Cornwall 1
Janelle Cornwall
Dr. Alyssa O’Brien
PWR 3-13
Research-Based Argument
2 June 2003
Dreams of Cream[1]: The Milk Industry’s Revolutionary Campaign
“A great many advertisements come and go, unnoticed. A far smaller number of ads so slightly better than that, generating a brief blip on the cultural radar screen. And then there is that rarest of advertising miracles: the ad campaign that becomes a phenomenon, that permeates the culture down to the grassroots, lasts for years, and, even after it is gone, leaves a mark on the public consciousness…” – Warren Berger, Advertising Today
Got milk? It may seem insignificant, but this simple question has shaken the very core of today’s society. The milk industry’s campaign to encourage Americans to drink more of the dairy product has not only succeeded in increasing its sales, but it has also single-handedly transformed the face of advertising with its ingenious spin on the promotion of such a generic and insipid product. At the start of the media campaign, it employed everything from unknown individuals to humorous stunts to everyday food products, and even the Girl Scouts of America in its advertisements. With the growing influence of popular culture on today’s society, it seemed inevitable that it would crossover and embrace this new phenomenon in the world of advertising, and eventually the slogan was incorporated into a national ad campaign that featured celebrities with milk mustaches. “While the milk-mustache campaign has been popular with the public for a number of years,” says Warren Berger in Advertising Today, “it is generally not well regarded in advertising’s creative community because of its reliance on celebrities” (376). Lee Chow, the creative director of the advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day even went so far as to call it “a bastardization” (qtd. in Berger 376). Although the “Got Milk?” advertisements that feature these famous individuals may lack the originality of their predecessors, they are more effective than those that rely only on the use of unknown actors, humor, or generic food products because of their references to the benefits of milk, their ability to traverse societal and cultural boundaries, and their widespread impact on the health concerns and buying habits of the American society.
The rarest of advertising miracles
Over the past two decades, the consumption of milk had been on a decline as soda, water, and other beverages replaced the household staple in the refrigerators of millions of Americans. In response to this regression, the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 was implemented, which “authorized a National Producer for dairy product promotion, research, and nutrition education as part of a comprehensive strategy to increase human consumption of milk and dairy products” (qtd. in Tabbita, par. 2). When the legislation did not effectively counter the decline, the Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990 was then executed, which “enabled National Processor[s] (those who package milk) to devise a strategic marketing plan to promote fluid milk” (qtd. in Tabbita, par. 3). The first to step up to the challenge was Jeff Manning, a veteran in the advertising business and the executive director of the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), who hired Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein of the successful advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. The creative team concocted the minimalist, yet captivating, slogan of “Got Milk?” which led to the conception of the “deprivation strategy” which would concentrate on the absence of the dairy product in its advertisements (Berger 370).
The launch of the series of advertisements integrating this theme of deprivation first depicted foods that people usually ate with milk. These included chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, brownie batter, and cereal, specifically Rice Krispies. The scrumptiousness of the chocolate chip cookie, the gooeyness of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the finger-licking good brownie batter, and the ensuing snap-crackle-and-pop of the Rice Krispies cereal induce a mouth-watering response in the average individual. Upon the realization that there is no milk to wash down these delicious foods, it incites distress, disappointment, frustration, or even sadness. Therefore, the advertisements work in reminding viewers not to forget to purchase milk before eating these enticing snacks. If they do, they will end up in a harrowing situation in which they will not be able to satisfy their hunger or completely enjoy the delectable snacks due to the dryness of their mouths because of their lack of milk. The shift into television advertisements produced one of the most memorable “Got Milk?” commercials to date, titled “Aaron Burr”. In the piece, a “wild-haired history buff who is obsessed with the early American politician Alexander Hamilton […] misses his opportunity of a lifetime – to answer the radio-contest question, ‘Who shot Alexander Hamilton?’ – because he has no milk to wash down the peanut butter sandwich stuck in his mouth. (‘Owum Buh!’ he screams into the phone, to no avail.)” (Berger 374). The ad works by its relation to its viewers through the actor’s fervent sense of urgency due to his milk shortage and amusingly reminds one, once again, not to forget to buy milk when in the supermarket.
