Cartoon stick figure holding a spoon and staring and pointing at a giant ice cream cone with a distinctive curl on top — representing a blog post about the DQ Ice Cream Curly Top shape mark trademark registration.

Trademark: DQ Ice Cream Curl

First Used: 1948

First Registered: 1998

Current Owner: American Dairy Queen Corporation [1]

Trademark Type: non-traditional trademark; trade dress; shape mark

Primarily Associated With: ice milk, reduced fat ice cream and frozen yogurt confections in cone, cup and molded form, with and without flavorings and toppings such as hot fudge, chocolate, strawberry and pineapple [2]

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:

What’s the first thing you notice when you see Dairy Queen soft-serve ice cream? Miraculously consistent at every location and across ice cream servings, the shape of the curl formed on the top of each soft-serve is a registered non-traditional trademark owned by Dairy Queen.

Originally referred to as THE CONE WITH THE CURL ON TOP® [4], the DQ Ice Cream Curl shape mark [5] goes by a variety of other names including "the Q" or “the swirl.” The signature DQ Ice Cream Curl shape mark started as an unintentional byproduct of early Dairy Queen soft-serve machines in the late 1940s. When the machine stopped dispensing ice cream, it naturally left a small curl at the top. By 1948, the curl had become such a consistent and recognizable feature in Dairy Queen locations that the company began using “The Cone with the Curl on Top” as a slogan.

Today, the DQ Ice Cream Curl shape mark isn’t just a nostalgic touch, it’s a carefully maintained element of Dairy Queen’s visual brand. Staff members are trained to create the perfect curl at the top of every soft-serve. Even Dairy Queen’s ice cream mascot is named CURLY TOP® [6]. The DQ Ice Cream Curl shape mark is more than just a flourish; it’s a sign of consistency, quality, and brand pride. That small swirl remains one of the most iconic—and protected—features of the Dairy Queen experience.