Dairy Queen Blizzards retail for about $4. But the ice cream chain's willing to give you a frozen treat for free if you'll just wrangle a live reindeer and bring it to a participating store on December 24 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
"We've put out the call for fans to stop by with their reindeer to fuel up before the big night," chief brand officer Michael Keller is quoted as saying in a release. "We're sure Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and even Rudolph are going to want to get in on this deal."
Yet folks familiar with reindeer say they're not sure the vegetarian caribou will enthusiastically claim their Reindeer Bites Blizzards -- made with coconut, chocolate and caramel -- if the promo requires a public appearance.
"Reindeer are skittish," confirms Tiffany Acord, public events manager for the Dallas Arboretum, which recently hosted a reindeer exhibit.
Acord says the reindeer at the Arboretum never came out of their pen.
"Honestly, they have to have a handler with them," says Acord, who isn't sure how they might behave at a fast food restaurant.
"Gosh, that's a humdinger," she says.
There aren't many reindeer roaming around Texas, but Dairy Queen's marketing team is hopeful reindeer farmers in colder states might show up with members of their herds -- although spokesperson Katie Lennon warns the beasts won't be allowed inside dining rooms.
She e-mails: "While we can't allow customers to bring their reindeer into our Dairy Queen stores, we look forward to meeting them outside our restaurants with a free DQ Reindeer Bites Blizzard Treat in hand."
