On June 22, 1940, Dairy Queen opened its first location in Joliet, Illinois. Dairy Queen did not have a logo until 1948.
1948–1959
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It took until mid-1948 before the inlined wordmark was chosen as Dairy Queen's primary logo. Several rooftop signs with this logo had a large, neon-illuminated soft-serve cone at the end above the counter. In the mid-to-late 1950s a painted image of an Eskimo girl with an ice cream cone was also used on some roof signs; only three survive today. Slogans during this time included "The Cone With a Curl on Top" from 1948 to 1954, and "A Treat For Taste - A Food For Health" from 1954 to 1959.
In 1959, a new wordmark designed by Lippincott & Margulies was introduced, consisting of an asymmetrical red ovoid with "Dairy Queen" written in geometric sans-serif lettering in the center. From 1959 until the early 1970s, some locations which included hamburgers and hot dogs were branded "Dairy Queen Brazier", and as such carried a traditional ovoid sign paired with a yellow "Brazier" sign of the same shape. Upon the launch of the 2001 "DQ" logo, this version was used less often. For a time after the 2007 rebrand, the 1959 wordmark was still visible on plastic spoons and drink lids from the restaurant. In terms of outdoor signage, a number of variations of this logo exist, the most prevalent had a soft-serve ice cream cone tucked behind the text, and stuck out from the top of the red shape. From 1961 until the mid-1970s the Little Miss character was also displayed with the logo.
Many different slogans were used alongside this logo. From 1959 to 1966, Dairy Queen's slogan was "...Famous for that Country-Fresh Flavor!". In 1966, it was changed to "Live a Little", and in 1968 DQ would also begin using "Eat, drink, and be merry"; both slogans were superseded in 1970 by "Did you DQ today?", which would last until 1977. Then they would pick up the tagline "Funthing Different", which in 1980 became "It's a Real Treat". This lasted only a few months before being replaced by "We treat you right!", their longest-running slogan, which after 12 years was replaced by "Hot Eats, Cool Treats" in 1992. In 1996, the tagline "Think DQ" was added to the 1992 slogan. In 1998 they adopted the "Meet Me at DQ" campaign.
1965-2001 (secondary), 2001–2007 (primary)
Designer:
Unknown
Typography:
Unknown
Launched:
January 1, 2001
This monogram variant of the 1959 logo appeared sporadically in marketing from 1965 onward. At the beginning of 2001, this variant became the primary logo used by the chain. This was used as a primary logo for packaging, cups, and some signs, and can still be seen at few locations. During this period, the prior logo was still in use, albeit relegated to secondary status. The slogan "Something Different", which was used until 2010, was introduced alongside this logo.
2001–present
2001 (unused/prototype)
Designer:
Shikatani Lacroix
Typography:
Unknown
FF Meta Bold Italic (modified; Grill & Chill variant)
Launched:
December 9, 2001
On December 9, 2001, A trademark was filed containing this logo on it.[1] It is nearly the same as the final version, the only difference being the "DQ" text being taken from the last logo. As of 2024, the Trademark for this logo is still active.
Grill & Chill Variant
2001–2006 (secondary), 2007–present (primary)
Designer:
Shikatani Lacroix
Typography:
Custom
FF Meta Bold Italic (modified; Grill & Chill variant, 2001-2021)
Humanist 777 Black (modified; Grill & Chill variant, 2021-present)
Launched:
December 9, 2001 (Grill & Chill only) January 1, 2007 (as primary logo)
The spelled out name variant used since 2007, primarily used on the signature red spoons. It can also be seen at some newer locations, mall kiosks and international branches.
Grill & Chill variant, used from 2001 to 2021.
Grill & Chill variant, used from 2021 onward.
In December 2001, this logo was rolled out for use in Dairy Queen's then-new "Grill & Chill" restaurants, which offered larger dine-in eateries with expanded food menus. The "DQ" text went from being set in a geometric sans serif font to a heavy italic serif font. Orange and blue strips were also added to the logo to represent hot foods and soft serve respectively. In 2007, this logo was adopted by the chain as its primary trademark. As older locations without the larger menu were remodeled after this, "Restaurant" would be used beside the logo in place of the Grill & Chill name. The "Something Different" slogan carried over until 2010, when it was replaced with "So Good It's RiDQlous". The next slogan, "This is fan food, not fast food", debuted in May 2013, and their current slogan, "Happy Tastes Good!", has been used since April 2019.
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