Milk Board Lets Consumers Pick Next Happy Cow
Calling all cows.
The California Milk Advisory Board is for the first time letting consumers pick its next Happy Cow.
The board, in partnership with agency Deutsch LA, trotted out its latest herd of “wannabe” cows in four new TV spots that began airing Monday. Another six ads debut next year. The 30-second spots will act as auditions for the bovines and viewers can vote for their favorites through Sept. 30, 2009.
The Happy Cow with the most votes will be revealed to viewers online in October 2009.
The promotion is part of the latest phase of the eight-year-old Happy Cows ad campaign and supports the tag line: “Great Milk Comes from Happy Cows, and Happy Cows Come from California.”
People will have quite a cast of bovine characters to choose from.
There is the super-spunky teenager named Alicia, who is out to prove to her friends and her taunting brother that she can make it as a California babe. And then there’s Cajun Jenn, who hails from the heart of the Bayou and is eager to break out from under her dramatic stage mom’s overpowering presence. Across the pond, there’s Shelby Fogbottom, the English bovine who boasts a royal bloodline and is well versed in proper tea-time etiquette who wants the opportunity to leave the fog behind for sunny California pastures.
“It just seemed like the next logical step in a totally illogical world. If the cows are happier in California, then it just seemed to make sense that cows from everywhere else be clamoring to come here,” said Eric Hirshberg, president and chief creative officer at Deutsch. “The reality show audition tape format is something everyone can relate to. From “American Idol” to online dating services, people are used to seeing other people pitch themselves like this. Why would our fictitious bovine friends be any different.”
California is the nation’s leading milk producer. It also produces more butter, ice cream, yogurt and nonfat dry milk than any other state, the Milk Advisory Board said.
