Ben & Jerry's is circling back to its social activism days with a new campaign and tour that urges consumers to shift spending priorities from nuclear weapons to the needs of children.

Last week the company kicked off its national Federal Budget Priorities Campaign, which asks consumers to take an active role in guiding how the nation's budget is allocated. The campaign is meant to raise awareness of the money the Pentagon spends on nuclear weapons compared to the spending shortfall on the unmet needs of children.

"We can do much better for America's children," said Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO, in a statement. "Many military experts agree that up to $13 billion can be cut from nuclear arms spending without compromising national security. These funds should be redirected toward programs such as universal child health care, immunization programs and Head Start—at no additional taxpayer expense."

To spread its message, Ben & Jerry's has launched a multi-city tour (Washington, DC, New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland). Under the tour, Ben & Jerry's is offering samples of its new ice cream flavor—American Pie, apple ice cream with apples and pie crust pieces—to visitors. Lids from the packaged pints of ice cream contain a "food for thought" section that encourages ice-cream lovers to get involved.

In its Scoop Shops, Ben & Jerry's is offering a national postcard writing campaign directing customers to send a postcard to Congress asking lawmakers to reconsider spending priorities and invest more in kids. The company is also supporting the campaign with an interactive Web site at BenJerry.com/americanpie that offers the company's thoughts on federal spending, as well as interactive games and links to partner organizations.

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