Häagen-Dazs launches ‘The Rose Project’…here’s why

American ice-cream brand Häagen-Dazs has launched ‘The Rose Project’ a global initiative to honour its trailblazing co-founder, Rose Mattus. The brand has decided to rename its Vanilla ice cream to ‘Founder’s Favourite’ in recognition of Rose’s life-long love of for this original flavour since 1960.

As part of this campaign Häagen-Dazs has also pledged $100,000 in bursaries to support trailblazing women around the world who ‘Don’t Hold Back’. People around the world will have the opportunity to nominate themselves or other unsung women who deserve recognition for their trailblazing efforts, achievements and societal contributions.

From these nominations, a shortlist of 50 women who don’t hold back will be selected for their commendable efforts and put forward for the opportunity to win one of five monetary grants of $20,000 each. The bursary fund will enable these five Rose Project Honourees to continue their exceptional work and unleash their potential or even give to a cause they’re passionate about.

“​​In 2021, we launched our Women Who Don’t Hold Back campaign shining a light on female trailblazers around the globe, but now it’s time to recognise our own remarkable female founder,” said Aurélie Lory, Franchise Managing Director at Häagen-Dazs Shops.

“Reuben Mattus made our flavours, but Rose Mattus made us famous! By telling Rose’s untold story as a marketing pioneer who built our brand as a true partner to her inventor husband and helped create our Shops business with her daughter Doris, we hope to use this year’s IWD celebration as a beacon for #EmbraceEquity…We hope that Rose Mattus’ story inspires talented and often unsung women to share their own stories and put others forward for the grants. The launch of The Rose Project directly puts our purpose to action with the long-term commitment to supporting women and gender equity going well beyond International Women’s Day.”

In addition, Häagen-Dazs will offer a free scoop of the ‘Founder’s Favourite’ ice-cream to consumers to mark International Women’s Day on March 8 in 100 selected shops across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America. In Dubai, the free scoop can be availed at its participating outlets in Circle Mall JVC, Dubai Hills, Dubai Mall, Kite Beach, Mall of the Emirates and Silicon Central.