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Scouts Honor?
I’d ordinarily be reluctant to take on Warren Buffett and the Girls Scouts of America in a single blog post, but this story is too good to pass up. Have you heard? Dairy Queen, which is a unit of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, struck a deal with the Girl Scouts to incorporate the Thin Mint, the best-selling of the Girl Scout cookies, into one of its Blizzards, an ice-cold drink.
The result of this ill-advised merger, according to a news release from DQ and the scouts, is a
A creamy soft serve blended with Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie pieces and a Crème de Menthe topping to create this summer’s blockbuster – the DQ® Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard.
Have they not heard about America’s obesity crisis?
The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest couldn’t resist this story either. Their nutritionists analyzed a Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard—which weighs more than a pound!—and found that it contains more than 1,000 calories, an astonishing 31 teaspoons of sugar and more than a day’s allotment of saturated fat.
I think I’m going to be sick.
The folks at CSPI had some fun with this. Here’s an excerpt from their press release, quoting from the announcement from the Girls Scouts:
“Our partnership with Dairy Queen enables us to reach the public in new and unexpected places,” said Laurel Richie, who holds the position of “chief marketing officer” of the Girl Scouts of the USA, in a press release. Those “unexpected places” will include the waistlines and coronary arteries of at least 10 million people by the end of the month if the company meets its projections. Dairy Queen is on track to sell that many Thin Mint Blizzards by the end of July it told USA Today, but the chain and the Girl Scouts are both mum on how much money has changed hands.
CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson went on to say that “renting out its nonprofit brand name to a junk-food chain is a major badge of shame for the Girl Scouts.”
I dearly hope this isn’t a trend among corporations and nonprofit groups. Business-NGO partnerships can be good for all—think about the Avon walks for breast cancer research or the support that American Express lent to Share our Strength. But they become risky business when a nonprofit with a trusted brand lends its name to a company with a spotty record. The Sierra Club, for example, earlier this year endorsed a new line of “green” cleaning products from Clorox, even though the company continues to sell other cleaning products that are not as good for your health or the environment.
But this DQ-Girl Scouts deal takes the cake (yes, you can have the Thin Mint Blizzard as an ice-cream cake, too) because the product runs counter to the mission of the Girl Scouts. The group’s own website says that its advocacy program “encourages healthy living and combats obesity.” Crazy. To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with blizzards, burgers and shakes, so long as they are consumed in moderation. But given the unhappy reality that millions of Americans seem unable to moderate their eating habits (or to get off their big butts to exercise a few times every week), it’s the responsibility of big food companies to help solve the obesity crisis, not make it worse. Even Ben & Jerry’s now sells low-fat frozen yogurt.
And if you disagree with me that the obesity crisis is partly the responsibility of corporate America, surely you agree that a service organization like the Girl Scouts out to take the issue seriously. Instead, they give us the Thin Mint Blizzard, about a good a way as you could imagine to promote obesity and Type-2 diabetes to girls. Is there a merit badge for selling out?
Warren, DQ and the Guides
Warren Buffet's investments only have to make money, whether they're healthy or good for the environment may not factor into the mix in a significant way. I recall from a documentary on him that he frequently eats at a family restaurant in Omaha. The specifics don't come to me but he drank Coke or Root Beer or some such and routinely ate a dinner which seemed to be a distinctly unhealthy choice.
As for the Girl Scouts, typical dumb decision by well intentioned but none too clever people, once again demonstrating how the Peter Principle works.
As a kid DQ (we called it Dairy Queen, we weren't very cool) was a huge treat. Ever since I discovered they had to call it soft serve instead of soft ice cream I stopped going, that was probably 30 years ago. I won't intentionally ingest anything containing such mouth watering chemicals as magnesium hydroxide. The stuff apparently contains whey powder which is as close to anything 'cow' as you are likely to get at a Dairy Queen, unless you have a burger.
Don't blame the Girl Scouts
Get a grip! The Girl Scouts' Thin Mint cookies have been around for decades. Should the nonprofit organization quit selling cookies altogether because obese Americans have no self control? If Dairy Queen wants to put Girl Scout cookies in their blizzards, so be it. I think it's an excellent way for the organization to raise money and help other girls gain skills, self-esteem and lasting friendships. If the Girl Scouts, on principle, do not wheel and deal with Dairy Queen, some other cookie company will. And the obese people are going to get their share of fat and calories regardless of what deal the Girl Scouts enter.
Girl Scouts Brilliant Partnership.
First of all, a Blizzard is not a DRINK, proving Gunther hasn't even tried one. It's just DQ softserve with goodies mixed in. Many flavors have brand names, Heath, M&M, Oreo... Are you harping on them?
Second. When I visited DQ's nutrition calculator http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/eats-and-treats/nutrition-calculator/ it took me four different Blizzard flavors, and selection of a LARGE to get to one (the M&M's Blizzard) that topped 1000 calories.
My family never buys large's - they're too friggin expensive!! I don't suppose many little girls will be running around with the money required to buy one for themself!
In our community our PTA & PTO organization's partner with many small businesses, DQ included, to offer a two-for-one card to PTA members. It includes SIX two-for-one Blizzards, this allows my family of four a chance to go sit and relax with a dessert treat for less than four dollars. Little League has a similar fund-raiser.
I agree with the other commentor, that Girl Scouts can't be blamed if some people have no self-control. When my neighbor - who's a heart-attack waiting to happen - bought a case of Thin Mint's from my daughter we didn't discourage him.
This was a brilliant product placement that puts Girl Scouts in front of a potentially new audience. And provides an opportunity outside of cookie sale season to stay top-of-mind.
I assure you that what Girl Scouting is teaching my daughter about self-confidence, pride, leadership, and managment vastly outweighs any culpability she has for hurting someone's waistline!! The cookie sales allow her to touch base with the neighbors - who are elated when we show up at their door each March. They teach her courage and public speaking skills when we run a booth in the bank foyer or outside the grocery store.
The profit for the boxes sold stays with the local council, and the troop gets 50-cents a box. Last year, our troop split their earnings proportionately based on each girls' sales, and each girl made a donation to the charity of her choice. My child donated $50 to the local Humane Society, one member is a Chinese adoptee with Hepatitis B, she donated her earnings to the Hepatitis B Foundation.
But the expenses incurred to educate and support these girls, pay for camps and activities, and train volunteers is a year-round expense. If the deal between DQ and the Girl Scouts can help support such a worthy organization I say Go Girl. It's a brilliant idea.
I am a devout, long time, enviro. But I have to chuckle at those who have disdain for fast food - but still eat out. When is the last time you heard of Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Gardent, Bahama Breeze) donating billions to charity? (Not to mention Ray Kroc's (McDonald's) donating to NPR and the Salvation Army? I searched Darden's corporate responsibility page, and the outdated info they showed 4.? I'll assume million because the key doesn't say.
Yes, the 'footprint' of fast food is heavy. But they aren't going to go away. So I support the businesses that support issues I believe in.
The American public still spends billions on junk food, if a little of that profit (and in the case of both our DQ & McDonalds chains A LOT) goes to good causes, both locally and nationally, I'll keep supporting them.
BTW, my favorite is the Cappucino Heath, a SMALL registers at 600 calories!
Girl Scout Mom
Richland, WA USA
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