The Reason Behind The 'Got Milk' Campaign’s Success

In the 1980s, milk sales were down. Ads for sugary drinks were outperforming the promos of milk. It does your body good. So in 1993 the California Milk Processor Board decided to switch it up. They hired ad agency Goodbye Silverstein & Partners. John Steele, a partner at the agency, led a focus group. The goal was to understand consumers milk habits. They found out the only time that people really notice milk is when they run out. So they pivoted towards deprivation marketing. Instead of the benefits of milk, they focused on the frustration of not having milk. They started with a commercial where a radio listener is trying to win a contest but can't speak because the sandwich he ate has left his mouth too dry. The Got Milk Campaign was born. The campaign paused the decline of milk sales and in 1994755 million gallons of milk were sold in California compared to the previous year of 740 million. The $23 million spent on advertising saved the industry an expected $255 million.