US elections

Tony’s Chocolonely entices Washington marchers to vote in upcoming US elections

01-Sep-2020 - Last updated on 01-Sep-2020 at 10:35 GMT

Tony’s Chocolonely, a popular chocolate company, rolled its famous Chocotruck by the March on Washington to register voters for the 2020 national elections. Pic: Tony’s Chocolonely

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B-Corp and Fairtrade certified chocolate company Tony’s Chocolonely, which has retail partners across the United States, took to the streets of Washington last Friday with its viral Chocotruck to register voters for the 2020 national elections who were attending the March for Democracy and NAN rally.

The Dutch ethical chocolate brand said it was able to engage with more than 3,000 march participants and help over 200 register to vote, in what it called “a win for democracy”.

In partnership with both Headcount, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes participation in democracy, and Favored Nations, a non-profit organization co-founded by Noah Centineo and Josh Heller, Tony’s said it encouraged all marchers and attendees to register for this year’s upcoming election.

Its famous Chocotruck was parked along the march route to serve as a registration hub while providing chocolate, JUST water cartons, and Favored Nations merchandise to marchers.

A spokesperson said, over the next two months, the brand will continue to engage voters for this year’s election through ongoing partnerships with both HeadCount and Favored Nations by running empowering and educational digital campaigns.

"While encouraging people to check their voter status and register to vote at the march, we witnessed over 50,000 people making their voice heard. We were inspired by their spirit and activism and hope it encourages others to use their voice and seek out change. Change comes from voting – let's be outspoken," said Tony's Chocolonely’s head of marketing, Aidaly Sosa.

Favored Nations says it inspires Millennials and Gen Z to give back through online targeted and relevant campaigns and is working with HeadCount for the 2020 national elections to encourage people to vote as well as educate voters about the election and voter suppression.

"We believe in One Nation, a nation rebuilt by young voters. But before we rebuild, we must first claim our seat at the table. To be heard, we must stand up and use our voices. We’re extremely grateful to partner with Tony’s Chocolonely to raise and amplify awareness around the subject of voting. Behind the topic of voting is what we truly want... a deeper level of involvement and care from our generation. Change can only occur when you want it to, and we do, " said Favored Nations Co-Founder and CEO, Centineo.

HeadCount and Tony’s Chocolonely plan to run campaigns on social media and digital platforms, aided by physical activations, to provide resources for registration in the 2020 election.