'Got Milk?' gets an overhaul in the hands of cute, disgruntled kids

It's been 25 years since the California Milk Processing Board started asking consumers if they "Got Milk?" Now the tagline is fully in the hands of a new agency, and a rebranding of the campaign repositions the question away from a fear of missing out. Instead, a new platform, "You Can Always Count on Milk," leans into the ubiquity and dependability of a simple glass of milk.

The new spots, in both English and Spanish, feature a crew of kids with big problems who commiserate at the end of a long day with a cold drink. "The biggest consumers of milk have always been kids, so it was important to us to develop a campaign that leveraged them," says Harvey Marco, chief creative officer and co-president at Gallegos United.

After 12 years as CMPB's agency of record for the Hispanic market, the entire account was consolidated under Gallegos early this year. Previously, general market work had been created out of Goodby Silverstein and Partners. As new spots roll out, consumers will get a clearer picture of these kids lives and the familiar demands of school and parents. "I'm so slammed today," says one boy, as he leaves early to head to scouting and taekwondo.

The "Got Milk?" tagline had too much brand equity to jettison, Marco says, so it appears at the end of each spot, but its use has shifted from the heyday of the 1990s. "'Got Milk?' was developed around a deprivation strategy and deprivation isn't the issue," he says. "The market is radically different, and milk has to compete with all the alternatives, both within and outside of dairy." Consumption has been dropping, except among Hispanic and Asian markets, though total dairy consumption is up, due to strong sales of foods like cheese and yogurt.

The campaign drives viewers to an all-new website for gotmilk.com, which is full of nutrition advice and recipes. In addition to the new TV spots, the work is running on social, radio and in point-of-sale placements in more than 20 California markets. Non-TV assets are also running in Chinese, Korean and Tagalog.

In addition, a "Got Rewards?" loyalty program will launch during the next phase of the campaign.