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June 2008 - Strategy Magazine
Who to Watch

Must... drink... milk

by Gariné Tcholakian
page 42

Rousing a brand out of an everyday household commodity isn't easy. In a climate of fierce competition between endless beverage choices, from high-tech sports energy drinks to flash-fizz sodas, ginseng juices and oxygen-infused water, milk's humdrum goodness can be low on a youth market's "cool" radar. And when the product's stakeholders happen to be dairy farmers and producers with multimillion-dollar investment in the brand - and far removed from the product's target audience at that - you have to ask yourself who's steering the cow.

Since he came to the position of executive director of the BC Dairy Foundation seven years ago, Robin Smith has managed to drive its advertising strategy into ever bolder campaigns that have not only struck at the heart of hip, but increased sales and drawn an array of awards, from the Bessies to Clios, Shark, Lotus, D&AD and even Cannes glory.

"The challenge is getting milk recognized as something beyond just the thing you drink for your health," says Smith. "To make it more of a fun drink, you have to ask yourself, 'Why do kids want to be seen drinking it?'"

Faced with B.C.'s aging population (and the resulting decrease in milk consumption among its target demographic), Smith pressed for ideas that are in touch with youth.

"We realized that we had to be a little more hard-hitting," says Smith. "The awards are great from a creative perspective, but our bottom line is: 'Did I sell more milk?' We've got attention; we built awareness through other campaigns, but we have to get people to think, 'I've got to buy more and drink more milk.'"

On June 9, the BC Dairy Foundation launches its latest ad campaign with its boldest, and arguably bluntest, tagline yet: "Must drink more milk." Building on previous campaign themes - that milk is good for you - the new effort features 14 broadcast executions, TV, cinema and online, all revolving around humorous, irreverent scenarios involving stop-motion animated characters.

From farting Legos to romantic odes of love between playing cards, fiercely determined bowling balls and scheming mousetraps, the ads by DDB Canada present quirky situations that end in the same moment of realization: consuming more milk would have changed the outcome for the better. A pool of directors created the spots, resulting in eclectic, multiple looks and executions, each with different logo treatments of the words "Must drink more milk."

"Humour is something people remember, and when you use cartoonish things, you can stretch your message further than you can if you have real people," explains Smith.

As well, by launching its own YouTube channel, the BC Dairy Foundation is not only positioning itself where its target market is most familiar, but also encouraging interaction with the brand by leveraging the momentum of video uploads incurred from past campaigns. Those include "Survival of the fittest," which took consumers back to the Stone Age to remind them of the Darwinian rule, and "Don't take your body for granted," starring an outrageous cast of characters made of only heads and feet to depict the dangers of life without body-building milk.

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