Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s kicked off their Oath to Vote program this week. It’s an effort to raise awareness of the importance of voting in this November’s US presidential election. The first 50,000 entrants get a free song from the iTunes Music Store, and anyone who enters also gets a chance to win an iMac, an iPod, and a trip to Vermont to Ben & Jerry’s headquarters.
The Oath to Vote promotion coincides with Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day, which happens Tuesday, April 27th at participating Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops worldwide from noon to 8PM. The Oath to Vote program is the result of Ben & Jerry’s collaboration with “Rock the Vote,” a non-profit group created by members of the recording industry focused on encouraging young people to vote and become politically active.
The online Oath to Vote form does not register entrants for voting; instead the registration form is used for the free iTunes Music Store song and for a sweepstakes that will award one grand prize winner a free iPod, iMac, and trip to Vermont to become an honorary “Flavor Guru.” The form also includes a like to visit the Rock the Vote Web site to register to vote.
Participating Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops will also have voter registration during the Free Cone Day. The ice cream maker plans to have other voter registration days in the future as well.