Got Milk Life?

After two decades of everyone from athletes to models to moguls donning that silly white ‘stache, someone has finally decided that it’s time to offer the “Got Milk?” folks a napkin. That’s right, after 20 years, The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) is retiring the “Got Milk?” slogan. (UPDATE: The California Milk Processor Board is still promoting the white 'stache.) Naturally the internet immediately erupted with commentary, both good and bad. Oddly enough this made me think of the Absolut Vodka ads that ran from 1980 through 2000. Both campaigns were wildly popular during my childhood and adolescence — people collected them like trading cards. Both campaigns have their own place in advertising history and I can’t help but wonder if MilkPEP’s new idea will have the same kind of legs. On a positive note, it looks like the folks over at MilkPEP are following the famous Navy principle and keeping it simple with the switch; the new campaign will be called “Milk Life” and focus on the dairy product’s nutritional benefits, like its high protein content. The campaign includes print, TV and digital advertising, consumer and retail promotions, public relations and, of course, social media. If you think about the switch in the context of social media, #MilkLife will also make for a better hashtagging since special characters like question marks do not work in that format. It’s also interesting to note that the new “Milk Life” campaign features everyday people (as opposed to famous athletes and celebrities) doing things that require energy like playing an instrument or dancing. No big names means less overhead and more money for cool visual effects like the break-dancing advertisement above. Maybe they will go the celeb route once the campaign takes off? We’ll just have to wait and see if the new milk campaign takes on a life of its own. What was your favorite "Got Milk?" ad?