Winner: Pierson Grant Public Relations: 25th Anniversary of the Blizzard – A Blizzard of Publicity
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dairy Queen Blizzard, the “Blizzardmobile” set out on a four-stop tour across the country. Along the stops in NYC, Washington, D.C., Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Neb., and Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, the company raised money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The tour kicked off on the CBS Early Show and engaged bloggers online to help spread the word about the frozen treat. Along the way, celebrity spokespeople, including Tori Spelling and Warren Buffett, rolled up their sleeves to hand out Blizzards from the Blizzardmobile. A Facebook event page was created for each market, treating fans to games, apps and a photo contest in which the winner won free Blizzards for a year. A giant DQ spoon signed by Warren Buffett was auctioned on eBay and an online contest in which fans posted videos of themselves singing Happy Birthday to their Blizzards helped engage fans and raised awareness online. “Miracle Treat Day” helped raise $4 million in one day for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and increased Blizzard sales by 16% for the year. —RD
Honorable Mentions:
Aflac – Aflac Duck Wingman Bead Helps Kids Find Courage Against Cancer: Through media outreach, online initiatives and event sponsorships, Aflac sold 10,000 Duck Wingman beads to raise awareness and funds for children with cancer.
Hampton Hotels and Cohn & Wolfe Austin – Save-A-Landmark 10th Anniversary: Community outreach helped preserve five American landmarks—including Lincoln’s cottage.
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR – Fifty for Five: Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Sears and Rebuilding Together rebuilt 50 homes in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans.
Porter Novelli – Tip Top 75th Birthday: To reengage customers with its ice cream brand, Tip Top and PN executed a series of “dates” with customers, including an ice cream hunt.
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. – 3G Speed Test: To celebrate the one-year anniversary of their fast 3G services, Turkcell carried out a speed test in front of the media.