Just in time to celebrate International Women’s Day, beloved ice cream company Häagen-Dazs is rebranding and launching a grant program to fund women-initiated projects in honor of its co-founder, Rose Mattus.
About the rebrand
According to a press release published last week, Häagen-Dazs is changing up its branding to recognize “the unsung legacy” of Rose Mattus, the woman whose foresight and vision helped make Häagen-Dazs ice cream a success. While many people recognize Reuben Mattus as the founder of the business (since he created the ice cream flavors), the delectable dairy desserts wouldn’t have been distinguished as a leading luxury ice cream without his wife’s business acumen.
As part of its rebrand efforts, Häagen-Dazs is updating its logo to say: “Rose Mattus, Woman Founded Business – Established 1960.” For the month of March, the company is also ditching its signature red and gold packaging on its classic Vanilla for a purple color scheme with a cartoon depiction of Rose, as that was her favorite flavor. Select ice cream shops across the globe will be giving away free scoops of vanilla ice cream throughout the day on March 8, in Rose’s honor.
The Rose Project
In addition to its brand revamp, Häagen-Dazs has also launched The Rose Project in Rose Mattus’ honor, which seeks to recognize the “trailblazing efforts, achievements and societal contributions” made by passionate women around the world. The company will be gifting $20,000 to the five most inspirational women nominated to receive its #WomenWhoDontHoldBack grant, which they can use to help “unleash their potential” in their respective efforts. Those interested in submitting a nominee can learn more on Häagen-Dazs’ website.