My husband and I recently bought our first place. Big accomplishment, proud of it, but wasn’t at all prepared for the road it took to get there. I’m not sure why I had painted a picture in my mind that led me to believe it was going to be simple. I thought I was picky enough that after 10-15 homes or so I would be destined to find the perfect place. WRONG! Turns out it took 49 homes, which all things considered isn’t a ton but you try and tell my four and six year old that. They enjoyed it until home number 7. For the remainder of the search I bribed them with a reward I knew they would love once the search was complete. A perfect home with a freezer full of DQ Dilly Bars.
So my friends, today is the day that I am stocking up! I’ve held true to my promise and am heading home with 15 boxes of Dilly Bars. Tonight we will toast to a new home, a healthy family and a freezer full of goodies.
David Letterman grew up in Indiana and has always loved the DQ brand. During a meet-and-greet with the studio audience prior to taping the Jan. 7, 2011 show, Letterman sensed the audience just wasn’t in a great mood, so he told everyone to put themselves in a happy place in their minds. He told the audience to think about being at a Dairy Queen® store.
One woman in the audience raised her hand and introduced herself as Linda from Melbourne, Australia. Letterman was shocked to hear she didn’t know what the Dairy Queen system is because there are no stores in Australia. He threw out a request to his stage manager to get a Dairy Queen treat for this woman.
The next thing you know, Letterman had a box of Dilly Bars on stage and walked one out to the Australian woman in the audience. He announced Regis Philbin’s interview and shared a Dilly Bar with him as well, and the two ate their treats during the segment.
Now, considering that the closest DQ store would take 45 minutes roundtrip from Letterman’s studio, where did those Dilly Bars come from so quickly? Well, a production coordinator on the Late Show had heard Letterman talk about his love of Dilly Bars during a segment in November, so he bought the late-night host a box for Christmas, and knew he had put them in his private freezer. How perfect. The production coordinator called Letterman’s office, found out the Dilly Bars were still in the freezer, and had them sent down to the studio immediately.
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How cool is it that Letterman has a stash of delicious Dilly Bars in his New York studio office? It is a wonderful celebrity DQ smile and a story, and a night I’m sure Linda from Melbourne, Australia, will not soon forget.
I recently returned from a two-week honeymoon in Europe, where my husband and I lazed over cheap bottles of wonderful house wine and plates of cooked-to-perfection pasta. Meals were hours long, always with the promise of some tantalizing dessert to follow. I spent 15 glorious days eating gelato in Italy, chocolate in Switzerland and profiteroles in France. But something didn’t feel right.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until we were halfway through Switzerland. I wanted a Dilly® Bar. Make that, I HAD TO HAVE a Dilly Bar. The sweet delicious taste of creamy DQ® vanilla soft serve engulfed in a thick hard shell of delicately salty but sweet chocolate, with a trademark curl on the front. But not only are there no Dairy Queen® stores in Europe, nobody has even heard of the Dairy Queen brand. I’d never felt so lost.
As we celebrate our 70th birthday this year, I can’t help but think I’ve taken for granted the wonderful brand I work for. Sure, I picnicked where Caesar Augustus picnicked, ate crepes mere meters from Napoleon Bonaparte’s summer home and had truffles by Roger Federer’s home court. The weird thing is, none of these experiences compared to how I feel when I eat DQ® food and treats. We’re a legacy.
I remember nothing more vivid than how excited I was when Grandma would take us to the local DQ store, visions of cherry Dilly Bars dancing in my head. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Europe can have their art, architecture and history, but give me a Dilly Bar and red-roofed building any day. Little league teams stop after wins and losses, couples become engaged over Peanut Buster® Parfaits, and motorcycle groups tour states stopping at our stores. The list goes on and on.
Who knew February 2010 would be so exciting! We start the month off with the Super Bowl, there’s the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and then we’re off to Valentine’s Day. That’s just the first half of the month and lots of opportunities for parties!
