• by December 14, 2007

I typically appreciate Out to Launch's' roundups of new campaigns. However, the new Dairy Queen effort (www.sharedqjoy.com ) -- and your review -- missed the mark.

The "Dairy Queen - Joy" online effort is actually pretty offensive. Making a 60+ woman look like a buffoon shows that the creatives started with truly old, ill-informed stereotypes about Baby Boomers and beyond. With campaigns like this one, is it any wonder that older consumers feel advertising neither reflects nor respects them?

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, Americans spent $20.7 billion on ice cream (and other frozen treats) in 2001. According to Frozen Food Age, empty nesters "index high" for ice cream. It's a shame Dairy Queen's ad freezes many of these customers out.

Ironically, on the same day you promoted the campaign, a new global organization, the International Mature Marketing Network www.immn.org ) hosted a webinar on 40+ marketing. (Our agency, Creating Results, specializes in marketing to 40+ adults and is a founder of IMMN.) I encourage you to check out IMMN's resources to learn more about why Dairy Queen's campaign will create no joy with older consumers.