Did the “Got Milk?” campaign made a difference to the industry?

I can’t remember the last time I passed by a milk aisle at the supermarket and not thought of the slogan “Got Milk?.” The milk slogan is still my favorite of all time. “Got Milk?” was simple and it stood for something. The message to be projected was that people should always have milk around. The ads targeted people buying groceries at supermarkets by adding excitement to an original “boring product.” This means ads were using an emotional appeal. The campaign lasted a little over two decades and even featured several famous celebrities like Taylor Swift and David Beckham. The slogan was thought out by the California Milk Processor Board in 1993. “Got Milk?” was powerful to remind people about buying milk.

The slogan handled many platforms. Some of the platforms used for the campaign included television, print and billboards. Some of the ads with the slogan featured ridiculous reasons why a person would need milk. An example of a commercial using the slogan “Got Milk?” is the little girl meeting her future self. The little girl’s future self tells her that if she drinks more milk, she will become a famous athlete. The commercial ends with the little girl sitting on a cart stacked with milk cartons.

The commercials and ads were entertaining and fun. Celebrities that endorsed the ads often featured a “milk mustache” and shared the reasons why they drank milk. An example of one of the print ads was David Beckham’s ad that said, “Goal by Beckham, body by milk.” Milk is not a high interest item in people’s lives but the California Milk Processor Board made sure that milk stayed at the top of the list for elements to buy at the grocery store. Some of the top elements competing with milk have always been bread and eggs. Now, the “Got Milk?” slogan is being replaced by one called “Milk Life.” The California Milk Processor Board is excited to launch a brand new campaign after the success of the first one. Though the slogan has been dropped after two decades, “Got Milk?” accomplished the task of making milk funny, and even sexy.

References:

Lapowsky, I (2014). 4 Takeaways from the iconic “Got Milk?” ad campaign. Inc. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/issie-lapowsky/marketing-tips-got-milk.html

Miller, T (2014). ‘Got Milk’ ad campaign retired after 20 years of milk mustaches. NY Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/milk-ads-retired-20-years-milk-moustaches-article-1.1701064

CDN (2013). The Daily Beast [Picture Ad]. Retrieved from http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/galleries/2013/10/29/got-milk-turns-20-best-ads-from-the-iconic-campaign-photos/jcr:content/gallery/bd059419-68d4-4a6b-8b4c-f09df9846a31/image.img.2560.1440.jpg/1383039935269.cached.jpg

California Milk Processor Board (2014). Champion [Video Ad]. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBOx5H-l_eI