Evaluating an Advertisement Strategy in Got Milk Campaign

Introduction

The Dairy Council has been a staple on American television and newspapers for many decades, and one of the most successful campaigns from their brand was their Got Milk campaign which began in 1993 and has featured celebrities from Britney Spears and Beyonce to Elton John and Angelina Jolie. However, one of their most memorable approaches in endorsing milk consumption is through evaluating an advertisement with professional athletes from multiple sports. By featuring athletes in their advertisements, the Dairy Council aims to change the idea of milk consumption in reference to exercise and health.

Participation of Celebrities in an Advertisement

Even though the first Got Milk commercials began in 1993 with many celebrities and musicians, one of the first times they began using professional athletes was in the mid-nineties and one of them was boxer Oscar de la Hoya. This advertisement was made in 1997 and at that time Oscar de la Hoya was one of the best boxers in the sport and became one of the most decorated Mexican-American boxers of all time which is important to the advertisement because the ad itself was made in both English and Spanish and is important given the context of 1997 as in the US there was an influx in immigration coming from Latin-American countries like Mexico and many others in addition to the amount of second and third generation Mexican-American who could look up to de la Hoya as their inspiration and as a result be persuaded to increase their milk consumption. Some of the characteristics seen in the advertisement is the tone of both the background and his facial expression which invokes an idea of seriousness and strength while also having some irony intertwined with it as the milk mustache which is on De la Hoya is put as childlike while also trying to look serious and strong with his facial expressions. Another important aspect of the ad is the american flag that De la Hoya is draped around it which first gives contrast to the otherwise dark background but it also gives a sense of patriotism and also an idea that he is the best of both worlds as he is of both Mexican and american heritage which appeals to both of those bases. But this ad changes the idea of milk in the sense of health and exercise in that the ad is persuading the public that milk is a way to get stronger and bulker but at the same time also stay at your optimal weight specifically when it says at the bottom “ And man there ain’t nothing uglier than an overweight lightweight” which is again a reference to boxing as lightweight is a weight class in boxing and also it implies a message that no one likes someone who’s overweight so you need to drink milk to prevent that.

Participation of Athletes in an Advertisement

Another advertisement that Got Milk used with professional athletes is one with professional athlete Albert Pujols. The advertisement is from 2010 and in context at the time Albert Pujols was one of the best players in baseball playing for the Los Angeles Angels and some important aspects seen in the advertisement is again the use of a dark background in order to invoke an idea of strength and seriousness in the subject of milk consumption. Another important aspect in the piece itself is the use of the sledgehammer that Pujols is carrying and that invokes an image of hard labor and strength and it also alludes to his baseball career as he was well known for his home runs and the sledgehammer and the baseballs he’s carrying is a reference to the strength of his hits. And once again like the previous image of the use of the milk mustache is a reference to nostalgia and childhood while also ironic given the seriousness of the picture. Now this advertisment talks about the image of milk consumption in health and fitness in that the advertisment is showing that if you drink your milk then you could be like Pujols and hit homeruns with ease as seen with the sledgehammer as if he was carrying a baseball bat. This is seen again in the ad itself when in the section at the bottom it says “To learn how protein in music helps build muscles visit bodybymilk.com/albert pujols” which is important because of it’s use of ethos with the website being used as a second source and evidence for the correlation between milk and muscles.

The final advertisment from the Got Milk campaign that uses professional athletes in order to change the idea of health and fitness was one from NFL Quarterback Aaron Rodgers from 2011 and this was coming right after Rodgers and his team Green Bay Packers had won the Superbowl and some of the characteristics from the advertisment are the use of the kid in the advertisement who is depicted with Rodgers’ jersey which is important because in the ad the kid is looking toward the glass of milk than Aaron Rodgers which alludes that the milk is more important to him than Aaron Rodgers so therefore you should drink more milk and also exercise 60 minutes a day. Another aspect seen is the bold print that is first seen in the ad which is “Game Winning Pass” which alludes to the career of Aaron Rodgers who is well known for throwing multiple career winnning passes in his career and in some aspects it is a use of ethos as it shows that they should trust him about the correlation between milk and health and fitness since he is an elite football player. Now this advertisement changes the perception of milk in health and fitness in that the advertisment is conveys an idea of an American dream story specifically with what the advertisment says when it says “Ever since I was a kid my mom and coach taught me to play my best; one of the best ways is with milk” This implies that if you use milk in your daily routine and work hard you can achieve the same levels as he has which is important for the audience since the main people directed for the ad is for young kids who look up to what Aaron Rodgers has done and then as a result of that ethos the Dairy Council advertises to increase milk consumption and exercise 60 minutes a day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Dairy Council’s Got Milk campaign has used professional athletes in many of their advertisements and through that they were able to convey the ideas that milk is great for improving muscle and for weight lose, for being able to be the strongest man you can be and also to inspire kids that with milk and dedication anyone can become the best athlete that they can be. 

References

1. Lupton, D. (1996). Food, the Body, and the Self. Sage Publications.
2. Nixon, S. (1997). The Milk Mustache Celebrity Ad Campaign: Reflections on the Cultural Politics of Celebrity. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 14(4), 377-398.