Jared's 'Got Milk' With New Dairy/Subway Alliance

[Restaurants] Shamrock Farms, a Phoenix dairy, is hoping to parlay its relationship as milk provider for Subway restaurants into a little reflected publicity by helping the chain capitalize on its 10-year anniversary with pitchman Jared Fogle.

"As their partner, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring the milk side of the business in with what they had done with Jared," Sandy Kelly, marketing director for Shamrock Farms, tells Marketing Daily. "And with us being national partners, and being partner of Milk PEP board together, it was an easy process for us."

The ad is part of the Milk Processor Education Program's print "Milk Mustache" campaign, which has featured celebrities and other notables photographed with an upper lip coated with milk. The ad depicts the familiar Subway spokesman holding a sandwich in one hand and a bottle of Shamrock Farms milk in the other. Shamrock Farms is only the second milk brand to appear in the 13-year-old campaign, according to the company. The ad will appear in national magazines through March.

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Shamrock Farms is the exclusive milk provider for more than 20,000 franchised Subway restaurants in the U.S., Kelly says. The company is hoping that the promotion with Fogle will result in some reflected glory, she admits.

"We really want to make sure that people understand that milk is a great beverage and it should be part of a daily routine," she says. "And we want people to understand that Shamrock Farms is a great product."

Ten years ago, Subway enlisted Fogle to tell his story about losing more than 200 pounds by eating low-fat sandwiches from the chain and becoming more active. Fogle has been a pitchman for the chain's healthier options since that time.

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, Subway has begun airing a tribute commercial for Fogle, showcasing the people he has affected over 10 years. The company has also sent their pitchman on a "Tour de Pants" in which Fogle will make appearances as he "retires" his size 60 pants. The Milk Mustache ad will also be distributed at those events, which are also being used as an effort by Fogle to raise awareness about his charity, The Jared Foundation, aimed at eliminating childhood obesity.

Shamrock Farms is also helping support Fogle's charity, having already donated $10,000 to it as Fogle kicked off his events earlier this month. "It's a cause we've been behind for many years," Kelly says. "There's a lot of good things that are going to happen with this partnership, and the ad really kicks that off."

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