Ben & Jerry puts local spin on largest flagship to date

San Francisco --Ben & Jerry’s has opened its largest flagship to date, a 3,000-sq.-ft., two-story location in São Paulo, Brazil.



Designed by Tesser, a San Francisco strategic branding and design firm, the property showcases the company's social mission along with its iconic ice cream treats.



In a nod to iconic cubist architecture, the large open storefront includes glass accordion doors, so it feels like customers are sitting outside when they are actually inside.



Upon entering the shop, customers see the Ben & Jerry’s signature Vermont rolling hills scene, except in the São Paulo location, this one-of-a-kind landscape was created by a local graffiti artist.



Design elements throughout the shop, such as Great Moo-ments in Ben & Jerry’s History, featured in the art pack, tell the story of Ben & Jerry’s in a graphic timeline that dates back to 1978, and get locals acquainted with the brand’s mission of generosity and social responsibility.



The street level is home to the ice cream in the front and a “Dairy Barn” back area with a community table, signature spotted cow ottomans and a windmill fan overhead. A full-size reclaimed 1960s Volkswagon Kombi van is located in the back courtyard. The van, which is painted to fit the brand’s counter-culture image, serves as both a conversation piece and an additional seating area.



Upstairs, Tesser envisioned a “cloud lounge” where customers could chill out. It features cloud-like white chairs, and a sophisticated and stylized interpretation of the rolling green hills couch that is featured in Ben & Jerry’s U.S. and Tokyo locations.



In keeping with the social mission, Tesser created waffle cone shelves to hold a curated library that encourages guests to connect with each other while enjoying ice cream or a coffee beverage. Book topics tie to the company’s social mission--product and environment are pieces of the social mission--including how it will be activated locally.