Got More Milk Fans? No--So, a New Ad Plan

Two popular milk marketing campaigns have been great at capturing advertising awards but have flunked the real test.

Despite some stabilization of per-capita consumption in the mid-1990s, Americans drank less milk last year, according to estimates by the Milk Industry Foundation.

The two marketing campaigns, “Got Milk?” and “Milk Mustache” targeted teenagers and young adults--the age when milk consumption begins to taper off rapidly.

Both campaigns ignored youngsters. So Dairy Management Inc. and the Milk Processors Education Program decided Friday to develop a single $190-million ad program starting in 1999.

Dairy Management, a trade group of dairy farmers, puts out the “Got Milk?” campaign showing funny scenes of people craving milk. The Milk Processors developed the campaign of famous people wearing milk mustaches.

“Though the two programs are working side by side this year, winning awards isn’t our goal,” said Tom Gallagher, chief executive of Dairy Management. “We are in this game to increase fluid milk sales.”