I don’t know about you, but up here in Minnesota we were TOTALLY excited about the Super Bowl possibilities for our Vikings, only to have our hearts broken last week. Still, the Super Bowl is a lot of fun and always an opportunity for a party. At the minimum it is a game-and-commercial-watching-snack-fest! Even those of us who aren’t football crazy can enjoy this game. If not, it’s always a great time to go shopping. Do your part for the economy! The malls and department stores can be pretty quiet during games like this.
Now, the opening ceremonies for the Olympics on Friday, Feb. 12, may not be top-of-mind when considering reasons for parties. But consider the following: the opening ceremonies for the Olympics become more and more spectacular with each Olympics, and more and more folks have fabulous HD-TVs. I’ll bet the opening ceremonies will be absolutely spectacular in HD! If you have an HD-TV, have a party, invite your friends!
I admit, Valentine’s Day can be tricky depending on the status of your current romance. With a little creativity, however, it can be a fun time for anyone: there is the traditional quiet and romantic time with your sweetheart, a party with several couples could be a fun way to celebrate, and have you ever considered having a “Who Needs ‘Em Anyway” party? Everyone loves chocolate and desserts… mmmmm!
With all this party planning you might need a hand with your snacks and treats. Shameless plug, I know, and at the same time, your local DQ® stores and restaurants have yummy novelties — Dilly® Bars in a variety of flavors, Buster Bars®, StarKiss® Bars, DQ Sandwiches, and even no-sugar added bars for your guests who are really watching their figures. Perhaps you and your guests would prefer a DQ Cake or a Blizzard® cake festively decorated for the occasion. A decoration and dessert all in one!
Posted by The Web Master under In the Community on June 15th, 2009
Wanted to share the following post with all of you. This post comes from the Vice President of MARCOM (Marketing & Communications) Tim Hawley.
Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd . . .
Father’s Day is something special for all of us who are raising or have raised children. Through the ups and downs, we’ll all agree that the journey is worth it.
This Father’s Day will be a little more special, particularly for some parents of some very extraordinary kids. On Saturday, June 20, I am proud to say that American Dairy Queen Corporation is sponsoring Dilly® Bar Day at Bennett Family Park in Minnetonka, Minn., for the West Metro Miracle League. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Miracle League, it was formed to give children with disabilities between the ages of three and 19 the opportunity to play baseball, regardless of their abilities. The belief of this organization is that “every child deserves a chance to play baseball.”
Organizations like the West Metro Miracle League depend on the support of companies such as Dairy Queen®, and for me, I am grateful the company has chosen to sponsor a cause near and dear to my heart. As the father of a seven-year-old special needs daughter, I can attest first hand the amazing impact this organization has on these children and on all the kids who play ball at Bennett Park.
Like many other parents who are in the stands and who help out on the field, I am grateful that our kids have the chance to participate in a sport they would not otherwise be able to partake in. For these kids, the entire experience builds self esteem, instills confidence and creates for them a sense of belonging.
The Miracle League also impacts the buddies of our kids – their peers all from other baseball teams within the park who help them bat, field, assist them around the bases and help with the fundamentals of the game. Buddies learn that the special ed kids are simply kids, just like they them. It is truly inclusion at work. Parents in the ball park are also exposed to these kids in ways that reinforce all the good that exists with this generation of kids and accept and embrace in ways never before considered.
All kids want to feel a part of something, but for kids with disabilities the Miracle League is truly magical. Often, there are more fans at Miracle League games than any other field at the park. Just watching them participate and then to see the unadulterated joy on each of their faces, humbles us all. I think I speak for all of the parents when I say that we are bursting with pride as we watch our sons and daughters enjoying themselves so much on the field.
So we hope you’ll join us if you are in the neighborhood on Saturday, June 20. The games are at 10:30 and noon. Even if you just want to stop by for a free Dairy Queen Dilly Bar, we’d love to see you.
See how the West Metro Miracle League makes these kids and our entire community shine in a touching video at miracleleaguemn.com/Minnetonka/video.html.
If you’d like to attend a game or get involved, please know that there are 100 Miracle League fields throughout the United States and more than 100 more planned for 2010. My hope is that our DQ® operators and customers across North America want to support and get involved themselves in the Miracle. Baseball and DQ… is there a better match?
