Reuben Mattus made ice cream, but Rose Mattus made Häagen-Dazs. A trailblazing woman who didn’t hold back, Rose broke glass ceilings in 1960s New York to build Häagen-Dazs into the success it is today, however her immense contribution has not been recognised. Born in Manchester, England to Polish-Jewish parents, Rose’s story began across the pond in Brooklyn when she met and married Reuben Mattus. Häagen-Dazs was created in 1960 by the couple, whose mission was to create the world’s first premium ice cream. While Reuben the innovator focussed on obsessively creating the best quality products and flavours that would become the quintessential symbol of luxury and indulgence, Rose basically ran the business and devised the marketing strategy so her husband could become successful. Rose’s legacy will be honoured by Häagen-Dazs on 8th March 2023 with the launch of ‘The Rose Project’ alongside a global rebrand as a woman-founded business.
‘The Rose Project’ is a global initiative with a $100,000 bursary to support #WomenWhoDontHoldBack, honouring the legacy of Rose Mattus. Rose was the marketing and business whiz who made the brand famous and alongside her daughter Doris, they created the blueprint of the brand’s Shops franchise business. Rose’s contribution is relatively unsung compared to that of her husband who is credited for the brand creation. On 8th March 2023 this will change with the launch of ‘The Rose Project’, which aims to support talented unsung women across all fields around the world who Don’t Hold Back and who deserve recognition. This initiative shines a light on Rose Mattus’ own story and her Don’t Hold Back spirit, inspiring everyone to share their story.
Nominations are now open to put forward #WomenWhoDontHoldBack (including yourself) to recognise their trailblazing efforts, achievements and societal contributions. From these nominations, 50 ‘WOMEN WHO DON’T HOLD BACK’ will be shortlisted for their commendable efforts and then put forward for the opportunity to win one of five monetary grants of $20,000 each. ‘The Rose Project’ fund will enable these five Rose Project Honourees to continue their exceptional work and unleash their potential or give to a cause they’re passionate about.
Nominations can be submitted via https://iwd.haagen-dazs.global/.
On International Women’s Day, Häagen-Dazs will further recognise its female founder with a global rebrand, which will see ‘Rose Mättus Woman Founded Business Established 1960’ accompanying the iconic Häagen-Dazs logo across Shops and on digital and social platforms. The celebrations will also see the renaming of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream to the ‘Founder’s Favourite’, in recognition of Rose’s life-long love of the iconic original flavour. This will be honoured with free Vanilla ice cream scoops on 8th March in all celebrating Shops around the world, and a limited-edition run of rebranded 1960 Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream pints with a commemorative Rose Mattus design, which will be available in select shops throughout March.
