Got New Ad Campaign?

The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board has launched a new $20 million campaign focusing on the benefits of milk to the body to image conscious teens. In a quote from the NYTimes article from the cheif executive of the Board, Kurt Graetzer says, "The new messages should appeal to teenagers because they are very concerned about weight and appearance." The ads will continue to feature sports figures and celebrities wearing the iconic milk mustache, but will also tout how drinking milk keeps them in shape. Print ads by Lowe New York will feature David Beckham, Alex Rodriguez, Sasha Cohen, Freddy Adu and Carrie Underwood.

The print ads and an online effort (banner ads and a page on myspace) will direct teens to Body By Milk, created by Weber Shandwick Worldwide Chicago. There they can watch a behind the scenes video of Mischa Barton's photo shoot for an ad, create their own milk mustache ad, and bid in an auction for products by Adidas, Baby Phat, Fender, and others using the bar code or expiration date data from milk containers.

A New York consultant who specializes in marketing to young consumers, Irma Zandl, said that although she thought "Body by milk" was a "great idea," the ads' execution was "too generic." "It doesn't sound fresh," she said. "It doesn’t get teenagers to think about milk in a new way; it sounds educational, schoolmarmish." But Michael C. Bellas, chairman and chief executive of the Beverage Marketing Corporation, called the campaign "wonderful" and commended the milk processors for their timing.

I'm inclined to agree with Irma. There's nothing fresh about the new ads. In fact, if you took out the mention of "body by milk" you'd have the exact same ads as they have been running for the last few years. In fact, ads featuring stars like Yasmine Bleeth and Liz Hurley have used this same angle as why they drink milk.

Lowe New York