Following the CMPB’s launch of the “Got Milk?” campaign, it was named the best advertising campaign of 1995 in Time magazine, the Girl Scouts of America asked to be featured in the series of ads, and, according to Manning, “the phrase […] became part of the vernacular in California” (qtd. in Berger 376). In addition, “Californians drank 15 million gallons more milk than the previous year. It was the first time in two decades that consumption increased” (Berger 376). Although the initial series of advertisements were successful in the advertising community, in attracting the attention of a major national organization, and, more importantly, in halting the decline in milk sales, they only appealed to the sentiments and logic of their audience, and did not demonstrate their stance as a credible industry. Besides the need for milk to accompany certain foods, and the obvious intent of selling more of the product, what are the overall benefits of drinking milk at all? This downfall in the effectiveness of the advertisements was rectified upon the merger of the “Got Milk?” campaign with a separate national milk-promotion group that was employing celebrities sporting milk mustaches in their print ads. “At the bottom of every print was a short, four-line [or more] copy that reflected the personality of the celebrity, and in between was surprising new information about milk and its benefits to health” (Tabbita, par. 5). In the ad featuring supermodel Tyra Banks in Figure 6, her caption reads as follows:
Ok, girls, here’s today’s beauty tip. Think about you and your 10 best friends. Chances are nine of you aren’t getting enough calcium. So what? So, milk. Three glasses of milk a day gives you the calcium your growing bones need. Tomorrow – what to do when you’re taller than your boyfriend (Celebrities).
This particular advertisement appeals to young girls because Banks is clearly addressing and calling for the attention of the female population in her quotation. Her apparent beauty and confidence shown in her casual, yet in control, posture are also alluring qualities of Banks’ that young girls are drawn to and, as a result, they will pay attention to what she has to say. The advertisement also appeals to young boys and men because of, once again, Banks’ beauty and confident sexiness. They are lured in by her smoky stare and quickly take notice of her ample chest and the slight baring of her toned stomach. Besides appealing to the emotions of these groups of individuals, the ad also gives reasons why people should drink milk. This provision of information about the benefits of milk and Banks’ reputation as an upstanding, respectable, and successful person in society contributes to the overall credibility of the ad because the viewer assumes that she would not give erroneous information or participate in a cause if it was not for a good reason. Taken as a whole, the affects this single advertisement has on specific groups of individuals illustrates the profound influence popular culture, including the phenomenon of celebrity, has on today’s society.
The ad campaign that becomes a phenomenon
Popular culture, as defined by James Lull in Media, Communication, Culture: A Global Approach refers to:
Certain themes, genres, styles, and stars [that] strike a responsive chord, resonating with audience members’ identities, emotions, opinions, tastes, and ambitions. The “popular” in popular culture thus really means that cultural impulses and images originate in everyday environments and are later attended to, interpreted, and used by ordinary people […] after being commodified and circulated by the culture industries and mass media (74).
In other words, the different aspects that constitute popular culture are produced by the people and, after it has been disseminated by the mass media, are used by them in influencing their outlooks and actions in society, whether it is the type of music they like or if they are going to purchase a particular car or remember to buy milk when they go to the store. When the mass media is mentioned, this includes the advertising industry which plays a major role in the transmission of information to potential consumers. The purpose of an advertisement is to “persuade its target audience to respond in some way, to do something or to believe something, now or later” (Rank 5). However, “we no longer have a mass society with a uniform state of vulnerability to mass advertising,” says Alex Edelstein in Total Propaganda: From Mass Culture to Popular Culture. “Instead, the popular culture is characterized by diversities of generations, of tastes, of interests, and of statuses […]. This has called for creative strategies on the part of [advertisers] to exploit new media and production techniques” (78-9). These advertising methods include the use of presenters that target certain audiences and deliver the message that the ad is trying to convey to the public. These particular individuals, according to Hugh Rank in his book The Pitch: A Simple 1-2-3-4-5 Way to Understand the Basic Pattern of Persuasion in Advertising, fit into either one of two categories: the authority figure or the friend figure. “Authority figures are those presenters whom we trust or like because they suggest the good aspects of the nurturing parent,” he states, “[while] friend figures are those presenters whom we trust or like because they suggest people we would like to be, or be with, or be liked by” (47). The perfect example of these characters is the celebrity. As the production and sale of popular culture became ingrained in the mass media, the face of advertising revolutionized to comprise the personalities of the famous individuals that have shaped the very culture itself.
The ability to successfully link specific products and specific audiences together is a major issue in the advertising industry, and so, many still follow the motto, “If you have nothing to say about a product, hire someone famous to say it” (qtd. in Berger 262). Therefore, celebrity endorsements have become a hallmark in the industry. By associating a product with a well-known person that is able to relate on a personal level to a particular segment of the population, it increases the probability that consumers will remember that product, thereby increasing the chance that they will go out and purchase it (Feldman and Gonzalo, par.1). “Because they are famous celebrities [,] they are able to attract attention and retain attention by their mere presence in the advertisements” (Ashokkumar, par. 3). For that reason, the milk industry’s integration of celebrities in the “Got Milk?” campaign demonstrates the influence of popular culture and celebrity on today’s society, and the industry’s desire to capitalize on this phenomenon.
