Got Milk? Not for Long – Titan Digital

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Got Milk? Not for Long


Who is your all-time favorite celebrity? Chances are, your favorite athlete, musician or movie star was involved in the infamous “Got Milk” campaign and donned a milk mustache at one point.

Well, as of February 24, 2014, the “Got Milk” campaign has officially been replaced with a brand new campaign called “Milk Life”. With a stronger emphasis on nutrition rather than stardom, the National Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) hopes to garner even more awareness and improve the milk consumption statistics within our nation.

A Quick “Got Milk” History Lesson

Do you remember the first Got Milk commercial? It told the story of a man who had just stuffed his face with a peanut butter sandwich and was then called by a radio station to answer a question for a $10,000 prize. The question: “Who shot Alexander Hamilton in that famous duel?” The answer? Aaron Burr. The frantic contestant proudly stated the answer, but was hard to understand due to the excessive amount of peanut butter in his mouth. He attempted to clear his pallet with a glass of milk, but alas; the milk carton was empty. After shouting and attempting to annunciate the answer into the telephone receiver, he ultimately lost the contest. He lost, not because of his answer, but due to his lack of milk. This renowned campaign began in 1993 and was later signed over to the National Milk Processor Education Program in 1995. From that moment on, the well-known milk mustache celebrity campaign was born.

Notable “Got Milk” Celebrities

Throughout the 20 year campaign, more than 300 celebrities, icons, cartoon characters, musicians and athletes participated in the print ads. Noteworthy celebrities include:

  • Angelina Jolie
  • Michael Phelps
  • Beyonce
  • Superman
  • Batman
  • Katie Couric
  • Venus and Serena Williams
  • Mia Hamm

So, why the campaign switch?

Although the “Got Milk” campaign gained traction by harnessing the power of celebrities, it did not actually increase the consumption of milk throughout the nation as intended. In fact, from 1975 to 2012, the consumption of milk amongst children and adults actually plummeted a shocking 25%.  The “Got Milk” milk mustache ads did bring excitement and attention to the normally boring commodity, but did not achieve the established consumption goals. Leaving the MilkPEP committee with a difficult decision.

The new campaign called “Milk Life”, portrays every day individuals benefiting from the nutrients in a glass of milk. From playing in a rock band to walking the dogs, you need a certain amount of energy and protein to help you throughout the day. An 8 ounce glass of milk contains 8 grams of protein and other necessary nutrients that your body needs to conquer each and every day. While the 20 year run of Got Milk successfully brought awareness to the commodity, the Milk Life campaign aims to increase consumption and sales of milk through the use of ordinary individuals and informative nutritional facts.

The future of milk

Do you think the new “Milk Life” campaign will be beneficial or detrimental to the National Milk Processor Education Program? Was nixing the old and widely recognized campaign a good or bad decision? With hopes of becoming the next 20-year iconic campaign, time will tell if the “Milk Life” ad campaign improves the consumption rate of milk and enhances awareness for the commodity. To learn more about the campaign, visit the “Milk Life” website.


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