Ben & Jerry’s, who launched its first standalone podcast together in September 2020, examining the untold history of racism. The brand launched its second podcast with Vox Media last year with Into the Mix, a podcast to inspire the next wave of activists and artists around the world.

Listen to the series here

Ben & Jerry’s continues to leverage audio as a unique medium that allows the expansion of their efforts in activism and inspires listeners to engage with critical issues of today and rally for a positive change.

“At Ben & Jerry’s we recognize that many of the complex social issues facing our society are simply not able to be summed up through a headline or a tweet. Using the power of immersive audio storytelling, Into the Mix taps into human stories that can really change people’s perception about these issues” said Jay Tandan, US Integrated Marketing Manager at Ben & Jerry’s. “The second episode, ‘Green Cotton,’ is a great example. Through Michael Thompson’s affecting story, listeners will learn about the impact the war on drugs has on people of color, the need for clemency and justice, and hopefully will be galvanized to contact their governors to grant clemency this 4/20.””

“In our first season, we were excited to bring on big names like John Legend, Patti Smith and others. This season we are centering around the people who are often closest to the pain of present injustices. Through our close partnership with Ben & Jerry’s, we found subjects and sourced experts from movement groups to speak to a range of issues aligned to the brand’s values, that we hope to inspire our audiences to take action and get involved,” said Annu Subramanian, executive producer, branded audio at Vox Creative.

Into the Mix is free for listeners to stream on their favorite podcast app.

About Vox Creative

Vox Creative is Vox Media’s award-winning brand studio. Vox Creative’s team of strategists, writers, storytellers, and analysts create original content and experiences that connect brands with influential audiences across Vox Media’s editorial networks and beyond. Vox Creative’s work spans short and long-form video, podcasts, explainers, experiential, shoppable content and more. They’ve built houses, invented cocktails, produced documentaries, traveled inside companies to uncover untold stories, and, on rare occasions, have gone to the moon.

About Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world’s best ice cream. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, a fair financial return, and addressing issues of social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry’s employees, granted $4.35MM in 2022 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country. For up-to-date information visit benjerry.com