’Tis the season to enjoy real dairy products such as butter, cheese, whipped cream and eggnog, according to DairyUS, the animated character based on the REAL Seal logo, which shares that perspective in a new video released by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).

Visitors to the seal's website will be greeted by an animated DairyUS throughout the holiday season. Flying over snowy rooftops in a sleigh pulled by festive dairy cows instead of reindeer, the character and his industrious little elf remind consumers that December is the perfect time to incorporate real dairy products into their holiday recipes.

The character was created earlier this year to help a new generation of consumers distinguish between genuine U.S. dairy products and a growing list of list of imitations. A contest was held in the fall to select his name, with the winner being announced at NMPF’s annual meeting in Phoenix in November.

“DairyUS will help both kids and adults learn about foods made with real dairy products,” NMPF’s incoming President and CEO Jim Mulhern explained. “The REAL Seal means a product is a real dairy product, made with milk from cows on U.S. dairy farms and without imported, imitation or substitute ingredients. That’s an important distinction consumers can make when they’re browsing the grocery store aisles.”

The animated character has already appeared in other short videos this year. He will continue to do so in 2014 to highlight topical and seasonal events, such as holidays and sporting events, providing consumers with easy tips to incorporate more real dairy foods into their everyday meals. PD

—From NMPF news release