I mentioned in last week's newsletter that I was in talks with the senior management of Dairy Queen regarding thyroid patient concerns regarding one of their ads. In the television ad, which was created by New York's Grey Worldwide Advertising, a very overweight man returns several times to a Dairy Queen counter, requesting a particular ice cream treat. At one point, he shows up in a ballet outfit, trying to pretend that he is a twin sister of a girl he is with, and when the counter clerk looks at him strangely, he says he has a "thyroid problem." The insinuation is, of course, that the reason he is so overweight and not slim like his "twin" is his thyroid.

After hearing from a number of thyroid patients who found the ad insulting, I contacted the president and executive vice president of Dairy Queen, to share with them the concerns of the thyroid patient community. I explained that:

• there are an estimated 20 million thyroid patients in America
• a percentage of thyroid patients are not only not overweight, but are underweight, and a percentage are normal weight. "Thyroid problem" -- therefore -- is not code for "fat" or "overweight."
• making fun of people with a disease is not typically considered "funny."

I received a call back from spokesman Dean Peters. Peters said that while Dairy Queen did not deliberately intend to offend thyroid patients, the ad was still running in a number of markets, and that those markets who wanted to use the ad later in 2003 and in 2004 would be using it as is, with the offensive thyroid reference included. He also indicated that the ad was intended to be humorous, and therefore should not be viewed as offensive.

I asked if Dairy Queen would also find it humorous to make fun of people who had other diseases that caused weight gain. I also asked if Dairy Queen was prepared to potentially insult as many as 20 million Americans in their customer base. I conveyed that taking no action to change the ad, or remove it from rotation, was clear evidence that Dairy Queen did not care about offending its customer base. Ultimately, Dairy Queen's lack of response at that point showed that they were willing to offend 20 million thyroid patients.

Peters suggested that I again contact his supervisor, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Michael Keller, to make the case for thyroid patients.

I was in the process of preparing a media blitz and grassroots advocacy effort for thyroid patients when I received a call last night from Michael Keller, who said that Dairy Queen had reevaluated its position (!) and had decided to stop using the ad, effective next week. They will then edit the ad to remove the offending thyroid reference, and no versions of the ad that reference thyroid will be run, beginning next week! Only the revised version of the ad -- which will not mention thyroid problems -- will be used for the remainder of 2003 and into 2004.

Keller did say that the customer service manager at Dairy Queen, herself a thyroid patient, thought the ad was very funny, and he emphasized that "humor was in the eye of the beholder." (Of course, this is also the same argument used anytime someone tells an offensive sexist, racist or ethnic joke. After all, there's always someone who finds even the cruelest jokes simply hilarious!) In any case, the customer service manager had apparently been fielding quite a number of calls from disgruntled thyroid patients who did not share Dairy Queen and its advertising agency's so-called "sense of humor!" Keller also told me that some patients had called to say they liked the ad and they thought that it helped increase awareness for thyroid issues. (I'm sure that Dairy Queen was just inundated with THOSE calls, aren't you!)

But, most importantly, Keller and his Dairy Queen management realized that the ad didn't work, because it alienated a large, vocal group of potential customers. So, the ad is going away, and we can score one for thyroid patients!! Thanks to everyone who contacted Dairy Queen to express your thoughts and concerns on the issue!

And, equally important, kudos to Dairy Queen, for recognizing when their advertising has crossed the line, and standing up and doing the right thing! It's not often that a company or organization is willing to not only say it has been wrong, but to be willing to do what it takes to make things right! So a round of applause for Dairy Queen. (And, for an example of an organization that is mired in its own culture of self-denial, at the expense of thyroid patients, and unwilling to admit when it's entirely in the wrong, see the coverage of the Public Citizen/Worst Pills Scandal over thyroid drug information.)

So, ice-cream loving thyroid patients of America can go back to eating our dip cones and Blizzards again! And if you were one of the folks who contacted Dairy Queen to complain, send them an email or put in a call to say THANKS to them for doing the right thing!