The milk mustache marketing campaign may be embedded in our memory, with celebrities like David Beckham and Katie Couric proudly wearing leftover milk over their lips, but now the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) thinks it's time for a change, according to CNN Money.
The new "Milk Life" approach is intended to go beyond the "Got Milk" awareness campaign. In this new one, milk drinkers are participating in day-to-day tasks because they have more energy to do so. As more Americans are looking to make healthier decisions, MilkPEP believes this strategy will drive home the message that milk is a great source of nutrition.
"Milk is a rich source of protein. There are 8 grams of protein in every 8-ounce serving of it," interim CEO for MilkPEP interim CEO Julia Kadison told CNN Money.
"Got Milk" has been around since the early 1990s, but after a 20-year run, MilkPEP has seen milk sales go down over the last two years. Recently, milk has seen more competition from non-dairy alternatives like soy and almond milk, as well as from eggs and yogurt. MilkPEP felt it was time to combat the "protein fight club" advertisements, AdAge reported.
This year, MilkPEP's $50 million marketing campaign can be found across all mediums. Whether it be print, online, television or vinyl graphics, the goal is to spread the message that milk can contribute to a healthier lifestyle, not just be a beverage paired with cookies and other sweets.
"[Protein is] really in the news and on consumer's minds," Kadison explained to AdAge. "But a lot of people don't know that milk has protein, so it was very important to make that connection between milk and protein."
North American sales of non-dairy milk in 2013 were $1.6 billion, while cow milk raked in $14.4 billion. Silk (a brand that manufactures soy and almond milk) alone saw a 9.4 percent boost in revenue last year. MilkPEP hopes this adjustment will help them stay far ahead of the competition.