Have You Met the Blizzmanns?

Dairy Queen is kicking off the 25th birthday of the Blizzard this month with a national television advertising campaign, which for the first time will air during prime time network broadcasts, integrated with up to 30 webisodes.

The live action spots and webisodes introduce the Blizzmanns, Blizzard’s first family. The television campaign chronicles their frenzied and comedic quest to catch the new custom-designed Blizzard mobile while the webisodes are a series of “home movies” shot by a second production crew and the Blizzmanns themselves as they follow the Blizzardmobile all summer.

These vignettes, shot in cities including Atlanta, Minneapolis, and L.A. will be posted to the DQ Facebook page: Facebook.com/DairyQueen.

Fans can log on to get a closer look into the Blizzmanns’ life on the road complete with sing-a-longs, teenage crushes, a run-in with the police and make-up lessons from disgruntled clowns.

“This is a huge year for the Blizzard and for the Dairy Queen system and we hope to turn the Blizzard loving world upside down with all of our initiatives,” says Michael Keller, chief brand officer for International Dairy Queen.

“The integrated campaign will build excitement for the Blizzardmobile, the Blizzard’s 25th, new flavors and the DQ Blizzard brand.”

Setting the Dairy Queen campaign apart is the integration of television and online creative. In addition to the two production units, one each for television and digital, several of the webisodes are talented-generated. The webisodes will be posted online at the same time that the television spots with the Blizzmanns and the Blizzardmobile begin airing on April 5. Both were created by Grey New York.

The Blizzmanns find themselves in one humorous situation after another in the television commercials and in the webisodes as they follow the Blizzardmobile.

“The campaign is fun, dramatic and memorable. Each commercial and webisode tells a story tracing the travels of our Blizzard first family,” Keller says.

“The beauty of the campaign is that the commercials and webisodes also can stand alone. There is a story within each one.”

The Blizzmanns commercials will air in prime time during such popular shows as American Idol, Glee, and 30 Rock, as well as Today and Good Morning America. This marks the first time Dairy Queen has created webisodes to market the brand.

“Dairy Queen campaigns always have been about humor and portraying the brand as the world’s favorite quick service restaurant where smiles, stories and memories are created,” says Tor Myrhen, executive vice president, chief creative officer of Grey New York.

“With the Blizzmanns we focused on the incredible bond Dairy Queen has with its customers, particularly when it comes to the Blizzard and we’ve done it in such a way as to tell a story that works on both screens – television and online.”

“Operation Happy Birthday” launches May 1 on the Dairy Queen blog and invites bloggers, video bloggers, families, and anyone with a camera, camcorder, or mobile recording device to record and submit a video clip, no longer than one minute, with their most original, creative or funny version of singing “Happy Birthday” to the Blizzard.

The top 100 entrants will receive a $25 Dairy Queen gift card.

“It’s all about connecting with our customers on television, online, and in our stores,” Keller says.