As stated on the campaign’s official website, “Milk mustache celebs are selected because they are well known and […] can relate to the target audiences” (Getting the Shot, par. 1). The featured celebrities that come from different backgrounds and entertainment fields exhibit this strategic decision. First, the “Got Milk?” campaign has featured artists from the major musical genres: pop, rock, Latin, hip-hop, country, and R&B. Some of the chosen musicians include pop princess, Britney Spears; rock legends, KISS; Latin heartthrob, Marc Anthony; hip-hop sensation, Nelly; southern girls, the Dixie Chicks; and R&B crooner, Vanessa Williams. In Spears’ ad, she appeals to little girls because of the picture of Spears’ as a young girl wearing a pretty gold, frilly dance tutu and a gold crown as if she were a princess. The positioning of the picture with young Spears’ hand gesturing towards the older Spears suggests that “if you drink milk, this is what you’ll become.” The ad also appeals to older girls and guys because of Spears’ beauty; her “edge” since she’s wearing an all black outfit with tight, black leather pants, but maintaining her all-American girl look with the pink flower design on her shirt, her blonde hair, and her tanned skin; her confidence with her nonchalant stance with her hand on her hip; and her obvious sex appeal. In KISS’s ad, they appeal to older men and classic rock lovers who are nostalgic about the good old days when rock bands use to wear costumes and have big hair. The familiar image of KISS with their black, body armor costumes, teased hair, black and white painted faces, and the abnormally long and wagging tongue of Gene Simmons with a digitally created trail of saliva hanging from it attracts and retains the attention of its audience. In Anthony’s ad, he appeals to the Hispanic community or those who listen to Latin music, as well as women through his apparent sex appeal, his confidence depicted in his stance, his contorted face from his passionate singing, and his outstretched arms that say “I’m all yours.”
In addition, in Nelly’s ad, he attracts both male and female audiences, including those among the black and white communities because of his crossover appeal into popular music while still maintaining his “street cred”. His thuggish, “gangsta” demeanor, his muscular body that is covered in tattoos, his cool confidence in his stare and posture are all aspects that appeal to women who find him sexy and men who find him cool and hip. The positioning of his recognizable ‘#1’ platinum chain directly underneath the digitally created “Got Milk?” tattoo on his stomach suggests that milk should be an individual’s number one beverage of choice. In the Dixie Chicks’ ad, not only does it appeal to their fans or to country music lovers in general, the ad attracts animal lovers since they are holding an adorable cow in their arms. The confidence depicted in their looks at the camera and the way they are standing, their ruggedness as they stand in muddy dirt, which is downplayed by Martie Seidel’s cute pigtails, are all aspects that appeal to both males and females. Finally, in Williams’ ad, her background as the product of parents from different races, allows her to appeal to both the black and white communities, along with her evident beauty, self-confidence, her femininity in the way her legs are elegantly crossed, and her overall poise are aspects both men and women admire in a female.
Secondly, the campaign has also featured movie stars including Mike Meyers as Austin Powers from the hit comedy; action star, Jackie Chan; and Hollywood legend, Melanie Griffith. In Meyers’ ad, his persona as Austin Powers attracts those audiences that have seen and loved the movie. The bright colors that comprise Austin’s “shagadelic pad”, his comical facial expression with his ghastly teeth, his large black-rimmed glasses, his insanely hairy chest with a necklace pendant caught among the hairs, and his effeminate posture on the couch all evoke feelings of fun and humor in its spectators. In Chan’s ad, which appeals to action fans as well as the Asian community, the chaos occurring among the tall buildings illuminated in the night sky, including a bright orange fire ball that used to be a car and Chan hanging on for dear life to a rope ladder attached to a helicopter with an expression of anguish on his face, his pant leg torn at the knee, and what appears to be blood on his shirt all induce excitement and exhilaration in its viewers for the actor and, in turn, for the product, which is also strewn about in the hectic scene. Finally, in Griffith’s ad, she appeals to the average mother as she cradles her toddler child in her arms and affectionately caresses her young daughter on the head, flashing her wedding ring in the process. With Griffith and her children’s blonde hair, tan skin, and appearance of happiness, they look like the all-American family, perfectly positioned in front of their home’s beautiful blue-water filled pool. Her confidence and sex appeal as a successful actress, and her success in her personal life as a loving mother and contented wife attracts those who desire this same success in their personal and working lives.